City of Perth Reece Harley City of Perth Reece Harley

Two Fighting Snakes

Artist: Matthew Tjupurulla Gill

Asset Type: Public Art

Year of Work: 1994

Location: South Western corner of Forrest Place

Provenance: City of Perth

A popular Forrest Place artwork depicts two snakes fighting over two Tjupurulla men at the homeland of the artist’s father near Lake Mackay in WA’s Northwest. The 5 x 7 metre mosaic was constructed using over 17,000 mosaic tesserae of red, black, yellow and white granite. The original design was translated from a dot painting created by the Balgo Hills artist in 1988. The painting is part of the City of Perth Art Collection.

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City of Perth Reece Harley City of Perth Reece Harley

Coat of Arms

Image Source: Eugene Scrivener (Museum of Perth)

Artist: Geoffrey Allen

Asset Type: Public Art

Year of Work: 1963

Location: Immediately to East of Northern (main) entrance to Council House

Provenance: City of Perth

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City of Perth Reece Harley City of Perth Reece Harley

Yagan

Credit: Frances Andrijich, courtesy of the Perth Public Art Foundation

Artist: Robert C Hitchcock

Asset Type: Memorial/ Monument

Year of Work: 1984

Location: Heirisson Island, Western End, South of Causeway

Provenance: City of Perth

The sculpture commemorates Aboriginal tribal leader, Yagan.

Yagan was an Aboriginal patriot of the Nyungar tribe who resisted the invasion of the European settlers but was eventually captured. He was exiled to Carnac Island and treated as a prisoner of war. He escaped and returned to the mainland and there was a reward for his capture.

On July 11, 1833, with a group of Nyungar, Yagan approached two young shepherds he knew, James and William Keats, and asked them for flour. Recognising Yagan and keen for the reward, William, when he saw the chance, levelled his musket at Yagan behind his back and shot him dead. Both brothers then fled, but William was caught and speared to death. After his death, Yagan`s head was hacked off from his body and taken to English museums.

In 1894 the head was passed on to the Liverpool City Museum, where it was exhibited until 1964. It was then buried in the Everton Cemetery. In 1990 a request by the Western Australian Nyoongah community was put to the British Government to exhume the head. Permission was finally granted and 164 years after it was sent to England, Yagan`s head was brought back to Australia for burial according to Nyoongah custom.

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City of Perth Reece Harley City of Perth Reece Harley

Captain Stirling Memorial

Artist: Phil Somers

Asset Type: Memorial/ Monument

Year of Work: 1979

Location: Formerly: in Foundation Park, South Western Side of Perth Town Hall

Provenance: City of Perth

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