City of Melville to honour connections to AC/DC and Bon Scott

The City of Melville Council is to recognise its links to Australian founded rock band AC/DC icon, agreeing at its July Ordinary Meeting to acknowledge the cultural significance of the band's late lead singer Bon Scott, who spent part of his youth in the City of Melville and was laid to rest in 1980 at Palmyra,  Fremantle Cemetery.

Western Australia's Canning Highway was also the inspiration to the band's 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, considering whether it might be the naming of a park, performance space or public artwork, with opportunities to align this with the City’s future Tourism Plan being explored.

Commenting on the Council's move, Melville Deputy Mayor, Karen Wheatland stated “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.

“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.

Mayor Wheatland noted “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.

“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 10 kilometres of the 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.

The 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.

Statues of Bon Scott have been erected at the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour and at his birthplace in the Scottish town of Kirriemuir,

Images: A bronze statue of Bon Scott unveiled at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour in 2008 (top, credit: Shutterstock) and Bon Scott and AC/DC performing at a Day on the Green at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, USA in 1979 (below: credit Getty).