City of Perth Skyworks

The City of Perth Skyworks (previously named for other sponsors[lower-alpha 1]) is a fireworks show in Perth, Western Australia. It is held each year on Australia Day (26 January) over Perth Water, the section of the Swan River adjacent to the central business district.

For other uses, see Skyworks (disambiguation).

City of Perth Skyworks
2006 Skyworks from the Applecross foreshore
GenreFireworks display
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)Perth Water
Years active32
Inaugurated26 January 1985
Most recent26 January 2020
Websitewww.visitperthcity.com/skyworks

The City of Perth Skyworks are Australia's largest fireworks celebration in the country on Australia Day.[4]

Overview

The Skyworks show usually runs for half an hour and involves fireworks launched from multiple barges in the middle of Perth water and, for many years up until 2012, included launches from various buildings in the CBD. Earlier Skyworks shows have also occasionally seen firing points include fireworks off the Narrows Bridge (around 2001 and 2002), off moving boats (late 1990s/early 2000s), off jet skis (2012), and fireworks suspended from helicopters (1999). The fireworks are choreographed to a soundtrack which is played on the events main sponsoring radio station while the fireworks are underway, with a different theme given to the soundtrack every year.

Many people travel into the inner city to watch the event, while some people camp out from early morning to get the best view. The main vantage points to watch the show include Langley Park, Elizabeth Quay, the South Perth foreshore, Sir James Mitchell Park and Kings Park. Perth Esplanade also had been a former major vantage point until the Elizabeth Quay development commenced in 2013. Others are also found watching from the tops of hills and bridges and from suburban streets and neighbourhoods that give views to the city, while the flat nature of the Swan Coastal Plain allows viewing from elevated suburban locations even further away.

The City of Perth Skyworks are currently sponsored by the City of Perth, Channel Nine and Mix 94.5. A delayed telecast has been broadcast since the mid-1990s and usually takes place a few hours after the event finishes with a simulcast on the radio. Another telecast replay usually takes place on the following weekend.

History
The old Skyworks logo

The Skyworks started in 1985 in conjunction with 96FM and fireworks company Syd Howard Fireworks International, and is now one of the most popular events in Perth.

Many fireworks companies have taken charge in supplying the fireworks; Pyrostar International held supplied many sky shows during the 1990s and early 2000s, while 2005 and 2006 saw Foti Fireworks in charge of the fireworks. 2007 to 2009 saw Howard and Sons responsible for the fireworks and Oracle Attractions were responsible for the lasershow. In 2010 Foti Fireworks again took charge of the fireworks and every year from then until 2015, in which Skyworks 2016 again saw the return of Howard and Sons.

The 2021 Skyworks was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6]

Incidents

In the late 1990s several small fires erupted in the Kings Park bushland due to people igniting sparklers at the event. This led to the eventual banning of them. In more recent years some spectators have acted in an undesirable manner, detracting from the enjoyment of others. Reports of unruly and drunken behaviour at the show, of which some have led to fights and scuffles with the police, have become increasingly common. At the 2006 Skyworks the Western Australian Police successfully mounted an operation to minimise such behaviour. At the 2010 Skyworks alcohol was completely banned to prevent unruly behaviour, leading to a reduced crowd of 300,000 people at the foreshore.

Police and emergency service officials came close to cancelling the 2007 Skyworks due to extreme heat and strong winds. During the display, fires broke out on three of the fireworks barges. No one was injured, but nearby spectators had to be evacuated due to the thick smoke that blew towards the area. The show's finale was cut short and nearly a quarter of the planned fireworks display was lost due to the fires.[7][8] The 2012 Skyworks were also nearly cancelled due to extreme rain. The rain and thunder continued into the Skyworks, which onlookers said added to the experience.

At approximately 5pm on 26 January 2017, a Grumman G-73 Mallard seaplane stalled and crashed into the Swan River, a short distance from the Causeway, in front of thousands of spectators. Emergency crews and nearby people on the river rushed to assist, however the pilot Peter Lynch[9] and the passenger on board died. As a result, as a mark of respect for the deceased and their families, to preserve an investigation scene and amid concerns of aviation fuel in close proximity to the fireworks, the City of Perth elected to cancel the 2017 Skyworks.[10][11]

Other Australia Day fireworks in Perth

In 2007, Fremantle held a smaller community-based fireworks show for about 30,000 people, as an alternative to Skyworks. In response, Perth Lord Mayor Peter Nattrass said "Comparing Fremantle's proposed Australia Day cracker show to Lotterywest Skyworks is like comparing the City of Fremantle to the City of Perth – it's second rate."[12] The Fremantle Council's annual fireworks show was cancelled in 2017, however that year local business owners paid for their own fireworks display.

Hillarys, Mindarie, Bassendean, Armadale and Wanneroo also held small fireworks shows.[13]

Notes
  1. The show was previously known as the 96fm Sky Show (1985-c1995),[1] the Lotterywest Skyworks (1995-2009),[2] and the Coca-Cola Perth Skyshow (2012).[3]

References
  1. "Noise Abatement (96fm Sky Show) Exemption Order 1986" (PDF). Western Australia Government Gazette. 3 January 1986. p. 15.
  2. Donna Powell Photography. "Coca-Cola Perth Skyshow 2012". Facebook. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  3. http://www.perth Archived 21 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine .wa.gov.au/skyworks/info.html
  4. "Skyworks 2021 cancelled due to health advice". City of Perth. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  5. "Skyworks 2021 axed by City of Perth amid coronavirus concerns". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  6. "Authorities shrug-off Skyworks fire". Seven News. 27 January 2007. Archived from the original on 12 February 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2007.
  7. Martin Philip, Debbie Guest and Christiana Jones (27 January 2007). "Barge fires force revellers to evacuate". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2007.
  8. "Australia Day Perth plane crash: Victims remembered as authorities search for answers". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  9. https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/light-plane-crashes-in-swan-river-ng-b88367876z
  10. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-26/two-dead-in-australia-day-light-plane-crash-in-perth/8215720
  11. "Skyworks row explodes". The Sunday Times. 3 January 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2007.
  12. "Australia Day Perth – 26 January 2007". Enjoy Perth!. 20 January 2007. Archived from the original on 20 February 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2007.
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