First Contact

The First Contact sculpture sits at the edge of Elizabeth Quay, defined by a massive, hollowed-out bird form made of rusted steel plates. Its neck curves down toward the water, creating an archway that frames the city skyline through its metal feathers. Artist Laurel Nannup designed the sculpture to represent the Whadjuk Noongar people watching the arrival of the first European ships. She based the bird on the traditional belief that the early settlers arrived on ships that resembled giant white swans.