Every year on 10 March, descendants of C.Y. O’Connor, along with friends and sundry stragglers like me, gather at the beach named after him to honour the memory of Western Australia’s Engineer-in-Chief, whose visionary schemes helped to transform the colony.
On this day in 1902, The Chief—overworked and exhausted, harassed and reviled by the press, trapped in a volatile political environment—rode his horse along this beach one last time.
But today’s early-morning gathering is no sombre affair. There are conversations and stories. Laughter. Lolloping dogs. Children and irreverent seagulls. Buckets of flower petals to be strewn on the waves and carried out by swimmers to the bronze memorial statue, by sculptor Tony Jones, a hundred metres offshore.
I have brought sunflowers, for Kate—large as dinner-plates and the brilliant cadmium yellow she loved—and as I fly one like a frisbee into the Indian Ocean I hope it will travel far…
looking up/looking down 
Beautiful post, Amanda.
Many thanks, dear Marlish.
Beautiful 💕💕💞 and sad.
So sad, yes. Thanks for reading, Dianne.
A lovely tribute to a man who had such a significant place in our history. I didn’t know about this statue.
I’m enjoying reading your book about Kathleen O’Connor.
Thank you—on both counts, Susan 🙂
action and interaction-(my husband used to guide visitors through CY O’Connor museum at Mundaring) what a lovely tribute you have posted.
It’s quite a legacy, isn’t it? Thanks for reading, Susan.
Beautiful 🌻
On Sun, 10 Mar 2019 at 10:57 pm, looking up/looking down wrote:
> amandacurtin posted: “Every year on 10 March, descendants of C.Y. > O’Connor, along with friends and sundry stragglers like me, gather at the > beach named after him to honour the memory of Western Australia’s > Engineer-in-Chief, whose visionary schemes helped to transform the colo” >
Thanks, Wendy x
What a beautiful tribute to a good man and his brilliant daughter. x
I love that the family does this. Thanks, Louise x
Stunning photos, Amanda. What a beautiful tribute to the man.
Thanks, Robyn.