FORMER students from Peel schools may remember signing their signature in 1999 to be etched on paving surrounding the Bell Tower.
These signatures were meant to be something those students could take their grand children to visit but that is no longer the case.
Close to one quarter of the 200,000 signatures have already been removed to make way for the Elizabeth Quay development with the others set to be removed in upcoming weeks.
A spokesperson from the Planning Minister’s office said efforts were made to try and preserve the tiles but those efforts were unsuccessful.
The spokesperson said when the tiles were taken out of the concrete they were set in, they were too weak with the tiles cracking.
Digital pictures have been taken of the signatures with a print out to be distributed to schools that participated, according to the spokesperson.
The spokesperson said the images would be incorporated into the Elizabeth Quay development in some way with details yet to be confirmed.
WA Labor leader Mark McGowan said the Barnett Government had made the wrong decision to destroy the paving.
“This is an insult to the Western Australian children who signed their names and thought their signatures would be preserved and protected in perpetuity,” Mr McGowan said.
“Destroying these signatures is a reckless act and shows Mr Barnett will do anything to bulldoze through his pet projects.
“More effort should have been made to preserve this very successful piece of social history.”
