Townsville’s natural world celebrated in new city murals

An explosion of colour is celebrating tropical North Queensland’s idyllic lifestyle with four new murals being completed at Townsville’s Flinders Lane.

Townsville-based artists Alicia Allen, Hannah Aiello, Georgie Dunn and Katherine Cornwall have been commissioned by Townsville City Council in partnership with Flinders Lane tenant Locke Holdings NQ PTY LTD.

Ms Cornwall said Root and Rock Landscape was her first mural as part of Council’s Street Art program.

“I’ve been making art in Townsville for most of my adult life, and being involved in the arts community I’ve made some friends who have done some street art,” she said.

“This is probably one of the biggest pieces I’ve done. It’s a tropical rainforest and the forest floor, with lichen and moss, and it explores how they make the landscape interconnected.”

First Nations artist Ms Allen said her artwork Between the Lines was inspired by North Queensland’s natural harmony.

“I did some snorkelling recently up near Moore Reef at Cairns, and I do a lot of snorkelling around Maggie Island, and I’m always amazed by the parrotfish because they’re so colourful and they have their own patterns.

“I noticed that the patterns on parrotfish were similar to the patterns you see in brain corals. It always amazes me how nature is all connected. It’s crucial that we maintain the balance and health of our reefs and marine life.”

Ms Dunn said her piece Bommy Bonanza was similarly influenced by the warm waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

“I love snorkelling and freediving. Growing up on Maggie we were in the water most of the time, so this is an abstract representation of all of those crazy patterns that you see in all those coral bommies. It’s such a peaceful world with such organised chaos, I just love that,” she said.

“I’d like people to see this and develop some curiosity to get in the water and look for these patterns. Some people are kind of freaked out by the water and the ocean, which is fine, but I think if you’re looking at these patterns you can’t even think about being scared. There’s a beautiful underwater world, and we need to protect it.

“Where Nomads is, you can go out there on a mid-tide and if it’s a good day it doesn’t feel too scary because it’s not too deep and the beach is just there. But my favourite is at Geoffrey Bay, Moltke Wreck, and because it’s protected there are massive fish inside the wreck.”

The delicious tropical fruits that Northern Australia is known for sparked Ms Aiello’s interest as she planned her mural Abundance.

“It’s a celebration of the tropical fruit. I had to be creative with coming up with a long and thin design. I had my eight-year-old pose with some homegrown pineapples and then I had my neighbour pose holding some tropical fruit in a string bag,” she said.

“It’s a challenge. Normally I go for realism, or close to photo-realism, so with this mural I’m reminding myself not to get bogged down in the tiny little details. It’s a bit of a mindset shift, but it’s good to be able to paint a little looser and be a little more painterly.”

Locke Holdings’ Martin Locke said it was great to work with Council to bring four new murals to the Townsville city centre.

“A few years ago we commissioned a stunning mural by Lorretta Lizzio which transformed Flinders Lane, and we’re very proud to be working with four more local artists for these new works,” Mr Locke said.

“I’m excited to see how visitors to our events spaces react to the murals which capture the spirit of living in North Queensland.”

Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto said Council was proud to continue its commitment to supporting emerging and established artists in Townsville.

“Murals like these are a great way to make art accessible to everyone in our community. By supporting mural works through our Street Art program, we’re not only supporting local artists, but also build an art culture that helps beautify our city,” Cr Dametto said.

“I’d like to extend my congratulations to Hannah, Alicia, Katherine and Georgie for their work on these murals – their artwork strongly reflects the vibrancy and lifestyle of our tropical city.”

Visit our Street Art page for more information on Council’s street art program.