Broome artist commissioned for sculpture honouring historic connection

Published on 27 January 2026

The Shire of Broome has announced local artist and teacher Liz Manera as the appointed contractor to design and develop a feature sculpture for the Walmanyjun Cable Beach Foreshore Redevelopment, to celebrate how Walmanyjun Cable Beach received its iconic name.

In 1889 a 1,650km undersea telegraph communications cable was installed, linking Australia to Java and the rest of the world. Originally connected via Darwin, the cable was rerouted through Broome due to volcanic activity in the Arafura Sea. It took engineers 10 days to install, with the cable coming ashore to Broome on the 26 February 1889. This resulted in the naming of Walmanyjun Cable Beach.

Shire President Chris Mitchell said the sculpture would celebrate the cable connecting people across great expanses and the art piece was part of Stage 2 of the Walmanyjun Cable Beach Foreshore Redevelopment.

“As an art teacher and a Broome resident Liz understands the history of our beloved Walmanyjun Cable Beach and how important it is to locals and the wider community,” Cr Mitchell said.

“Her submission showed extensive research and exploration of the themes of connection. The Shire was seeking a design which was abstract, interactive and playful and based on Ms Manera’s submission we were confident she would be able to produce an incredible sculpture the community would be proud of. We’re sure this sculpture will become another iconic sunset picture location for locals and tourist alike.”

Ms Manera will work with specialised art consultant Vanessa Margetts from MudMaps Studios on the design and themes of the sculpture.

Ms Manera said she was excited to start work on the project, further developing the concepts and materials.

“Broome has been my home for more than seven years and I visited annually for more than a decade before that. I’m incredibly proud to bring this important moment in our history to life with creative and thoughtful design,” Ms Manera said.

The design honours the many people who played a role in the fabrication and installation of the undersea telegraph cable in 1889. These individuals are represented through the hats they wore, including top hats, a captain’s hat, engineers’ hats and workers’ hats.

Ms Manera said she also plans to incorporate Kimberley sandstone and a Morse code-inspired feature to celebrate Walmanyjun Cable Beach and its connection to the world through telegraph communication all those years ago.

“As an artist, it is exciting to see the Shire of Broome’s commitment to culture and art, as it is a powerful tool to bring the community together.”

Shire President Mitchell said there were 26 public art and interpretation pieces being planned and created as part of the Walmanyjun Cable Beach Foreshore Redevelopment. He said the Council wanted to enrich visitors experience, create inclusive spaces and ensure tourists and locals visits to the area were insightful, memorable and meaningful.

Stage 2 of the Walmanyjun Cable Beach Foreshore Redevelopment is currently underway and consists of a new community plaza, improved event spaces and enhances accessibility to the famous Cable Beach shoreline.

The Cable artwork will be placed on the north-west corner of a grassed area which is located about 35m north of Cable Beach House.

The artwork will be ready for installation by mid 2026 with Stage 2 works anticipated to be finished in mid to late 2026.  

For more information visit cablebeachredevelopment.com.au