Boat Rock
Etched design into granite block with bronze fish
"Long ago there was a boat
That sadly did not stay afloat"
Boat Rock artwork is a large slice of granite moored in Harford Park in Yanchep, which refers to a long-ago shipwreck. Across the polished surface of this rock are engravings of an ocean teeming with fish, whales and seabirds. Various boats are sailing through this watery panorama, one of which is The Emily, Captain Harford’s boat which was lost off the coast of W.A. in 1868. The story of the wreck is etched around the perimeter of the rock, the words set amidst the flowing water as if the tale is being carried along by the waves. People can trace the story with their fingers as well as touch the cast bronze fish embedded in the rock. When making this piece, artist Kati Thamo searched for a long while to find a rock that was shaped like a boat. Once located, it was sliced in half and polished. Kati then spent weeks sitting atop the rock, hand cutting the stencil to create the detailed imagery. “I wanted the design to flow around the rock like a ship sailing around the world with the ocean currents.”
