The City of Perth this week announced plans for a major revamp of the James Street precinct in Northbridge, but concept drawings appear to show the possible removal of Pride artwork that was installed in 2024.
The road painting features the colours of the Pride Progress flag, including the traditional purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and red, black and brown to represent people of colour, and white, pink and light blue to acknowledge transgender and gender-diverse people.
In its place, concept images show a proposed overhead lighting installation. In some renderings, the installation appears as a rainbow light feature, while in others it appears as a plain white light. A second matching installation is proposed for the upper end of James Street near the Brass Monkey Hotel.
When it was installed in 2024 the City of Perth proclaimed the artwork was to honour the important history of the LGBTIQA+ communities in the area. The artwork is outside of the Pride Centre.
“The rainbow supergraphic being installed at the intersection of James and Lake streets is an inclusive entry point to the Northbridge neighbourhood,” a City spokesperson said.
“The Northbridge Piazza, and Northbridge more generally, is the headquarters of Pride WA and a central meeting place for the LGBTQIA+ community. Northbridge is also home to Connections, believed to be one of the oldest gay nightclubs in the southern hemisphere.”
The artwork’s future appears uncertain following the release of the new revitalisation plan, which the City says will deliver a greener, safer and more pedestrian-friendly environment that supports local businesses, everyday activity and major events.
Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds said the project would help shape a more vibrant and welcoming future for Northbridge.
“James Street is one of Perth’s most recognisable and culturally significant streets, and this plan reflects what the community told us they want to see. It incorporates more trees, better lighting and wider footpaths to support a safer and more vibrant precinct,” he said.
“The revitalisation will create a more connected and event-ready street while strengthening Northbridge’s role as the State’s cultural and entertainment destination.
“The upgrade is expected to attract more visitors, encourage people to stay longer to support local businesses and help drive future investment in Northbridge.”
OUTinPerth asked the City of Perth to clarify whether the plans included removing the Pride artwork after only a few years, and whether the proposed lighting installation was intended as an alternative way of highlighting inclusion.
We also noted that the current artwork delivers a visible message of inclusion both day and night, while a lighting feature would only be visible in the evening. The existing artwork also explicitly recognises transgender and intersex people, as well as people of colour.
A City of Perth spokesperson said the images released this week were artist impressions only.
“The fly-through is an artist’s representation of how James Street could look following revitalisation. The project will now progress to the detailed design stage, where the design will be further refined and finalised for construction,” the spokesperson said.
“The City is proud that the Northbridge Piazza serves as an important gathering place for Western Australia’s LGBTQIA+ community, and the James Street revitalisation will help ensure the Piazza remains a vibrant, welcoming and inclusive space for years to come.”
The spokesperson added that the proposed lighting installation would display the six colours of the traditional Pride flag.
“The proposed feature lighting is intended to create a six-colour Pride rainbow that recognises and celebrates the broader LGBTQIA+ community,” they said.
“As the project progresses through detailed design, the City will continue to consider how diversity and inclusion can be meaningfully reflected within the space.”
The revitalisation plan states it will support the development of 42 new businesses within five years, deliver a 17 percent increase in daytime visitation, increase dwell time by 22 percent, and reduce retail vacancy by 25 percent.
