City of Melville Council is embracing its inner rockstars through the acknowledgement of a local AC/DC icon.
At its July Ordinary Meeting, the Council acknowledged the cultural significance of AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott, who spent part of his youth in the City of Melville and was laid to rest in 1980 at the Fremantle Cemetery, which is in Palmyra.
Canning Highway was also the inspiration to the rock classic Highway to Hell, with the song alluding to the string of pubs littered along this stretch of road including the Raffles and Leopold Hotels.
The Council has confirmed it will begin investigations into the costs and resource requirements of a permanent civic tribute to Bon Scott, whether it’s the naming of a park, performance space or public artwork, with opportunities to align this with the City’s future Tourism Plan being explored.
“I was very pleased to be the mover of this motion to honour Bon Scott’s connection to the City of Melville, specifically Palmyra, and celebrate this famous local cultural identity,” said Deputy Mayor, Karen Wheatland.
“The story of Bon Scott and AC/DC is a huge part of our unique shared story and local history. The Raffles Hotel, where Bon and AC/DC performed many legendary gigs, is right here in Melville.
“Bon Scott is one of Australia’s most iconic cultural figures and his connection to Palmyra forms part of the rich musical and social history of the City of Melville.”
As part of the investigations, the Council says it will consider engaging local schools, artists, musicians, heritage groups and residents to co-design the tribute and storytelling elements of the tribute.
Council will also write to AC/DC’s representatives, formally inviting the band or their management to visit the City of Melville during their upcoming December 2025 Perth tour to recognise and celebrate Bon Scott’s legacy in the community where his story began.
“The City of Melville has a unique opportunity to honour his legacy and celebrate creative and cultural expression through community-led storytelling and I’m excited to see what opportunities might arise through these investigations,” said Cr Wheatland.
“We also warmly welcome AC/DC to the City of Melville to reconnect with Bon’s home community, when the band visits Perth in December 2025 to play two gigs and the City of Melville would love to say ‘we know you are still rocking, and we want to salute you!’”
The acknowledgement of Bon Scott follows the popular Highway to Hell event in March 2020 which saw 10km of Canning Highway from Canning Bridge to the Fremantle Traffic Bridge turned into the world’s longest stage – held 40 years after Bon’s ashes were buried in Fremantle Cemetery.
Council partnered with Perth Festival, City of Fremantle and Town of East Fremantle to present this event, which was a once-in-a generation opportunity for residents and visitors to ‘reclaim’ Canning Highway for a day of community celebration.
