There are numerous artworks on permanent public display in Western Australia.
This list include only works of public art accessible in an outdoor public space; it does not include artwork on display inside a museum. Most of the works mentioned are sculptures, although several notable memorials are listed also. Public art may include statues, sculptures, monuments, memorials, murals and mosaics.
In 1989 the Western Australian state government established a "Percent for Art" policy. The scheme which enacts the policy is administered by the Department of Culture and the Arts and requires that up to one percent of the construction budget for new public works over $2,000,000, be expended on public artwork. The Town of Vincent was the first Local government authority to have a similar scheme. It requires that "commercial, non-residential, and/or mixed residential/commercial developments over $1,000,000 are to set aside a minimum of one per cent of the estimated total project cost for the development to be used for public artworks." Over 700 works have been installed under the state government scheme since 1989.
Perth CBD Includes public artworks in the Perth CBD. Excludes the Northbridge precinct and the Perth Cultural Centre, Kings Park, East Perth and Claisebrook Cove.
Name Image Location Artist Year "Ascalon" St George's Cathedral, Perth Marcus Canning, Christian de Vietri 2009 Percy Buttons' Aspiration Hay Street Mall, PerthJoan Walsh-Smith & Charles Smith 1996 Aurelia ApartmentsSouth PerthJon Tarry2018Fusion ApartmentsRiversdale Road, BurswoodJon Tarry2016Bessie Rischbieth StatueElizabeth Quay 3D model Jon Tarry 2016 Conic Fugue (Enigma) QV1 Building, Corner St Georges Terrace and Milligan Street, Perth Charles O. Perry 1991 "Connect(us)" Kings Square, Perth Warren Langley 2016 Sir Charles Court Corner Mount St and St Georges Terrace Tony Jones 2011 "First Contact" Elizabeth Quay Laurel Nannup 2015 "Footsteps in Time" 40–50 St Georges Terrace, Perth Joan Walsh-Smith, Charles Smith 2004 Alexander Forrest Stirling Gardens entrance, Barrack Street and St Georges Terrace, Perth Pietro Porcelli 1916 "Going Home" (Kangaroos with Briefcases) Florence Hummerston Reserve, Corner Mount Street and St Georges Terrace, Perth Anne Neil 1996 "Grow Your Own" (colloquially named "The Cactus") Forrest Place, Perth James Angus 2011 Gumnut Babies Stirling Gardens, Perth Claire Bailey, Indra Geidans 2001 Bishop Mathew Hale The Cloisters, St Georges Terrace, Perth Greg James 2008 Talbot Hobbs Supreme Court Gardens, Perth Edward Kohler, Alex Winning 1940 "Irrational Geometrics" Kings Square, Perth Pascal Dombis & Gil Percal 2016 "Judith" Howard St Karin Tulloch 1936. Bronze casting in 2008 "Kangaroos on the Terrace" Stirling Gardens St Georges Terrace Perth 3D model Joan Walsh-Smith, Charles Smith 1997 "Memory Markers" Stirling Gardens, Perth Anne Neil 2005 Meteorite (Fire... Water... Earth) Forrest Place, Perth Malcolm McGregor 2000 Migrants Memorial Ozone Reserve, Corner Plain Street and Riverside Drive, Perth A.J.N Macdonald & Associates 2008 "Harmony of Minerals Obelisk" aka "The Ore Obelisk" Stirling Gardens, Perth Paul Ritter and Ralph Hibble 1971 "Oushi zokei" (Mobius in space) Elizabeth Quay railway station, Perth Keizo Ushio 2010 Paper Planes 237 Adelaide Terrace, Perth People in the City Central Park, Corner Hay and William Streets, Perth Anne Neil 1999 John Septimus Roe Corner Victoria Avenue and Adelaide Terrace, Perth Greg James 1990 "Signature Ring" Barrack Square Simon Gauntlett and Matthew Ngui "Spanda" Elizabeth Quay Christian de Vietri 2016 Captain James Stirling City of Perth Library 3D model Clement P Somers 1979 "The Strike" (Miners) Perth Mint, Perth Greg James 1991 Bronze Swans Swan Bell Tower, Barrack Square, Perth Sue Flavell, Gina Moore 2000 "Totem" Perth Arena, Perth Geoffrey Drake-Brockman 2012 Unidentified Photographer Barracks Arch, Corner Barrack Street and Elder Street, Perth Anne Neil, Greg James 1996 De Vlamingh Memorial Barrack Square, Perth Joan Walsh-Smith, Charles Smith 2008Duxton Hotel lionsDuxton Hotel, St Georges Terrace, Perth 3D model
Northbridge/Perth Cultural Centre Public artworks in the Northbridge precinct and around Perth Cultural Centre.
Name Image Location Artist Year "Arch" Corner of Lake and James Streets, Northbridge Lorenna Grant 2010 "Between 1979–1980" Art Gallery, Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth Clement Meadmore 1981 (, ) Art Gallery, Perth Cultural Centre Gerhard MarcksCast by Giesserie Barth, Berlin, plaque, Perth Cultural Centre 1981 "Gateway 2: Coalesce" Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Perth Akio Makigawa 1987"Luminous"Chinatown, Rowe Street, NorthbridgeGeoffrey Drake-Brockman2015 "Nexus" Plateia Hellas, Lake Street, Northbridge Simon Gauntlett 2002"Spiral"Perth Police Station, corner of Rowe and Fitzgerald Streets, NorthbridgeGeoffrey Drake-Brockman2012 "Unfolding Lives" Perth Cultural Centre, eastern end of the James Street mall, Northbridge Judith Forrest 2010
East Perth and Claisebrook Cove Since the late 1980s, a major urban renewal project surrounding Claisebrook Cove has been underway, with abandoned industrial sites levelled and replaced with residential streetscapes and landscaped waterfronts. These have been interspersed with a good collection of public art.
Name Image Location Artist Year "Channel Markers"/"Marker Seats" Claisebrook Cove Malcolm McGregor 1995Peace Grove chairClaisebook 3D Model1988 "Impossible Triangle" East Parade Roundabout, East Perth Brian MacKay, Ahmad Abas 1999 Peter Pan Queens Gardens, East Perth George Frampton 1929 Concrete Poem Sculpture (Spiral Sculpture) Claisebrook Cove Rob Finlayson, PlanE Edmund Rice Centenary Park, Trinity College, East Perth Trinity College Mural Centenary Park, Trinity College, East Perth Fintan Magee 2023 "Sea Queen" Claisebrook Cove Tony Jones "Shimmer" 6.6m x 4.9m x 8.0m, stainless steel Claisebrook Cove SURF (Jurek Wybraniec/Stephen Neille) 2012 "Shoreline Marker Posts" Claisebrook Cove Malcolm McGregor 1995 "Standing Figure" Claisebrook Cove Tony Jones "The Red Surveyor" Corner Saunders and Glyde Streets, Claisebrook Cove Jon Tarry
Kings Park The following list includes public artworks in Kings Park which is located on the outskirts of the Perth CBD. Kings Park was established as a public park in 1872 and contains a varied collection of public artworks ranging from early 20th century war monuments to life-sized dinosaur models. It is said to contain "more memorials, statues and honour avenues than any other park in Australia".
Name Image Location Artist Year Bali Memorial Fraser Avenue, Kings Park David Jones, Kevin Draper 2003 The South African War Memorial(originally "Fallen Soldiers Memorial"). Titled "in defence of the flag" by the sculptor. Fraser Avenue, Kings Park James White 1901 Bullockornis May Drive Parkland, Kings ParkCentenary of Western Australian Women's Suffrage MemorialWestern Australia Botanic Garden, Kings ParkTony Jones1999 Cenotaph, Eternal Flame and War Memorial Fraser Avenue, Kings Park Designed by Sir J. Talbot Hobbs 1929 Arnold Cook Memorial Entrance to the Ivy Watson Playground, Kings Park Greg James 1989 Edith Dircksey Cowan Memorial Fraser Avenue and Kings Park Road, Kings Park 3D model W. Ogilvy 1934 Diprotodon May Drive Parkland, Kings Park Travis Tischler 2010 Floral Clock Fraser Avenue, Kings Park Bequest from Frank Wittenoom 1962 "Lord Forrest" Fraser Avenue and Lovekin Drive, Kings Park Sir Edgar Betram MacKennal 1927 Muttaburrasaurus May Drive Parkland, Kings Park George Leake Fountain Fraser Avenue, Kings Park 1902 Phytosaur May Drive Parkland, Kings Park Travis Tischler 2010 Pioneer Women's Memorial Forrest Drive, Kings Park Margaret Priest 1968 Queen Victoria Fraser Avenue, Kings Park Francis John Williamson 1903 Vietnam Memorial May Drive Parkland, Kings Park 2002 "Wood Be Good" Ivy Watson Playground, Kings Park
South Perth
Public artworks within the City of South Perth.
Name Image Location Artist Year Aurelian Modulations 96 Mill Point Road, South PerthJon Tarry2018 R/evolve South Perth foreshore Tony Jones, Ben Jones, Angela McHarrie 2021
Fremantle Public artworks within the City of Fremantle.
Name Image Location Artist Year The Explorers' Monument (Maitland Brown Memorial) Esplanade Park, Fremantle Pietro Porcelli 1913 Child Migrant Statue Victoria Quay, FremantleJoan Walsh-Smith, Charles Smith 2006 John Curtin Kings Square, Fremantle Joan Walsh-Smith, Charles Smith 2005 Sir Hughie Edwards Kings Square, Fremantle Andrew Kay 2002 The Fishermen Fishing Boat Harbour, Fremantle Greg James, Jon Tarry 2004 John Gerovich ("Mark of the Century") Fremantle Oval, Parry St (at Queen St), Fremantle Robert Hitchcock 2006, "Iris Series" 20 Ord Street, Fremantle Greg James 2009 C. Y. O'Connor Fremantle Port Authority entrance, Fremantle Pietro Porcelli 1911 Ribbon Sculpture Challenger TAFE, Fremantle Sculptor Pietro Porcelli Kings Square, Fremantle Greg James 1993 Bon Scott Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour, Fremantle Greg James 2008 Vasco da Gama (Portuguese Memorial) Esplanade Park, Fremantle Ciare Bailey, Edgar Nailor, John Kirkness 1997 Southern Crossing Victoria Quay Tony Jones and Ben Jones 2002 Tom Edwards Memorial Kings Square, Fremantle Pietro Porcelli 1919The FamilyNewman Court, Fremantle (moved from 99 Plain Street, East Perth in 2019)Margaret Priest1974
Other metropolitan Public artworks in the Perth metropolitan area and outside the Perth CBD and Kings Park.
Name Image Location Artist Year Professor H.E. WhitfeldUniversity of Western Australia. 3D modelMr John Dowie1941Wednesday's ChildBurswood Park, Burswood 3D modelAbdul-Rahman Abdullah2013Age Shall Not Weary ThemCnr Hamersley & Rokeby roads, Subiaco