Month: October 2020

Meandering around Fremantle

I had a couple of hours to kill today, and used them to meander around Fremantle, which is Perth’s port. It’s long been one of my favourite (urban) places in Western Australia, and would certainly take several visits to explore thoroughly. In this blog, I mention only some of them …

One of the delights of wandering around Freo (as it is often known by the locals – Australians are notoriously prone to short handing names!) is the built environment. Although it dates only from the early part of the nineteenth century, the architecture often seems ‘old’ by local standards and many buildings have been lovingly renovated recently. The main impetus for the renovations was the America’s Cup yacht race, which was based in Freo in 1986. The images above show some examples, ranging over at least a century. Many fine buildings show some of the affluence of the port years ago, while others show the early influences of convict labour. (Western Australia was founded as a British penal colony in 1829.) A stroll around Freo will delight anyone interested in Victorian-era and early 20th century streetscapes.

I also popped in to the lovely Shipwrecks Museum, a museum constructed and maintained by the state government, focusing on the many maritime adventures associated with early Western Australia. It’s a lovely museum with many aspects of the maritime world on display, and so it’s very easy to spend an hour or two there. Pride of place in the museum is a gallery housing some recovered parts of the Batavia, a vessel owned by the Dutch East Indies Company, which sank on Western Australia’s coast in the 17th century:

The first image shows a scale model of the Batavia, while the second shows a large part of the reconstruction. The ship sank in 1629 (a full two hundred years before the penal colony was founded), with details of the events still being found; a mutiny was involved, some evil events too place (murdering of men, women and children) and ultimately some ringleaders were executed. The ship sank en route to Batavia (the same name as the ship, but is a city today called Jakarta, in today’s Indonesia), and senior crew went there and back to get help. This area of the world was frequently encountered by the Dutch, as it was not far from the route from the bottom of Africa to the Dutch East Indies (known as Indonesia today), a major source of spices for Europe and wealth for the private company VOC.

As a child growing up in Australia, I was taught the patently false information that the English mariner Captain James Cook ‘discovered’ Australia. (Recently, there was even a plan by our Federal government to further exaggerate this mistruth by circumnavigating the continent in a replica ship!) The continent was inhabited by Aboriginal people for some 60 to 100 thousand years before it was ‘discovered’ and of course there was lots of connections made by those in the north of the country to nearby parts of southeast Asia. In fact, Cook was not even (close to being) the first European to ‘discover’ Australia, as the museum makes clear in many ways. The Dutch East Indies (private) company – known as VOC – made landfall many times on the Western Australia coast, partly because navigation in those days was not as successful as it is today:

Over time, the western half (at least) of the Australian coastline was mapped fairly well by Dutch navigators, so that the following remarkable map of the East Indies by Pieter Goos that was available as early as 1660 (well over a century before Cook arrived). The ‘Great Southland’ aka ‘New Holland’ as well as most of Tasmania was well known to other Europeans long before the English arrived late in the eighteenth century. A good part of the map was the result of the work of the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman, after whom tasmania was later named.

The Museum had some interesting displays of various kinds about navigation – a much trickier prospect in the 17th century than it is today (when my smartphone uses its GPS much more efficiently than any printed maps.) Here are some of them:

Mathematics was a of course a major tool used by navigators, but the photo shows some other kinds of tools: an astrolabe (to determine the location of the sun, and thus help to locate the latitude of the observer), an hourglass (to measure time, from which boat speed could be measured) and some weights (used with an attached string to determine water depths). I continue to admire the early seafarers and map-makers using such tools so well, on small ships in difficult sea conditions – a tribute to their mathematics, of course. At this stage, navigation had not mastered the art of determining longitude efficiently, as this required a good chronometer, measuring time very accurately, which accounts for the regularity of ships running ashore and sinking … in fact, Captain Cook’s ship was one of the first to be testing better navigation methods using a chronometer, but that was long after the Dutch navigators had mapped much of Australia.

The Museum had several delightful models of early ships, including the Duyfken shown above, which was the first European ship to visit Australia (in 1606). These are painstakingly studied and constructed, and a delight to see. At the moment (for just a few more days) a replica of the Duyfken is actually moored in Fremantle, as the second photo shows. (More details are at https://www.duyfken.com) It is sailing away (forever!) in a few days from now, so I hope to see it more closely while there is still a chance. It continues to amaze me so that so many people could inhabit such a small vessel for so long and in such dangerous circumstances …

Leaving the Museum, it’s not hard to see the connection with the sea, which is a very short distance away. These days, of course, it is a much easier and safe matter to visit Fremantle than it was for the early seafarers, and the nearby shore is mostly used for recreation rather than for rescuing ships in trouble.

The nearby fishing boat harbour is still used for a small fishing fleet, but is known to many of us an area in which food and beverages are available in casual settings – most obviously various forms of seafood, including of course fish and chips.

The modern fishing industry was originally developed (I think) by mostly southern European migrants, and I love the sculptures recognising that past – one of which is shown here. I have eaten many times at Kailis’ outdoor eatery at the harbour, too, but usually had to fight hard to find a table (as well as fight hard to keep the seagulls at bay!). The Kailis family were of Greek origin and had a big influence on local fishing, as well as eating outlets like this one. Sadly, these days, the place is almost deserted, as the pandemic has kept tourists away and locals are busy at work. It feels strange to have so few people there, but it’s still a lovely place for lunch.

The early Italian influences on Fremantle are never very hard to find. A good example is Gino’s coffee shop, which has been here on a conspicuous corner for as long as I can remember, and long before it was fashionable to go out to have a cup of coffee with a friend. They still make great coffee, but the ‘cappuccino strip’ (as it came to be called) on which it is located is struggling these days from the effects of the pandemic, and the loss of tourist trade. It’s sad to see so many shops falling vacant, unable to survive … I hope that times will change before much longer.

Elsewhere in Freo, all kinds of reminders of other times are evident. Too many to document here, but here are just two examples. A lovely old wall (in fact, right behind Gino’s), with an artistry in bricks that is never seen these days and a delightful grocery with the most amazing smells; the Kakulas Sisters sell all sorts of bulk spices, coffees, teas, sweets, and many other things that make it a delight to wander around. (Click on the images to see more of them.)

By its nature, a port city like Fremantle is connected to cultures elsewhere. While the Italian and Greek roots are evident, and there is increasing recognition of local Aboriginal (Nyoongar) people, Fremantle has always had a multicultural feeling. Indeed, the whole of Australia is multicultural, with around 30% of us born overseas. So I enjoyed the sign below, drawing attention to who we are:

‘Meandering’ has an intrinsic sense of ‘slow pace’. Fremantle is still a lovely place to meander around, and has many more attractions than the few things mentioned here.

If you’re nearby, its certainly worth a day trip … when we are all allowed to travel again.

Public art in Como Beach

I enjoyed learning about public art in my City of South Perth on a recent bus tour, which included a short stroll near my home in Como. Most of the public art on display was already familiar to me, but one of my comments during the tour was that it was poorly documented and little known. So I thought I would share some of my thoughts and some pictures. Como is a large suburb of South Perth, which is in turn immediately south of the City of Perth, Western Australia. My focus here is on Como Beach, adjacent to the Swan River (and a busy freeway) and all within a few minutes’ walk of my home. The picture below shows part of the beach, and the iconic jetty, the longest in the Swan River, once a playground for those living down here.

  • Como Beach, Western Australia

Strolling down the main street, Preston Street, the most obvious reminder of location is the Cygnet Theatre, long a landmark of Como and still a functioning cinema (or, at least, about to be again post COVID-19). This wonderful, pink, heritage-listed art deco building is not technically described as ‘public art’ – as it is architecture, not art – but it comes pretty close to that in my opinion.

  • Cygnet Theatre
  • Art Deco

So, what is ‘public art’? In a nutshell, it seems to comprise works of art that are available for the public to enjoy. There is a surprising amount of it around, once you open your eyes a bit, and this is especially so in the City of South Perth, which now requires builders of large projects to devote 1% of their budget to some agreed public art (and they, in turn, devote 2% of their budget for large projects to public art). There are, of course, works of public art around that have been provided gratuitously, rather than as a direct result of the City policy. If the Cygnet Theatre is not an example of public art, then certainly the murals on its wall is an example:

  • Alfred Hitchcock on Cygnet Theatre

The unmistakable portrait of film director Alfred Hitchcock adorns a wall of the theatre, nestling among the parking area, the foliage and the cars – looking down on them with that famous sneer. Murals have become more common these days, and I really like this one. There is another mural nearby, in fact, which also certainly qualifies as public art, on the wall of a Malaysian restaurant adjacent to the theatre:

  • Wayang Kulit wall

An otherwise ugly wall on the Nasi Lemak restaurant has been transformed into a playful and colourful piece of art work. I like the large Wayang Kulit (shadow puppets, used in Java for plays, with the puppets used to cast shadows on a white screen. The characters are from the ancient Hindu tales, such as the Mahabarata, and are all well-known to Javanese people.) But I also like the addition of the kids, playing with the puppets, and acting as puppet masters. I learned in Valparaiso, Chile (explore my website to see the details) that murals are used to deter graffiti, as street artists are unlikely to despoil the work of other artists; seems to be a win-win strategy for enhancing the environment.

Continuing down the street a little, there are some strange-looking objects (which I learned that some people had mistaken for parking meters!) in various places. Here are some of them:

  • Film reel or parking meter?
  • Projectors
  • Detail of film reel

On closer inspection, it becomes clearer that these artworks are connected to the history of the area, and in particular the nearby theatre. I heard one local observing that his children thought the green objects were guns, but they are in fact reminders and representations of the olde world film projectors once used by the nearby theatre. Close inspection of the film reels also gives a reminder of the historical past of Como Beach, with its jetty a popular swimming spot, long before people had easy access to Perth’s beaches. Indeed, the path to the swimming spot is nearby, with a gleaming white bridge over the freeway:

  • Pedestrian bridge over the Kwinana Freeway

Is this an example of public art? Apparently not, as it’s architecture, not art, but it certainly tweaks some of my aesthetic impulses, especially with the blue Perth sky as background. But before we cross the bridge, there are some public art works near its base:

  • Shell
  • Boat
  • Tram

The shell shown here is a reminder of the days in which Como Beach was a playground, and children could collect shells from the river shore. It has been erected gratuitously by the people who built the adjacent small apartment building, presumably for others to enjoy and to pay some homage to the locale. I had seen it before – and enjoyed it – but had not noticed the artists’ inscriptions carved in the base. Anne Neill and Steve Tepper produced this for others to enjoy, but I did not realise that until recently. Makes me wonder about how artists get recognised adequately.

The other two images here show some sculptures at the base of the bridge, also reminding us of the past. The boat represents the many boats that used to visit this spot in the river, both locals and ferries, while the wheel is a reminder that trams used to come to this place, bringing people to a family swimming. picnicking, fishing and prawning spot, long before other forms of transportation. (I had also seen these often, as I walk over the bridge often, but not really connected them to the past. How can that be easily done, unobtrusively and aesthetically? There is an inscription on the work – not shown here – that I had not previously read.) There’s something ironic about these memories of a bygone age sitting quietly next to a freeway full of racing traffic … But let’s go over the bridge …

  • Ferry stops
  • Ferry stops

The bridge itself contains some public art works, representing in various ways the ferries and the jetties around the Swan River, as Como Jetty used to be a ferry stop and the jetty itself is still visible to all in the river, or driving past on the freeway. The names of the actual ferries are all there, so that a stroll over the bridge is a walk down memory lane. Well, not quite: most people strolling over the bridge are not actually ‘remembering’ those days, but hopefully learning about them. This bridge was constructed with government funds, so the art works were an agreed part of the project. Crossing over the busy freeway, we get to Como Beach itself:

  • Dressed for the beach
  • Kids and play

The silhouette sculptures on the beach are reminders of an age gone by, when people travelled to Como Beach to meet up with friends, and children played on the shore. The jetty is still there, of course, but the crowds have diminished … funny how planting a freeway can discourage people to stroll down to the river. But all is not lost, as there are now playground and sandpit renovations being completed, new seating areas and the picture at the top illustrates that picnic space is returning; so watch this space. A pleasant spot to watch the sun go down, ride a bicycle into the city or just sit and think about the passing traffic – cars, yachts or pelicans …

Back over the bridge is the most recent addition to the local collection of public art, a beautiful statue commissioned by the owners of a new building a block away from mine:

  • You Are My Soul
  • Detail

A statue is more like what is normally regarded as ‘art’, and I think this is a lovely statue by Anna Ruwhi, whom I think is a local Iraqi immigrant, was completed just a few months ago in 2020. The Inscription in the base notes, “The two human figures, a man and a woman, pay homage to the multicultural tapestry of the South Perth community, and how its blend of people live, love and interact.” I couldn’t put it better myself, except to note my delight at the pelican joining the man and the woman, as pelicans are emblematic of the Como Jetty – and I have often marvelled at their patience in sitting atop one of the light towers. A lovely statue, which would probably not exist but for the City policy of requiring some public art contributions by developers to the local environment. I am pleased that such a policy is in effect.

Statues can be problematic, of course, as recent events in the USA have illustrated, but they can also enhance the environment wonderfully for the general public. I recall reading once that, other things being equal, a city was likelier to be better if it had more statues, and my meanderings around London, Paris, New York and many other places attest to this. Statues of old dead men can be problematic if they reflect a colonial, racist or oppressive past (remembering the statue of Saddam Hussein toppling or the agonised debates about Cecil Rhodes in Oxford), but somehow I think that lovely statues like this will be safe from the tides of political or social change. I hope so, anyway.

Wandering home from my stroll, I can’t help but wonder about what is, and what isn’t ‘public art’. Public art can remind us of our past, as well as our present, can tell stories or just enhance our outlook. So building decorations, verge plantings and even plants visible to the public all have aesthetic elements to them, even if they don’t come within the City’s definitions of ‘public art’. It all reminds me of how lucky I am to live here, as well as how pleased I am that public art is part of my surroundings, and that the City of South Perth is working to keep it that way, and improve it.

  • Street verge
  • Building decoration
  • Nature’s art

I hope that you enjoyed my tour; but it’s more fun to do it for yourself, if you happen to live close enough to do so.