City of Light
On 20 February 1962, NASA Astronaut John Glenn became the first American to ever orbit the Earth. He spent close to 5 hours in flight, orbiting Earth 3 times before descending and landing in Florida. This early space mission paved the way to the Gemini and Apollo programs, leading NASA to land men on the moon. It was also a huge milestone for the Muchea Tracking Station in Chittering as it was the first time an Australian technician spoke to a space traveller.
This event captured the imaginations of the people of Perth. The Lord Mayor of the day called on the community to show their appreciation of Glenn’s efforts by switching on their lights so he could see Perth from space and know the people of Perth were with him.
The response was overwhelming - Perth residents and businesses left on their lights, shone torches to the sky and lit lanterns to generate as much light as possible. The plan was a success - during his first orbit, Glenn commented on the brightness from Space as he approached the western coast of Australia. Ground control let him know that the people of Perth knew John would be passing over our City that night and turned on their lights, transforming our City into a shining beacon clearly visible from space and earning Perth the title ‘City of Light’.
To mark the 60th anniversary of this event, we launched our municipal brand – City of Light.
Reclaiming our reputation as the City of Light was crystallised during a Perth Brand Forum held in July 2021, with the community strongly supporting the ideas. Stakeholders also identified that the theme of ‘light’ represented Perth in many aspects such as safety, sunshine, night time economy, vibrancy and more.
To capture the ‘light’ theme, a logo was developed which is inspired by Perth native surrounds including the sun (Ngangk), Kings Park (Kaarta Gar-up), Moodjar Tree, Banksia, Kangaroo Paw, and the Swan River (Derbarl Yerrigan).
The City of Light brand is a progressive and a purposeful municipality logo. It doesn’t replace the traditional coat of arms – but works alongside the official insignia to better represent the City of Perth and all it has to offer.
The brand work including the municipal logo was created by local agencies Nani Creative and Block Branding. The City of Perth’s Elders Advisory Group were consulted and were instrumental in the design process.
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Why have the City of Perth decided it needs a new logo, why now?Until now, the City of Perth did not have its own a municipality logo, making it an exception across Australian Capital Cities. The City of Light brand project is an opportunity to be progressive and produce a united and purposeful municipality logo.
The timing was to align with the 60th anniversary of John Glenn’s friendship flight, as we were dubbed ‘The City of Light’ at the time. While we’re closed to the world at moment, it’s important we have a strong brand for the City of Perth ahead of visitors arriving back into our city. -
What is the cost to ratepayers?The brand development and style guide had a total cost of $150,000. The City will take a sustainable approach to brand rollout as part of the 22/23 budget.
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How was the aboriginal community involved in the brand process?
The City of Perth’s aboriginal Elders Advisory Group were consulted on the new brand and logo and have been instrumental in the design process.
Nani Creative, the indigenous design agency who worked on the project, deliver authentic and traditional design services, that are relatable and meaningful to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.
For any questions related to the cultural consultation of the new brand, please contact Nani Creative at [email protected] -
Who was consulted on the new brand?Throughout the Lord Mayor’s Perth Brand consultations in 2021, industry leaders’, professionals, community members and stakeholders all discussed future brand options for Perth. The ‘City of Light’ came through as a major theme during a community consultation focused on a brand for the City. Some prominent voices included in the consultation included Danny Ford, Carol Innes and Richard Walley.
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Did you use local businesses on this project?The City of Perth worked with two local brand agencies on this exciting project - Block Branding and Nani Creative worked together to produce the concept, design and collateral.
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How does this new logo work alongside the current City of Perth logo?The City of Perth’s new brand does not replace our traditional coat of arms - the new logo will work alongside the official insignia to better represent the City of Perth and all it has to offer. The traditional coat of arms will still be used in all official City business, including Council Papers etc.
