Massive new mural brings tropics to city centre

Townsville muralist Art by Lavinia has transformed the side of 408 - 410 Flinders Street with a mammoth new mural spanning a whopping 24m.

Property owner Kimber Administration Pty Ltd has worked with Townsville City Council to bring this exciting new public artwork to the heart of the city.

The aptly-named new work Tropical State of Mind features native flora and fauna, including a red-tailed black cockatoo, an olive-backed sunbird, a pale-faced rosella and a sulphur-crested cockatoo alongside tropical plants like beach almonds, native bananas and cabbage palms.

The artist behind Art by Lavinia, Lavinia Letheby, has shared the inspiration behind the impressive new piece, which is her largest mural to date.

“The idea was to celebrate the incredible natural environment we’re surrounded by every day here in the north. Our tropical climate has such a unique personality — it’s bold, colourful, wild and full of life — and I wanted the artwork to reflect that feeling. I also wanted the mural to feel immersive, almost like nature is spilling across the wall,” she said.

“This mural feels very connected to my personal canvas work, so bringing that style and energy onto such a massive public scale has been really special for me as an artist.

“Normally with public artworks I work closely alongside communities or clients to help bring their vision to life, but with this project I had the freedom to create what I felt worked best for the wall and the space. That creative freedom made the experience even more rewarding. It’s also an honour to contribute another piece to the incredible Townsville Street Art Trail.”

Ms Letheby has spent the past 10 years creating public art, including the recent Pink and Jelly Roll murals in the Townsville city centre.

She said each piece came with its own challenges and rewards along the way.

The support from communities is something I never take for granted. Every mural is an honour to create. There’s something incredibly powerful about transforming a blank wall into something vibrant, full of life and showcasing incredible local stories. Seeing locals embrace the artworks, photograph them and feel proud of them is always one of the most rewarding parts of what I do,” she said.

“Tropical State of Mind is definitely very special to me because it reflects my personal artistic style more than many of my previous public works. It feels like a true extension of the artwork I create on canvas, just on a much larger scale.

“I hope people feel overwhelmed with joy and excitement when they see it. I want the mural to feel uplifting and energising — something that makes people stop, smile and appreciate the beauty of our tropical surroundings. I also hope it creates a sense of pride in our region and reminds people how unique North Queensland really is.”

Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto said Council was proud to work with Ms Letheby to create another stunning city centre mural.

“Council’s Street Art Trail is an evolving tourism drawcard for Townsville, enticing art lovers from near and far to explore our city streets and soak up the incredible public art on offer,” Cr Dametto said.

“Council loves working with Art by Lavinia. She first contributed to our city’s street art collection back in 2023 as part of Townsville’s biggest piece of street art at Thuringowa Central.

“Since then, she’s gone on to paint some of Townsville’s coolest murals like the P!NK tribute, and now Tropical State of Mind, another feather in her cap.

“I’m proud to lead a Council which support the arts and local artists. A bit of colour is making our city a more vibrant and exciting place to live, work and play.”

For more information about Townsville’s Street Art Trail, visit Council’s website.