Yarram Water Tower Street Art Project

After three years, 24 paintings and two Gold Awards for the best Street Art Trail in Australia, the time to paint the water tower in Yarram has finally arrived. Heesco says he can’t wait to come and paint the tower. “It’s been a long time coming so it’s great that we’re finally able to do it. I am keen to play my part and get it all done.”

For the top part of the tower, Wayne Tindall (who designed most of the current Heesco Town murals) worked closely with Eric Greenaway and others to identify key local tourism hotspots that could be featured. “I thought the top of the Tower should be very colourful so it can be seen from a distance as you approach Yarram from South or North.” Eric explained. “There are a growing number of Street Art and Silo Art followers in Australia and around the world, and Yarram features as a ‘must see’ destination for these folk. We don’t have a silo, but we have a water tower, and this tower is going to be the ‘icing on the cake’ for the Yarram Heesco Town Trail.”

The lower tower design is a colourful and meaningful image filled with rich imagery and embedded stories and symbols. GUNAIKURNAI Elder Sandra Patten designed this part and sees it as a visual expression of ‘Sitting on Country’ where she feels ‘at home’ and ‘connected’.

“The five shields along the top represent the five tribes of the GUNAIKURNAI. They’re all connected, you can’t break up the mob. The designs are relevant today because the GUNAIKURNAI hold native title as custodians of our Country. Our shield designs are coming out more and more in community artwork as people feel proud and safer to promote GUNAIKURNAI culture” Sandra explained.

So, we’re asking for your help.

The concrete water tower sits on the north side of Yarram and is the gateway to the Town. Imagine how awesome it would be to have a vibrant and colourful water tower telling the story of our region. And how cool it would be to know that you have played a key role in making it happen.