Percy Button in Perth Mall
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (352031)
Rockingham, Australia
November 28, 2019 1:59am CST
I am quite convinced you can find anything on the internet. A few years ago we walked through the Perth mall and came across this statue. We've taken photos of it before. The sculpture is modelled on a character who used to entertain shoppers with such acrobatic feats. This was many years ago before busking became a regular thing in the mall.
I googled 'mall, Perth, Western Australia' and sure enough, up came the statue. It is called 'Percy Button's Aspiration' and was sculpted by Joan Walsh-Smith & Charles Smith in 1996. Button was an acrobat and itinerant, born in a workhouse in London. He came to Western Australia in 1910, served during the war but was invalided home in 1918.
He first earned a living by selling newspapers and collecting bottles but then became a well-known street entertainer, entertaining the crowds with tumbling and acrobatics. He died in 1954.
The photo is of the statue and one of our couch-surfing friends.
10 people like this
12 responses
@moffittjc (124000)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Nov 19
Knowing my crazy antics and stupid choices, I would have tried to climb up the statue all the way to the top of his right leg, and tried to stand and balance on it. Do you think I could have done it if I tried? Would the fine police officers of Perth arrested me? Would bystanders have rendered first aid to me when I fell off and injured myself? So many questions.
1 person likes this

@moffittjc (124000)
• Gainesville, Florida
1 Dec 19
@JudyEv I was hoping they would clap and throw me money, thinking it was all part of a comedy act.
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@JudyEv (352031)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Nov 19
@moffittjc If you fell off they'd probably shake their heads and move on. 

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@arunima25 (90080)
• Bangalore, India
28 Nov 19
Sorry Judy! I can not see the picture. It perhaps did not upload.
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@arunima25 (90080)
• Bangalore, India
29 Nov 19
@JudyEv Yes. Sounds like a great interesting person. But the pose in the photo might raise a few eyebrows
. I know I know it is just a pose and this young man did not realize it.




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@JudyEv (352031)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Nov 19
@arunima25 I agree!! I was wishing I had one without the young man. I probably should have looked in Wikimedia for one. 



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@changjiangzhibin89 (16907)
• China
28 Nov 19
I have studied«New Concept English»,in which there is an article about Percy Button.

CreateExploreLearn & supportGet startedLog inPricingGet startedLog inMy dashboardExploreLearn & supportProductCompanyCareersSupportCommunityContactAppsEnglishEspañol??????DeutschPortuguêsFrançaisMagyarItaliano×Houston, we have a problem!Oops. A firewall is
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16907)
• China
29 Nov 19
@JudyEv You are welcome ! He was a fun person.
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@crazyhorseladycx (39504)
• United States
29 Nov 19
i think 'tis wonderful they've a statue 'f this chap. quite certain he brought quite a bit 'f joy to many folks days.
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@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
28 Nov 19
The internet is replete with historical snippets that we didn't know.
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