Elizabeth Quay: a waterfront walk through Perth's art, history and river life

Elizabeth Quay is an easy place to slow down between Perth's city streets and the Swan River. You can cross the curved footbridge, watch the South Perth ferry come and go, stop for an ice cream and discover why a giant bird stands beside the water. Most of that costs nothing.

The precinct works best as a short walk with a few deliberate stops. Give yourself an hour for the main circuit, or make it a half-day outing with the Bell Tower, a meal or a ferry trip. There is enough to interest children and adults without needing a tightly scheduled day.

Start with Spanda and the river view

The tall white loops at the northern end of the inlet are Spanda, by Christian de Vietri. Standing 29 metres high, the sculpture links the river, land and sky through a form inspired by movement and ripples. Its Sanskrit name refers to divine vibration.

Walk through the smaller openings before stepping back to see the whole work against the water. From here you can see how the inlet brings the river into the city, with promenades wrapping around it and the bridge marking its southern edge. The story behind Spanda.

From Spanda, head west along The Landing, then turn south down the western promenade towards First Contact, the five-metre bird-and-boat sculpture by Noongar artist Laurel Nannup. It grew from one of her woodcuts and tells of the first European sailing ships through a Noongar perspective: white sails suggested great birds, associated with the spirits of ancestors returning from the sea. First Contact and the artist's explanation.

Cross the bridge to the island

The bridge is the best place on the circuit to turn around and look back at Perth. The inlet, artwork and towers fit into one view, while the open river stretches away on the other side. The crossing is accessible by wheelchair and pram, although it can feel more exposed to wind than the surrounding promenades.

On the island, look for the bronze statue of Bessie Rischbieth, an advocate for civil rights and the protection of the river. Artist Jon Tarry commemorates a woman remembered for protesting against foreshore reclamation even at the age of 89. Her presence gives this heavily redeveloped waterfront a thought-provoking connection to earlier arguments about how Perth should treat its river. Bessie Rischbieth's story.

The heritage building occupied by The Island restaurant is the Florence Hummerston Kiosk. Built in 1928, it has served several different purposes over its life. Its name honours Perth's first female councillor and a community worker closely associated with services for women, children and older people. The old kiosk provides a useful pause from the quay's modern architecture. History of the kiosk.

A one-hour walking circuit

This suggested route begins near Elizabeth Quay station and returns towards the same end of the precinct. Allow longer for photographs, play or a café stop.

1. Water park and Pinjah, 5-10 minutes. Begin opposite the station. Look for the mosaic beneath the water feature before walking east along the inlet's northern edge.
2. Spanda, 5-10 minutes. Walk through the artwork and take in the river view.
3. Western promenade and First Contact, 10 minutes. Retrace your steps west along The Landing, then turn south along the western promenade. Pass the ferry terminal on the way to Laurel Nannup's sculpture.
4. Bridge and island, 10-15 minutes. Cross the bridge, then pause by the kiosk and Bessie Rischbieth statue.
5. Barrack Square, 10-15 minutes. Leave the island across its short eastern bridge and continue to the Bell Tower and Signature Ring. Return along the eastern and northern sides of the inlet.

For a quieter visit, walk first and choose a place to eat afterwards. With children, reverse that approach: decide whether the water park or island playground is the priority, then fit the art stops around it.

Visiting with children

Water play beside the station

The Elizabeth Quay Water Park, also widely known as BHP Water Park, is a free splash area with interactive jets. Bring a towel and a change of clothes. Change rooms are in the adjacent Oyster Bar building, with outdoor showers on its wall.

There is no lifeguard, so adults must supervise throughout. Children who are not toilet trained need aqua nappies; the jets are not drinking water. Tuesday is normally the maintenance day, an easy detail to miss when planning a family visit. Water park hours and facilities.

The mosaic beneath it, Pinjah, deserves a look too. Noongar artist Sandra Hill and ceramic artist Jenny Dawson created it around the Milky Way story, the six Noongar seasons and traditional gathering places. Blue circles refer to Hyde Park Lake and Lake Monger; other elements express the continuing presence of Noongar people. Pinjah's meanings.

The island playground

The maritime-themed playground has a sandpit, climbing ropes and frames, log steppers, a slide and a ship's bell. It suits a stop where children can play while the rest of the group takes a break from walking. The surrounding river remains close, so keep younger children within reach when moving between the playground and waterfront. Island playground.

Add the Bell Tower or a ferry trip

The Bell Tower at Barrack Square is a separate, paid attraction. General entry covers its displays and Level 6 observation deck; bell-related experiences are offered separately. It normally opens daily from 10am-4pm, with last entry at 3.45pm, although private events can bring an earlier closure. Book the particular experience you want through the Bell Tower's official website.

Its collection includes twelve bells from London's St Martin-in-the-Fields. Their presence gives the building a history much older than its modern exterior suggests.

For a river outing, take the Transperth ferry from Elizabeth Quay Jetty to Mends Street Jetty. You can walk along the South Perth foreshore and look back at the city before returning. This is a scheduled public-transport service, so allow for its timetable rather than treating it as a continuous shuttle. Use Transperth's journey planner for your return connection.

If you have booked a sightseeing cruise, follow the departure point on your ticket. Barrack Street Jetty and the Transperth terminal are different boarding locations within the wider waterfront area.

Where to stop for food

Choose the type of stop before choosing a table. Amberjacks is an option for fish and chips; Gusto Gelato suits a short ice-cream break. The Island lets you combine a meal with the island section of the walk, while The Reveley offers a different perspective from its upper levels. La Veen Coffee at One The Esplanade is a weekday coffee option near the city side; it opens Monday-Friday.

These are examples from the precinct's dining directory, rather than a ranking. On a busy evening, reserve a restaurant if the meal is central to your plans. Otherwise, keep the walk flexible and decide when you arrive.

Three details you might otherwise miss

• Thousands of schoolchildren left their names here. Signature Ring at Barrack Street Jetty reinterprets the Sign In 2000 project, which recorded the signatures of around 200,000 WA students. The original tiled installation could not remain through redevelopment, so digital records helped preserve it in a new form. Signature Ring.
• The Bell Tower's London bells were recast in the eighteenth century. The St Martin-in-the-Fields bells were recast between 1725 and 1770 by successive generations of the Rudhall family. Bell history.
• The water park is also a cultural artwork. Pinjah connects an everyday family play space with Noongar stories of water, seasons and continuing connection to Country. Look down as well as across the river.

Arrival, toilets and accessible routes

From Elizabeth Quay railway or bus station, exit towards The Esplanade and use the pedestrian crossings to reach the waterfront. If you are walking from the city centre, William Street and Barrack Street provide straightforward approaches.

Use the smoother designated crossings across the quay's internal roads; their cobbled surfaces are rougher than the pedestrian paths. Ramps connect the promenades with the stepped decking. Accessible public toilets are at the island, Barrack Street Jetty and opposite the water park.

The Changing Places facility, in the Oyster Bar building beside the water park, has an adult change table and hoist. Bring your own MLAK key. Short-term ACROD bays are provided on The Esplanade, Riverside Drive and Geoffrey Bolton Avenue. See DevelopmentWA's access information for the precinct layout.

Official visitor information

• Elizabeth Quay visitor information and access
• Art at the Quay
• Water park operating hours
• Bell Tower visits and experiences
• Transperth journey planning