The quiet dog beach we are currently standing on is named after one of the key figures in Western Australia’s development, Charles Yelverton O’Connor. As we stand at the water’s edge, look 20 to 30 metres out into the water and you will see a semi-submerged bronze statue of a man on horseback. This artwork by renowned Western Australian sculptor Tony Jones was unveiled in 2001 and marks the place of C.Y. O’Connor’s suicide in 1902. An engineer responsible for the creation of Fremantle Harbour, he tragically took his own life after mounting pressure and criticism regarding his Goldfields Water Supply Scheme. As we have already established, this beach has long been a popular horse exercising area, and O’Connor would often begin his day by riding along this stretch of coastline with his daughter.[1] One morning, when his daughter was not present, he rode his horse into the ocean and shot himself with his revolver. This sculpture, which is situated on one of Perth’s least-frequented beaches, represents the achievements of one of the state’s finest engineers. Its treatment has attracted criticism from the artist, who has described nearby ‘warning’ signage installed by the City of Cockburn as “visually invasive” and “disrespectful to the area’s history.”[2]
[1] Nerida Moredoundt and Susannah Kendall, Cockburn Coast Cultural Heritage Strategy, Perth: TPG Heritage, 2012, https://www.cockburn.wa.gov.au/getattachment/fa4f90a3-bd96-49f8-89fc-85bf637adf81/ECM_7598972_v1_Appendix-E-Robb-Jetty-Cultural-Heritage-Strategy-pdf.aspx, 73.
[2] Kate Leaver, “Sculptor: ‘Visually invasive’ North Coogee Beach Signs Block Artwork,” WA Today, February 17, 2018, https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/sculptor-visually-invasive-north-coogee-beach-signs-block-artwork-20180216-h0w8dg.html.
