Bon Finds a Home at Last

greg finishing touches on pedestal

While the world goes nuts over accadacca’s new album, in Fremantle, some quieter developments long overdue…

These pix were sent to me by Gabby and Darcy, courtesy of Greg James, the sculptor who made the bronze statue of Bon in Fremantle.

[The photos are by “Genm152”, whose handiwork can also be seen here: flickr.com/photos/fun4me/]

Finally, it seems that the statue has found a home at the fishing boat harbour. And by the looks of the photo above, it was worth waiting for Greg to finish the custom Marshal amp which is Bon’s pedestal. It looks amazing!

Here’s Bon being craned out of the ute on site:

bon crane ute fremantle

Here he is being forklifted into position:

bon forklift

And finally, the proud sculptor with his work:

bon with greg

Apparently, there was a ceremony yesterday to celebrate the final placement. Thanks to the kind anonymous soul who sent me through some photos and movies live from the event. Unfortunately, my mobile phone is so old, it struggles to read those big files.

Any chance of emailing through those pictures to me? lucas[at]bonscottblog[dot]com

update: (29 Oct 2008)

Andre from the Fremantle Arts Centre went along to the unveiling ceremony for the pedestal-and-statue. He said it was a surprisingly modest affair, considering the potential volume of Bon’s fan base. There has been a change of government in Western Australia, and the minister in charge of this bit of land, Alana McTiernan, is no longer in power. Apparently she was a big AC/DC enthusiast, and one imagines that her successor has different tastes. Anyway, the Mayor, Peter Tagliaferri, presided over the ceremony. Does anyone else who was there have anything to add to this brief account??

Andre took the following photos on the day (thanks to Jasmin for emailing them through). [By the way, you can click on these images to see them a bit bigger…]


unveiling at cicerellos

unveiling at cicerellos

41 thoughts on “Bon Finds a Home at Last”

  1. That is extremely cool! Someday I will travel to Fremantle to visit all things Bon in person. Can’t wait! Meanwhlie, nice to see you back on the blog, too, Lucas! :0)

  2. hola como estas lucas al fin llego el glorioso dia que suerten que tienen igual yo en argentina ando realizando una colecta de monedas quizas antes de mis 100 años llegue a verla muchas gracias por tanto y perdon por tan poco como te dije mi corazon esta con ustedes saludos desde argentina ….pablo

  3. Bon does look at home, it’s just perfect. Greg James has reason to be proud of Bon and his amp. Am I a goofus? Or did I miss something? Or am I senile? What does the inscription on the amp say? Some day I’ll get there to read it myself and pay my respects to all things Bon!

  4. Me too, Lucas. If not a hi-res picture, the text would be nice. Or maybe it is on Greg James’ website? I’ll check. Not there, but the picture gallery of the creation of the Bonny statue is really good.

  5. Glad to see Bon has a permanent home now.

    Hope to get to WA next year and a highlight will be visting Bons grave (again) and seeing his statue.

    Lucas, you should be proud of your blog site. For all us East Coasters that could not make it to WA for the concerts, the Art Centre displays, Bons statue unveiling,etc. your site has allowed us to feel like we were part of the overall experience.

  6. Thanks Loz
    nice to hear from you again.
    Have you put the LED sign image up in your pub yet? I’d love to see a photo of it mounted on the wall in your watering hole!

  7. Sorry that you can’t read the script on the amp. If you guys want I can copy it for you. On the original pic you can read it.

  8. IM WORKIN ON THE CLOSE UP SHOTS OF THE STAND…

    BUT MIGHT I JUST ADD HOW FROM A DISTANCE BONS STATUE LOOKS SLIGHTLY DISTORTED… I SUGGEST THAT HIS OVERALL SIZE IS SO INCORRECT IT IMPEDES THE OVERALL APPEARANCE…

  9. WELL I GOT ME A 6 PACK OF JIM BEAM CANS MIXED WITH GINGER BEER!!!

    HEADED DOWN TO THE STATUE IN THE HOPE OF GETTING A LOOK AT IT WITHOUT A CROWD GATHERING… AND JUST MY LUCK… A CHANNEL 7 PHOTOGRAPHER TURNS UP… HE SETS UP HIS $RICEY CAMERA AND STARTS TAKIN SHOTS…

    CURIOUS AS TO WHY HE IS TAKING PHOTOS I APPROACH HIM AND ASK WHATS THE TOPIC GOING TO BE??? HE TELLS ME THAT THE MORNING NEWS PROGRAM IS GOING TO HAVE A BIT OF A CHAT ABOUT THE STATUE…

    SO SUNRISE VIEWERS… BE READY TO RECORD… AS ONE DAY THIS WEEK AN ARTICLE ON BONS STATUE WILL OCCUR…

  10. Ben, glad you said that about the Bonny statue’s overall size being off. All this time, I’ve been peering at any pictures I can find of the statue with a person standing beside it trying to figure out how tall the statue really is or how tall the person was for a point of reference. I thought the statue was supposed to be life sized? Which would make him 65 inches tall and heaven knows how many cm or meters tall? It just looked a little smallish, even for Bon.

  11. well Susann – I agree, he certainly DOES look small.

    But Bon’s friends have testified that that the statue is quite realistic, size-wise;

    and it was the advice and specifications of friends and family that led Greg James the sculptor to build the statue to that exact size – which he claims is “lifesize”.

  12. MY INVESTIGATIVE EXPERIENCES HAVE LED ME BELIEVE THAT BONS OLD MATES DIFFER ON LOTS OF THINGS INCLUDING HIS HEIGHT…

    THE ONLY SUGGESTION I CAN GIVE IS TO FIND OUT HOW TALL ANGUS IS AND COMPARE BONS HEIGHT TO HIS…

    ALTHOUGH AT TIMES THE BAMD WAS FORCED TO MANIPULATE HEIGHT APPEARANCES TO GIVE FANS A BETTER IMAGE…

    FOR ME I MENTALLY PICTURED SEEING THE STATUE FROM A DISTANCE AND THOUGHT IT WOULD GIVE OFF AN AURA OF BON…
    BUT IT HAS NO RESEMBLENCE TO HIM AT ALL.
    I ACTALLY BELIEVE THAT OVER TIME THE “TRUE” FANS OF BONS/AC/DC WILL LOOK AT THE STATUE AS A KIND OF INSULT!!!

  13. YEAH SUSAN… IM NOT JUST BEING AN IDIOT HERE WHEN I SAY THAT THEY MUCKED IT UP… ITS WAY WAY WAY TOO SMALL…

    AND IT ALSO LOOKS OUT OF NORMAL … APON COMPARING IT TO THE OTHER BRONZED WORKS AROUND FREO… BONS ONE LACKS QUALITY TOO…

    ITS LIKENED TO A CHEAP IMITIATION…

  14. TALK ABOUT ATTRACTING A CROWD… HA I SAT NEAR THE STATUE TO SEE THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO STOPS TO LOKK AND ALSO HOW THEY BEHAVE!!!

    BESIDES THE ODD ONE OUT MOST LOOKED AND DID NOT STOP…
    SO I WENT OVER AND STOOD NEXT TO IT… HA AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES 28 PEOPLE WERE STANDIN NEXT TO HIM TOO…HAHAHA

    AND I ADD ALL OF THE PEOPLE I SPOKE TO ABOUT HIS APPEARANCE ALL AGREED…HE IS DEFORMADLY SMALL… HIS HIPS ARE LIKE WAY OUT WITH FAIRIES MAN!!!

    SUSAN TRY AND COMPARE ANY PHOTOS OF BON TO THE STATUE!!! HIS TRUE MATES WHO HE DRANK AND LOVED WITH WOULD TELL YOU HOW BON WAS KNOWN FOR HIS INCREDIDBLE PHYSIQUE…

  15. I agree that the statue looks way off, particularly the lower part of Bon’s body. I understand Bon was only 5’5″ to 5’6″ tall, but he was solid, and had long legs and a substantial chest for his size. The hips and legs of Bon’s statue are definitely all wrong in shape and length, and his chest looks too small.

    Angus’ height is usually listed as 5’2″ to 5’3″ and Bon always looked at least 4″ taller that him.

    Could the large size of the amp be making Bon look even smaller?

  16. FOR ME IT LOOKS LIKE DIFFERENT SECTIONS WERE MADE BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE… HAHA COME ON OWN UP… WHO MADE HIS HEAD???
    AND THEN BOLTED TOGETHER SOUGHT OF LIKE FRANKENSTEIN…HAHA

    EVEN HIS ARMS LACK DETAIL… UNLIKE THE OTHER STATUES IN FREO…

    YOU SEE THE ETCH THE HESSION HAS LEFT IN PLACES MAKIN IT LOOK REALLY CHEAP…

    AS FOR BONS HEIGHT… I HAVE BEEN QUOTED FROM 5F6… TO 5FOOT9…

    THE AMP IS FINE TO LOOK AT… I EVEN NOTED THE SUBLIMINAL USAGE OF THE WORD “SPIRIT”…IN THE DIALOGE; A COMMON WORD USED BY ONE PARTICULAR GROUP OF AC/DC FANS…
    SO AT A GUESS THEY ALL SENT IN WORDING AND A COMBINED STATEMENT CREATED…

    TO ME… THIS WHOLE CHARADE WAS DESTINED FOR DOOM…INFIGHTING… AND OLD SAYING IS YOU CANT MAKE GOLD FROM SILVER…

  17. You’re right, the upper and lower halves of Bon’s statue definitely don’t match; each looks like it belongs on a different body.

  18. Ben, what is with the caps all the time? Is your keyboard broken?

    Look, not to take anything away from who he is. Bon is awesome! But get serious dude, incredible physique? Bon was a jockey! Just look at any picture. And so what if he was? Takes nothing away from who he is.

    And there is no way Bon was anywhere close to 5 foot 9 or five foot 6 for that matter.

    This is not a flame, it is just correcting information that is clearly not true.

  19. From my understanding, Bon was 5’5″ (an inch taller than I am – just about perfect – haha). If that is true, I still can’t quite tell from looking, how far the statue is off. Ben, have you ever seen a statue that looked just like the person it was supposed to represent? My cousin is a sculptor, rather good one too, and the medium just makes it difficult to be that exact. And all we want is perfection, for Bon, right? In that photo of Greg James standing on the amp with Bon, it looks like it’s proportioned about right. But Lucas, in the photo of you standing by the statue… I just dunno. But you appear to be quite tall.

    Ben, Bon was just gorgeous, as I’m sure Carolyn will agree! But not the typical “current” stereotyped gorgeous. His height is basically a matter of curiosity, nothing can take away from the amazing singer, and all around great guy he was. I just had a nutty idea, which I would do if I were there. The next time you pay the statue a visit, take a tape measure with you and see how tall it is. Or get someone to go with you and take your picture standing beside him on the amp? Then we all could get a better feel for the statue??

  20. PREPARE YOURSELF…THOSE WHO DARE TO COME HERE AND MAKE BAD STATEMENTS ABOUT BON GENERALLY GET EATEN WHOLE!!!

    SO TELL US HOW TALL HE WAS THEN ???

    AND PERHAPS YOU NEED TO LOOK AT ALL THE AVAILABLE PHOTOS OF BON… BECAUSE I CAN SEE ONES WHERE HE IS PRISTINE “PHYSICAL” SHAPE…
    EVEN THE ONE OF HIM LEANING OUT TOWARDS THE CROWD AT THE MOORABIN TOWN HALL GIVES A GLIMPSE OF THE HIS SHOULDER BLADES… AND GENERAL FITNESS… PART OF THE DEAL WHERE HE FRONTED AC/DC WAS THAT HE HAD TO GET HIMSELF SUPERFIT..

    AND HE DID!!!

    IM ALWAYS CONCERNED WHEN A POSTER COMES ALONG WHO DOES NOT USE THEIR REAL NAME???

  21. I guess “incredible” is in the eye of the beholder. The mere thought of Bon’s physique melts my innards in seconds flat.

  22. I’m with you, Susann, Bon was gorgeous, in a very “natural” way. And I think his height makes him that much sexier!

    Ben, I agree, Bon looks very fit in all the pictures and videos I’ve seen (I understand he did a lot of swimming). He’d have to be in great physical shape to perform at the intensity he did night after night! I don’t see how anyone could argue with that.

  23. WELL I AGREE WITH BOTH OF YOU… NOTING THE POINT THAT TO BE EXACT IN THE STATUE IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT TEMPLATES……..

    FOR ME SOME OF BONS STATUE ARE REALLY EEERILY CLOSE… LIKE HIS HANDS…

    BUT AS FOR HIS HEIGHT… WELL I WONT HARP ON IT BUT UNLESS WE CAN RESURECT HIM WE WILL NEVER KNOW… WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT HE WAS ATLEAST 5.7…

    ONE THING ALSO THAT NEEDS A MENTION IS HOW DOUG THORNCROFT DID NOT GET A MENTION ON THE CREDITS PLATE ON THE REAR OF THE AMP… ???

    I WENT TO THE TROUBLE OF APPROACHING THE STATUE FROM ALL ANGLES AND ON SOME HE LEANS IN A STRANGE WAY…

    LAST OF ALL IS THAT I PREDICT SOON A PERSON OR CHILD WILL FALL OFF BONS STATUE AND INJURE THEMSELVES… IT REALLY NEEDS A PLATFORM SO PEOPLE CAN HAVE A PHOTO AT HIS HEIGHT…

    I WONDER HOW NUCH IT WILL COST IF A YOUNG CHILD CLIMBES UP AND FALLS OFF BRAKING HIS NECK… ALL IN ALL ALTHOUGH I REALLY LOVE THE GESTURE … I DONT THINK THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED IN THE WHOLE BON SCOTT CELEBRATION PERIOD… EXPERTS SHOULD HAVE HAD THE FINAL SAY!!!

    YOU KNOW WHJAT BON WPOULD HAVE ENJOYED MORE THAN THE STATE AND CONCERTS COMBINBED???

    THAT HEADLINE “WHO MADE WHO”… THAT WOULD HAVE MADE HIM GRIN EAR TO EAR…

    ALTHOUGH… THATS ONLY ” MY OWN ” OPINION…

  24. CAROLYN AS FOR THE SWIMMING WELL WHEN BON A YOUNG BLOKE HE DID A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SWIMMING… BUT THAT ALL STOPPED WHEN HE BECAME A TEENAGER…

    BUT AS FOR HIS FITNESS PRIOR TO AC/DC WELL BELIEVE IT OR NOT WHEN BON WENT TO JAIL HE WAS VERY YOUNG… OLDM IN JAIL HE PICKED UP AN JAILY HABIT… AND THAT IS SIT UPS IN THE MORNING AND CHIN UPS IN THE EVENING… REMEMBER HERE PEOPLE BACK THEN THERE WERE NO TENNIS COURTS OR THAT…

    SO IN ORDER TO GET ANY EXERSIZE AT ALL YOU LEARNT HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN..

    BON FELL OFF THOSE HABITS OVER TIME… BUT APON THE AC/DC DEAL HE VIGOURISLY PICKED UP THOSE OLD HABITS AND WENT FOR IT…

    THERE IS ONE PHOTO I HAVE SEEN WHERE BONS STOMACH IS SHOWING… AND YOU CAN SEE HIS “BUGS BUNNY TEETH”… AND THE PHOTO IS ALLEDGED TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN DURING THE HIGHWAY TO HELL PERIOD…

    AND TRUST ME… YOU DONT GET BUGSY TEETH UNLESS YOU HAVE DONE MORE SIT UPS THAN ELVIS DID PILLS…

  25. The thing about Bon’s physique that I find so appealing is that he was very slim, but he also had those lovely muscles. The perfect combination.

  26. Actually, “lean” is a better word than “slim” for describing Bon’s physique (I’m a dictionary freak). I know, I’m spending way too much time on YouTube studying Bon’s body!

  27. Hola amigos al fin el gran leon de escocia tiene su hogar la verdad que cosas asi me dejan sin palabras tengo una sana envidia de los que puedan visitarlo.
    Aca en argentina tiene tambien un lugar eterno que es en mi corazon let there be bon …..tank lucas

  28. Carolyn, you are not alone there on You Tube!!! :0)
    There’s something very appealing about Bon’s physique but it could also be the combination with his personality. My favorite You Tubes of him are “Highway To Hell” (shirtless and…. sigh!) and also St. Albans High School Hall, March 76.

  29. Carolyn is close to the mark but obviously more diplomatic than I.

    Oh my name is Michael by the way if you want to know. I had no idea that it mattered what name I used. I don’t use my last name anywhere on the internet.

    Look to me he is still a jockey. I’m a small guy too. Like, Carolyn says, I think it adds to his appeal.

    http://ac-dc.galeon.com/Galerias/Bon/bon005.jpg

    http://www.sticca.fsnet.co.uk/bonsst4.jpg

    http://www.ac-dc.galeon.com/Bon/bon1.jpg

    http://www.sticca.fsnet.co.uk/bonsst2.jpg

    http://www.sticca.fsnet.co.uk/bonsst1.jpg

  30. You’re right, Janine, Bon’s personality is also a big part of his appeal. My current YouTube fave is live “Bad Boy Boogie” Glasgow 1978. See you on YouTube!

    Small guys rock, SydneyRockSinger!

  31. Carolyn! You are so right! That lean, chiseled musculature of Bon’s turns me into a highly flammable liquid, not unlike jet fuel… I spend time – when I can – drooling over photos (new-to-me ones take my breath away), and videos! Some of the Plug Me In footage is spectacular. Oh the sight of Bon struttin’ on stage tends to make me spontaneously combust!

    Carolyn, I love dictionaries too. Books of any kind really. Especially books about Bon, though sometimes the discrepancies in Bon books drives me crazy. Short trip.

  32. Susann, any new photo of Bon does the same thing to me. Sometimes I have to look away for a few seconds just to gather my bearings!

    The Colchester and Glasgow videos astound me every time I view them! When watching Bon, I get so caught up in his gorgeousness that I forget that what first attracted me to him was the sound of his voice and his songwriting, before I ever knew what he looked like.

    I’m also a book freak and love to read. And I’m addicted to surfing the net for new articles about Bon. Now you’re reading my mind (about discrepancies and your “short trip”)! Of all the books I’ve read, I put lot of trust in Clinton Walker’s.

  33. Susann, speaking of discrepancies that drive me crazy, from time to time I’ll come across a piece that says Bon had asthma, particularly when his death is discussed. But I believe Clinton’s book mentions Bon’s brother as the one with asthma.

  34. GO HAVE LOOK FOR YOURSELVES!!!

    TODAY I SEEN ONE OF THE BEST PICS OF AC/DC I HAVE SEEN TO DATE!!!

    A PERSON “SCOTT” FROM CINCINATTI… SIGNED MY MYSPACE GUESTBOOK… AND HE USED THIS AFORMENTIONED PHOTO IN HIS PROFILE…

    IT CLEARLY GIVES YOU AN IDEA AS TO HOW TALL BON ACTUALLY WAS!!!

  35. Interesting about Bon’s asthma confirmation; I’ve always been curious about that because some sources have cited it as a contributing factor to his death due to the freezing weather that night.

    Speaking as a humble fan, it really is hard to discern fact from fiction when it comes to Bon. I read anything and everything I can get my hands on about him, so my head is full of all sorts of contradicting information!

  36. not sure who is responsible for the upkeep of bons statue at cicerellos fish restaurant if fremantle but he aint lookin so good;;;

    i have already told of how out all the statues in the perth area… bons is the onle one that still has its hession production imprints visible… now it seems the weather has made the metal weap leaving his face and other areas with a green flux type of scarring…

    i guess this will be easily polished out but it now seems to reaching a point of possible permanent scarring…

    so then oh mighty bloggers… hit the hoof and get onto freo council…

    polish bon… or we will………..

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