City of Cockburn - Wetlands to Waves

Our Sister Cities

Sister City relationships seek a wider understanding of other nations, their traditions, customs, education and cultures in our community. Also promoting in other nations our cultural traditions, customs, education and cultures of Australia. Council currently maintains three active sister city relationships based upon the benefits which can accrue including trade, tourism, cultural, educational and sporting activities.

Our Sister Cities are :

Mobile in America, Split in Croatia and Yeu Yang in China.

The benefits of these relationships include but are not restricted to :

• Trade links between the two countries
• Cultural links between the two countries
• Sporting links between the two countries
• Tourism links between the two countries
• Education links between the two countries

SISTER CITY ARTWORK  - SPLIT, CROATIA  Read More

WHERE:        Spearwood Ave (Near Beeliar Rd roundabout)

WHAT:          Cultivate Sister City installation

ARTISTS:       Dawn and Phillip Gamblen and local Croatian community representatives.

HOW:   The inspiration for this artwork finds its roots in the rich pioneering history of market gardening that is common to both the City of Cockburn and its Sister City Split in Croatia. Each of the three individual metal sculptures works with its neighbours to create a strong, bold eye catching artwork. A bold checkerboard pattern found on the Croatian flag and the Split coat of arms are a prominent recurring design motif. Linear cut outs within the checks depict cross sectioned slices of crops traditionally grown in a market garden. The sculpture connects the roots put down by our Croatian pioneers in the new soil of Australia and cultivates the growth of a City from early beginnings.

View the gallery of photographs from the visit [11 mb size file]

SISTER CITY ARTWORK MOBILE, ALABAMA

WHERE:        Spearwood Ave (western end near Cockburn Road)

WHAT:          Due South installation

ARTISTS:      Tony & Ben Jones, Austal ships and Austal apprentices

HOW:   The inspiration for this artwork finds its roots in the strong connection the City has with the sea and with our Sister City of Mobile, in the United States. The connection between our two cities can be traced back to the time of Captain James Stirling who was involved in the war of 1812 between Britain and the United States.  During this time Stirling evacuated British troops from Mobile on their retreat from the battle of New Orleans.  Eleven years later Stirling was engaged in establishing the Swan River colony, one of the first people to visit both Mobile and Cockburn.

Today the City of Cockburn like Mobile has a strong shipbuilding industry with Austal ships being a major player in both Cities. Austal ships have agreed to assist with this art project by supplying the aluminium for the project and access to the apprentices for any welding/fabrication required.  The artwork itself is based on the navigational sign pass south of this point.  The diagonal cross symbol on the sign is representational of the state flag of Alabama. The placement of the artwork will also see all traffic travelling south of the marker.

SISTER CITY YUE YANG, CHINA  Read More

Artwork to be commissioned in 2009.