Odyssey sculpture

Public Art: Odyssey sculpture

Sculptor: © Albie Herbert

Description: A 2.5 metre totemic cement sculpture featuring carvings of scenes from the old whaling station.

Date Unveiled: The Odyssey sculpture was unveiled in October 1998 by the Chairman of Commissioners, Cmnr Campbell Ansell.

Location: The Odyssey sculpture is located at Sorrento Beach along West Coast Drive, where the Marmion Whaling Station was located during the 1800s.

Inscription:

Odyssey

A public artwork
commissioned by the City of Joondalup
Original design by sculptor Albie Herbert.
Formed and constructed by Albie Herbert & Eric Schneider with the assistance of the students of Marmion Primary School.

This sculpture depicts the changing relationship between humans and whales since 1800s and marks the site of the Marmion Whaling Station owned by Pactrick Marmion. At the time the station’s chimney became a well known landmark acting as a beacon for passing ships on an otherwise dark coastline.

Officially unveiled by Cmnr Campbell Ansell
Chairman of Commissioners
October 1998

Things you may not know about the Marmion Whale Station and Patrick Marmion:

One of the early settlers to Western Australia was a man by the name of Patrick Marmion (1815-1856) who employed four boats as whale chasers before established a whaling station on Sorrento Beach in 1849. It continued to operate for almost five years.

The suburb of Marmion was later named after him.

His son William Edward Marmion (1845-1896) was a successful merchant and politician in Western Australia. His memorial, a huge Celtic cross, was erected in Mayor’s Park, Fremantle, following his sudden death.