Percy Button Sculpture

Public Art : Percy Button Sculpture

Sculptors : © Charlie Smith & Joan Walsh-Smith

Date : Unveiled 12th October 2006

Description : A bronze statue of well loved street entertainer, Percy Button.  Dressed in his trademark long tail coat and with hat by his side, a smiling Percy attracts wanted attention from passerbys, due impart to the unusual pose, a handstand.

Location : Hay Street Mall, Perth, Western Australia

Commissioned By : Perth City Council

Inscription :

*To find out if anyone won the guinea's worth of goods you will just have to visit the statue, the answer is there.

History of Percy Button : Percy Archibald Button (1892-1954) was born at Marylebone Workhouse in London, in 1892. He was raised by his grandmother on the Isle of Wight. It had been rumoured that Percy learnt his acrobatic skills whilst working for a circus in England, but no evidence has ever surfaced to verify this. It was thought that a injury preventing him from continuing his career under the bigtop. At the age of 22, Percy emigrated to Perth, Western Australia, where he worked odd jobs in the farming district. During World War I Percy enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, despite his short status of 163 cm (5ft 4"), and was discharged in 1918 without ever seeing any action.
 
Little is known about why Percy took to the streets of Perth to become a vagrant, but at some stage he began performing to bystanders who were waiting outside theatres and shops. With a battered old hat and not so clean clothes, Percy entertained the public with somersaults and tricks. The public reponded in kind, by throwing coins into his hat. Even the police had a soft spot for him, arresting him occassionally for vagrancy so he could get a good feed and a warm bed for the night. He was often referred to as "Percy the Unwashed" and liked to dabble in a bit of gambling (without much luck). Sadly, as time passed, Percy had to give up the acrobatics and began playing the mouth organ. Living on the streets became hard, especially during the Depression and World War II, but the familar face continued to entertain. A savage attack by a thug in the late 1940's left him close to death and eventually sent him on a downward spiral. In 1951 arrangements were made for Percy to be placed in an Old Men's Home. Three years later he was dead. The Repatriation Department paid for his funeral. It seems only fitting that a statue was erected in his honour on the very location where he performed and where he can still bring a smile to a passerby.

Trivia : Prior to the Percy Button sculpture another tribute to Percy Button (Percy Buttons' Aspiration) was placed in the Hay Street Mall, high above the street. The twelve metre high aerial sculpture of tightrope walker Percy Button was created by Adrian Jones who was commissioned in 1996 to create works reflecting the Hay Street Malls colourful history. It was taken down in early 2000's for maintence, but was never returned.

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Percy Button statue

TOM SULLIVAN from New York

That a city would go to the trouble and expense to commemorate a street entertainer -- a busker -- is quite amazing, not to mention wonderful. Reading about his humble origins and sad life, you know he had no family members who knew where he ended up or what pleasure he brought to passersby. This statue and the kangaroos a couple of blocks away of kangaroos at the corner of Barrac Street and St. George's Terrace are whimsical and magical touches of Perth's unique character.

Posted at 1:50:pm 06/14/10

Was this comment useful?(6/11 people think so.)

Tanya Izzard

Hi Tom,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Interestingly, Percy and the Kangaroos were created by the same artists, Charlie and Joan Smith.

Posted at 6:46:pm 06/14/10

Was this comment useful?(6/11 people think so.)

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