One Thousand Origami Swans for Telethon

As part of the Lotterywest Boorloo Heritage Festival 2025, the City of Perth is proud to launch the ‘One Thousand Origami Swans’ project to support Telethon and raise funds for sick, vulnerable and disadvantaged children across Western Australia.

The ‘One Thousand Origami Swans’ project is a unique, local twist on the Japanese tradition of ‘senbazuru’ – the art of folding 1,000 cranes to make a wish. In Japanese folklore, cranes are believed to live for 1,000 years and are revered as symbols of longevity and good fortune. Folding 1,000 cranes is often undertaken as a prayer or wish for health, recovery and happiness in Japanese culture.

This unique initiative will be held at Elizabeth Quay from 19 – 27 April 2025 where we’ll celebrate the ‘Maali’ the Black swan, our beloved state icon.

We are inviting members of the public to fold an origami swan and make a donation to Telethon. Our origami swans will be displayed alongside Mamma Maali at a family-friendly event on Sunday, 27 April featuring swan pedal boat rides, market stalls, arts and craft activities including origami workshops at Elizabeth Quay.