COUNCIL CRITICISED OVER INTRUSIVE ARTWORK

THE Anglican Church says City of Fremantle plans to erect a permanent art installation in Walyalup Koort did not comply with its lease agreement because it encroached on holy ground.
Father Ernest Lennon last night told council the area designated for Kaarl Boyak Naariny (‘Fire is Burning on the Rocks’) is land owned by the Anglican Archdiocese of Perth.
“It does not belong to Fremantle city council,” he said. “And it is not for council to determine its identity or its design. It is leased to the council as an open air space for the public.”
Fr Lennon said the council had no right to erect any buildings or structure or interfere with its congregation under its longstanding peppercorn lease with St John’s church opposite Walyalup civic centre.
Supported by a $949,993 Lotterywest grant, the proposed artwork consists of 14 large stones geographically aligned to represent 14 Nyoongar language groups from Geraldton to Esperance. Artist Sharyn Egan described the installation as, “an act of sovereignty and an acknowledgement of country”.
City creative arts director Pete Stone says it will be a focal point for the community to ponder the very nature of ownership, place and heritage.
Anglican church verger Philip Wright told council the parish respected the importance of heritage and public art but the proposed installation raised concerns regarding siting and compliance.
“It is a permanent structure extending 600mm into the ground proposed directly over the site of the original St John’s church, which is heritage listed.”
He said a recurring issue had been council’s failure to comply with lease conditions: “Council approves events on the land however lease conditions are not consistently passed on to organisers. Installations are placed in restricted areas and events occur during church services with unacceptable noise levels.”
He added council staff and contractors had demonstrated a lack of awareness that part of former King’s Square was church owned land under lease: “This reflects a systemic failure of process and compliance. Accurate understanding of land ownership is fundamental to lawful decision making.”
Reverend Wright said the installation risked compromising the existing heritage ‘layer’ used by the parish as a place of worship for 192 years: “Heritage in Fremantle is layered, it should be integrated not overwritten.”
Fremantle Society John Dowson told StreetWise the footprint of the $1.8 million ‘set of rocks’ covered a large area: “It covers the site of the previous church which is marked out in the pavement.
“You can’t have one culture building on top of another. That’s the scandal. It shouldn’t be allowed, it’s almost like a takeover of King’s Square by spreading this out right up to the edge of the church.”
Renamed Walyalup Koort in 2021, the site of Saint John’s church since 1843 and Fremantle Town Hall since 1887 was marked in 1833 as public open space on John Septimus Roe’s original town plan of Fremantle. Remnants of the first St Johns church (1844-1884) are buried under the paving.
Council took the church concerns on notice. A video of the proposed art installation can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SKI4dFg0jo.