He's famous for 'Eliza', but this sculptor's heart belongs to boats

A lifetime of sailing the Swan River inspires Perth sculptor Tony Jones By Nicolas Perpitch

His statue of Eliza in the Swan River has a cult following and its own social media pages, while another of CY O'Connor riding his horse in the ocean is a much-loved North Coogee landmark.

But Tony Jones's art is better defined by its strong maritime theme, which was inspired by sailing at Chidley Point on the Swan River from the time he was a boy.

"It just made sense to me. You sit down with a piece of paper, what am I going to draw? I'd better draw a boat," the 81-year-old said, laughing.

Boat parts are often incorporated into Jones's sculptures. He also uses sailing motifs and has re-imagined navigational markers as striking art pieces.

His sprawling workshop near Fremantle is a treasure trove of his passions.

There are sculptures of birds, maritime markers and wind catchers, half-made projects and every sort of material for future projects, including decades-old wooden beams from long-dismantled jetties.

Slung from the roof, stacked against a wall, preserved under tarpaulins, and in the work bay, historic, often rare, wooden Swan River sailing dinghies that Jones has collected over the past 30 years.

Among the boats in the work bay are two "Sharpies" that legendary Western Australian sailor Rolly Tasker used in the lead up to, and during, the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

Tasker and Malcolm "Huck" Scott won silver, Australia's first ever Olympic sailing medal, at the event.

Matt Dickmann, Jones' long-time collaborator, sailor, artist and woodworker is restoring the Sharpies, known as Falcon 3 and Falcon 4.

"I'm trying to finish it in a sense that everyone can appreciate what it used to look like," Dickmann said.

"One of the amazing stories about this boat is that this timber here is spruce and it was salvaged by Rolly from a plane that used to fly to Rottnest and back."

Jones's boat collection is so expansive, that he has teamed up with friends, neighbours, sailors and volunteers to set up the Swan River Sailing Dinghy Heritage Association which aims to restore the dinghies and find a permanent place for the collection.