North Lake resident Glenn Hankinson, a descendant of one of the pioneers honoured, contacted the Gazette last week after noticing the 38-year-old plaques had been removed.
“A week ago when the fence went up we kept an eye on it, then a few days ago noticed more closely the concrete pedestal was there but no plaque,” he said.
“The pioneers did it hard and back then this was the boondocks. They opened up the area, fed the people of Perth and took pride in protecting the environment and fauna. I don’t want to see us lose this history.
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READ NOW“I’d like to know where it is, what’s the plan, are they placing as much importance as it should have and is it being placed back; in a place of seclusion or prominence, it doesn’t matter, just be where it has been for years.”
City of Cockburn engineering and works services director Charles Sullivan said the City had removed and retained the plaques.
“The plaques were removed to enable the construction of a new carpark for the playground,” he said.
“They will be reinstated with new plinths north of the new carpark and set within a landscaped environment.
“The City requested the pioneers to provide an updated list of names and spellings in 2012 during discussions with Ugo De Marchi so we could make the appropriate corrections and additions for a new plaque to replace the existing one following construction of the playground.”