Eliza, Bronze sculpture at Matilda Bay, Perth, Australia.
Eliza is a bronze figure at Matilda Bay depicting a woman poised to dive, rising from a steel pylon set about 15 meters from the shoreline. Standing roughly 2 meters high, the sculpture is equipped with solar panels that power an integrated lighting system.
Created in 2007 by artists Tony Jones and Ben Jones, the sculpture references the Crawley Baths, a public bathing facility that operated during the early to mid-twentieth century. That former site had been a favored spot for swimming and recreation in the area for many decades.
Eliza takes its name from Mount Eliza, the hill that holds Kings Park, named by James Stirling after Eliza Darling, wife of early New South Wales governor Ralph Darling. Since the 2007 unveiling, students and unknown pranksters have regularly dressed the bronze in costumes, including a Santa Claus outfit with beard and a Melbourne Cup frock with champagne flute.
The figure stands in an open area along the bay and is easily accessible from the waterfront path, with lighting that makes it visible even after sunset. The best viewing happens during daylight when you can appreciate the details of the bronze work and the surrounding water clearly.
Local residents and visitors regularly dress the sculpture in various costumes, from formal suits to seasonal outfits, creating an ever-changing art installation. This informal practice has turned the work into an interactive element of local life.
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