Swan River Sailing Legacy Inspires Perth Sculptor's Art

A lifetime of sailing on the Swan River has inspired Perth sculptor Tony Jones to create a body of work that celebrates the region's rich maritime history. His art, which often incorporates boat parts and sailing motifs, has become a staple of the local landscape.

Jones's statue of Eliza, a swimmer in the Swan River, has a cult following and its own social media pages, while another of CY O'Connor riding his horse in the ocean is a beloved landmark in North Coogee. But it's his strong maritime theme that truly defines his work, inspired by sailing at Chidley Point on the Swan River from a young age.

"It just made sense to me. You sit down with a piece of paper, what am I going to draw? I'd better draw a boat," the 81-year-old said, laughing.

Jones's workshop, located near Fremantle, is a treasure trove of his passions. The sprawling space is filled with sculptures of birds, maritime markers, and wind catchers, as well as half-made projects and materials for future works.

But it's the boats that truly take center stage. Jones has collected historic Swan River sailing dinghies over the past 30 years, and his studio is filled with vessels slung from the roof, stacked against walls, and preserved under tarpaulins.

"They remind us of the things we did, the precursors to the way things are now. And they're beautiful craft objects, too," he said.

Among the boats in the work bay are two "Sharpies" that legendary Western Australian sailor Rolly Tasker used in the lead up to, and during, the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The historic Falcon III won Australia its first sailing Olympic medal.

Matt Dickmann, Jones's long-time collaborator, sailor, artist, and woodworker, is restoring the Sharpies, known as Falcon 3 and Falcon 4.

"I'm trying to finish it in a sense that everyone can appreciate what it used to look like," Dickmann said.

"One of the amazing stories about this boat is that this timber here is spruce and it was salvaged by Rolly from a plane that used to fly to Rottnest and back."

Jones and Dickmann share a love of boats and sailing, and have teamed up with friends, neighbors, sailors, and volunteers to set up the Swan River Sailing Dinghy Heritage Association. The association aims to restore the dinghies and find a permanent home for the collection.

"A bit of a men's shed for boating," Jones said.

The association wants the boats to be put on display, ideally in a traditional boat shed by the edge of the river, in partnership with a local government, yacht club, or the WA Maritime Museum.

Lotterywest provided a grant to restore Rolly Tasker's Sharpies, and would like to see them displayed.

"These boats were involved in the first Olympic sailing win, which was an amazing feat," Lotterywest's Nikki Wilson-Smith said. "Making them available to the WA public is a really an important thing."

Tony Jones and his group of boat enthusiasts are still searching for a public home for the collection.