New dawn for de Vlamingh sundial
A sundial memorial commemorating Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh’s arrival on the Swan River in 1697 will be relocated to Riverside Drive despite concerns the site is too remote to attract visitors.
Perth Council tonight voted in favour of reconstructing the memorial, which has been sitting in a warehouse since it was removed in 2012 to make way for Elizabeth Quay, on a site near the Narrows Interchange.
The decision came despite concerns raised by Curtin University director of history Nonja Peters that the new site was somewhere “nobody would ever visit”. Dr Peters is an expert in Dutch-Australian migration history and was the driving force behind the City ofPerth’s decision to commission the public artwork in 2005.
Perth mayor Lisa Scaffidi said she believed the site was "probably the only location in the city that is viable". She also said she expected the area would become more widely used by pedestrians.
A report to council noted several other sites, including Kings Park and Barrack Square, had been proposed but theRiverside Drive site was the “only viable option”.
Kings Park is not controlled by the city.
Built by WA artists Joan Walsh-Smith and Charles Smith for $163,000, the sundial’s original location on the foreshore west of Barrack Square aimed to mark de Vlamingh’s arrival and naming of the Swan River in 1697.
Rebuilding the memorial is expected to cost more than $200,000. The cost will be covered by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority.
