Take a tour of murals bringing colour and life to communities around Melbourne and Victoria.
It’s an art form that brings life and identity to a community – splashed with colour, eye-catching and towering above streets. Murals are often the centrepiece of a country town or community neighbourhood and are representative of a meaningful local story. Let’s go on a colourful tour around Victoria.
Broadway and Edwardes Street Shopping Centre, Reservoir (video)
As part of the Victorian Government’s Reservoir Suburban Revitalisation Board Program and in partnership with Darebin City Council, 5 artists explore the suburb’s diverse and multicultural community, its natural landscapes, and its local flora and fauna.
Reservoir – also known as 'Rezza' – is close to mural artist and project participant Emily Green’s heart. The mural she painted highlights Rezza’s diverse food scene and the role it plays in bringing the community together. She’s lived in Reservoir for 10 years and wants to acknowledge the different cultures, interests and nationalities that make up its identity.
There are murals in 5 locations across Reservoir, which will remain in place for 3 years.
Ian Street, Noble Park
What makes Noble Park so special? Garage 35 Art Studio and Connection Arts Space, in collaboration with traders and the neighbourhood’s youngest community members, have created a mural that highlights what makes Noble Park unique and why they love their neighbourhood.
Through various drawings, locals have come up with an eye-catching mural, brightening up an underutilised corner of Ian Street. It features the area’s playgrounds, shops and food offerings – everything that makes Noble Park unique.
This artwork was commissioned as part of the Ian Street Streetscape Redevelopment project – an initiative of the Noble Park Suburban Revitalisation Board.
Blacksmiths Way, Belgrave
Belgrave is home to Puffing Billy and the gateway to the Dandenong Ranges’ various nature trails.
Most locals are familiar with Blacksmiths Way laneway – often used as a shortcut to Belgrave train station and to access the main café strip. Historically, the rear walls of the shops backing onto the laneway were overgrown with ivy – not an obvious choice for more than 100 diverse street, mural and stencil artists, who have now shared their diverse range of artworks in the space.
It’s brought a brightness and interest to an otherwise drab passageway – strengthening the neighbourhood’s liveability.
These artworks are funded by the Living Local Program.
Main Street 3D Art Gallery, Mordialloc
Heading bayside, the Living Local Fund made the shopping experience an adventure with 6 playful 3D artworks (of a skateboard, ice cream, octopus, seagull, dolphin and wave) painted on the footpaths along Main Street in Mordialloc.
Creating some fun for pedestrians, the artwork appears to jump out from the ground and highlights the beachside culture of the area.
Created by artist Father Marker, the artwork encourages locals to explore the businesses along the strip.
Heywood Water Tower Mural
Towering 30-metres-high in Heywood, a town in south-west Victoria, the painted water tower is a main focal point as you drive towards it.
It proudly acknowledges the sacrifices made by Gunditjmara servicemen and women – the Traditional Owners of the area. It’s a significant moment after thousands of Aboriginal Australians were denied their entitlements and recognition when they returned from war.
Local First Nations artists worked closely with renowned artist Adnate to tell the story of the Gunditjmara brothers.
The project was initiated by Leadership Great South Coast 2020 Alumni and supported by the Victorian Government, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Corporation, Wannon Water, and the Glenelg Shire.
More: Memory of Gunditjmara People Soars High Above Heywood.
Mali Heart Street, Birchip
Created during the Mali Heart Arts Festival in Birchip in 2022, the Mali Hearts Art Trail is found in several locations around Birchip. The trail features renowned street artists and budding local artists, including students from Birchip P-12 school.
The vibrant street art has brought life and colour to the town – and put Birchip on the map as a must-see destination along the Silo Art Trail.
With the iconic IGA mural, the design represents a meeting place for the community and what often holds it together – in this case, the everyday grocery store providing food to the tables of many.
Golden Square Pool, Bendigo
Volunteers brought this mural to life in collaboration with Nacho Station, Distinctive Options and JESWRI.
Through the Let's Stay Connected Fund, a splash of colour pops out at Bendigo’s popular Golden Square Pool with a giant art mural giving off old-school vibes. Projecting a 60s and 70s theme with its pastel colours, the mural is the perfect backdrop to photos as the temperature rises and people head to the pool.
The idea for the mural was to bring people together in a hands-on creative project during the pandemic, which helped many in the community.
Swing Bridge Drive, Sale
Sale’s natural environment attracts visitors from all over and it’s no surprise it’s been captured in a series of murals along Swing Bridge Drive.
Local artist Jeremy Kasper showed the connection of the artwork to place by representing the wildlife that lives down by the nearby river, including the Gippsland Water Dragon, the Brushtail Possum, and the Azure Kingfisher.
The murals provide a more inviting entry to Swing Bridge Drive, which links Sale to the Swing Bridge, Canal Walking track and the Sale Common Nature Reserve.
The murals were made possible by the Latrobe Valley Authority’s Community and Facility Fund.
