We’re a growing coalition of curators, artists, urbanists, heritage and design professionals, and everyday Perth locals fighting to protect our city’s cultural legacy.
For four years, arts advocates have been calling for the return of Ore Obelisk, a major 1971 public artwork by City Planner Paul Ritter.
This 15-metre sculpture once stood proudly in Stirling Gardens. It commemorated a pivotal moment in Western Australia’s history - marking the Western Australia's unique geology, the state’s booming mining economy and the milestone of one million people. Embedded with ore and rock specimens from across the state, it was a unique civic landmark.
In 2021, the City of Perth removed and dismembered the Obelisk -literally cut up with an oxy torch - and placed it in storage, pending “future restoration.”
Instead of restoring the work, the City installed Boonji Spaceman - a commercially branded product by an American entrepreneur - on the original plinth of the Ore Obelisk. The artist, Brendan Murphy, openly admits it was and idea cooked up by former Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas and galleries Paul Gullotti. There are five identical versions around the world. It is not site-specific, not unique, and not culturally relevant to Perth.
The City has already spent around $250,000 of ratepayer funds transporting and installing this “gift,” a sum far greater than the estimated cost of restoring the Obelisk.
We’re calling for:
The immediate reinstatement of Ore Obelisk in its rightful place.
The return of Lorenna Grant’s The Arch, decommissioned in 2023 and currently sitting in an open-air industrial lot, to its original site.
Proper governance, transparent spending, and respect for cultural assets that define our city.
This campaign is about public value, civic memory, and the integrity of our shared public spaces.