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Sir Charles CourtPrint Page 
The statue commemorates West Australian Premier Sir Charles Court (1911 - 2007). It was unveiled on the 29th September 2011 on the occasion of Sir Charles Court's 100th birthday, and is symbolically located on St Georges Terrace near Parliament House and the Woodside Building to highlight Sir Charles' role in the development of the North-West Shelf and Western Australia.
Sir Charles Court served as a Member of the WA Parliament for 29 years from 1974 until 1982 and is famed for his hand in WA's mining boom. Sir Charles was a strong advocate for WA and a man who defended the right of the State to manage its own affairs.
Sir Charles was also known for his divisive decisions including the close of the Perth-Fremantle railway service and his role in the Noonkanbah land-rights dispute which led to a low point between indigenous and government relations. Sir Charles Court died in 2007.
Location
| Address: | St Georges Terrace, Perth, 6000 |
|---|---|
| State: | WA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -31.953188 Long: 115.851165 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Sculpture |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Government - State |
| Designer: | Tony Jones & Ben Jones |
| Artist: | Tony Jones & Ben Jones |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Thursday 29th September, 2011 |
|---|
Sir Charles Court
Plaque :
Sir Charles Court AK KCMG OBE
Sir Charles Court was a man of vision and creativity whose achievements ensured the prosperity of generations of Australians.
Born on 29 September 1911 to a working class family, he was an Australian champion cornet player in his teens, and participated in and conducted bands and orchestras. Aged 21, he started his own accountancy practice before joining in partnership to form Hendry, Rae and Court. He married Rita Steffanonio in 1936 and they had five sons: Victor, Barry, Kenneth, Richard and Geoffrey. Exceptional service during World War Two led to the the award of the OBE.
Sir Charles became the Member for Nedlands in 1953. From 1959 to 1971 he was the Minister for Industrial Development and the North West, and held the Railways portfolio for eight years. Factory employment became the highest in WA`s history and railway trains and services were modernised. In agreements he negotiated to mine iron ore, mining companies built towns, ports, railways and roads to further his belief in permanent communities with access to first-class education, health and recreational facilities. He played a major part in decisions to dam the Ord River and to build a standard gauge railway from the Indian to Pacific Oceans.
In 1974, Sir Charles became the Premier, Treasure and the Minister for Economic and Regional Development, positions he held until he resigned as Member for Nedlands and Premier in January 1982.
While Premier, Australia`s first state legal aid legislation was passed, His Majesty`s Theatre was bought and renovated, the Art Gallery was built, and the WA Academy of Performing Arts established. Funding was improved for education, arts and culture and the Argyle Diamonds agreement was finalised.
In protracted negotiations to develop North West Shelf gas, Sir Charles fought to ensure Western Australia benefited from royalty income and that local companies provided two-thirds of construction work. When the domestic gas phase was completed it was the world`s biggest natural resource project and the largest engineering project in Australian history.
The remarkable number of his Australian and overseas awards was added to until his death on 22 December 2007, aged 96.
The inspiration for Sir Charles throughout his life was love of family, Western Australia and Australia.
Artworks by Tony Jones Art Projects
Bronze Figure Artist : Ben Jones
Pilbara Form - Artist : Tony Jones
