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Booyeembara Park Amphitheatre

Booyeembara Park is on the corner of Stevens and Montreal Streets Fremantle.

According to Anna Chauvel, the amphitheatre was initiated and built by the community. It was not completed, probably because of the 'discovery' (surprise!) in 2009 (Chauvel's date) of asbestos – in a park which was formerly a 'landfill' tip with abundant building materials some of which contained asbestos. It was then fenced off (because a wire fence arguably absolves a local authority of any responsibility for anything that happens inside it).

Some shots of the unfinished amphitheatre, which is towards the eastern side of the Park. This one shows the approach from the west, and was taken before the area was fenced.

The archway was rebuilt, not once but twice. The second version looked much weaker than the first one, shown above. This was before the floor was paved, obviously.

A lot's been done, and there's a lot to do.

At this time the back of the stage area hadn't been built. I'm standing on a second bank, of indeterminate function, on the southern side.

Those white tanks in the distance have since been removed, by the way.

Now the floor paving is in, and the second version of the archway can be seen.

Also, the back of the stage area has been built ... a blank canvas for the graffitists (vide infra).

A section of the fence on the western side entrance was removed about the beginning of March 2012. This chalked sign may explain why (PARTY).

It seems to be inviting those in the know to a party in the amphitheatre, up there in the distance.

A couple of weeks later, the evidence is still there.

Here's the third version of the archway.

And from the other side. ... Between this photo and the next, the site became a place for graffiti.

The 'fourth' archway is no archway. I don't think it would have fallen down by itself.

More detail of the relatively conventional landscape next to the arch. I like the juxtaposition.

More detail.

More detail, from the other side. Looks to have been removed by workmen rather than vandals.

Speaking of removing: here's a bit of wall that isn't doing anything - except being potentially dangerous for anyone trying to climb it and walk along the top.

This is what the seating looked like in April 2021.

... and a final amusing detail.

WALL ART

There's a feature wall (holding up the western end of the northern bank), as you approach from the west.

With bits of rubbish stuck in it, having now become art:
ART FROM IRON FOUND IN THIS TIP

SLAG FROM LOCAL FOUNDRY

SLATE FROM BILLIARD TABLE
(How did they know that?)

BATHROOM TILES

BRICKS FROM THIS TIP (special)

A niche with terrazzo

GRAFFITI

Despite the fencing there seems to be something of a tradition of staging parties in the amphitheatre.

This one was for 'Doomsday', unfortunately, not the solstice which was at the same time. Preparations were elaborate, including painting the whole of the back wall in one design.

September 2013

A week later: a clean canvas, 20 September 2013.

2022

In 2022, the City seems to have given up on the site, which is now merely the graffitists' playground and rubbish tip.

April 2023

References and Links

Chauvel, Anna 2021, 'Gathering community: Booyeembara Park', Landscape Australia.

Website of Friends of Booyeembara Park with some details about the amphitheatre (bottom).

Landscape Australia article.

Freotopia

This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 18 March, 2012 and hosted at freotopia.org/parks/boo/amp.html (it was last updated on 13 May, 2024). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.

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