Graffiti News

Elizabeth Quay is the planned permanent home

Perth’s seven-metre Boonji Spaceman sculpture, titled Lightning, is expected to move permanently to Elizabeth Quay in 2027. According to PerthNow, the move will happen when the City of Perth takes ownership of the precinct from DevelopmentWA. The year is an expectation tied to that handover, rather than a confirmed installation date.

The sculpture is by United States artist Brendan Murphy and currently stands at Stirling Gardens. The city identified Elizabeth Quay’s riverside position, connections with the central business district and existing public artworks as reasons for choosing the destination. The planned move places the sculpture within a waterfront setting that already has an established public-art presence.

For people who follow art in public space, the location matters alongside the object. A large sculpture viewed in a garden becomes part of a different visual setting when placed beside a river and other artworks. PerthNow does not identify the precise installation point within Elizabeth Quay, so a more detailed future viewing route cannot yet be drawn from the report.

Stirling Gardens connects the figure to Perth’s space history

The sculpture’s temporary location was chosen partly for its connection to Perth’s City of Light story. According to the city’s account reported by PerthNow, Stirling Gardens also offered proximity to Council House. The astronaut figure therefore occupies a site selected for a particular connection with the city, as well as its central position.

That historical connection reaches back to American astronaut John Glenn’s orbital flight in 1962. Perth residents switched on lights in their homes and businesses as Glenn passed overhead. PerthNow describes that event as the origin of the City of Light story, giving the space-themed sculpture a local historical reference beyond its subject alone.

The city says thousands of people have visited the sculpture since its unveiling in May 2025. Lightning will remain at Stirling Gardens until relocation. Western Australia’s Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and the Heritage Council of Western Australia have approved an extension allowing the artwork to stay there until the move. Visitors should distinguish that present location from the planned permanent address.

The gift came with transport and installation costs

The sculpture was donated, while the City of Perth carried a budgeted A$250,000 for transportation and installation. PerthNow reports that the council accepted Murphy’s gift courtesy of Gullotti Galleries. The artwork’s donation and the public expense of putting it in place are separate parts of the same project.

Lightning weighs 1,365 kilograms and is made from carbon fibre and steel. Its transportation from Miami took 12 months and involved engineers to ensure a safe journey, according to the report. Those details show the practical work behind placing a monumental figure in a public setting: receiving an artwork also involves moving and installing a substantial physical object.

The reported budget concerns transportation and installation of the donated sculpture. The source does not give a separate price for the planned relocation to Elizabeth Quay. It would therefore be premature to treat the A$250,000 figure as a quoted cost for the future move or to infer another amount.

The Ore Obelisk dispute concerns the earlier artwork

Some residents objected to the removal of the Ore Obelisk, which previously occupied the same spot. PerthNow reports that a social media page called ‘savethekebab’ attracted more than 870 followers. The opposition adds a question about the treatment of existing public art to the discussion of the new sculpture’s location.

At its May 26 meeting, the council voted to retain the 50-year-old Ore Obelisk in the city’s cultural collections and create a physical commemorative display in the Council House foyer. Deputy Lord Mayor David Goncalves proposed the idea; Chris Patton moved it in his absence. The reported decision concerns preservation and commemoration, rather than returning the obelisk to its former outdoor position.

For a visit, Stirling Gardens remains the location to use until the sculpture moves. Elizabeth Quay is the intended permanent destination, with 2027 the expected year. Explore nearby street art through Wallscape’s map when planning a wider walk through Perth’s public spaces.

Source: PerthNow