finished mural
The mural was officially opened in December 2002, at Gulargambone.

For the children involved in the final artwork, click on the word "artists" beside each mural.

The theme of the mural is a day in Gulargambone. Starting in the twilight, through the dawn, morning, and the heat of the day, moving on to evening, nightfall, and a new dawn.  The Castlereagh River runs through the entire mural, in drought and in flood.

gulargambone final mural

Twilight
The mural begins with a man standing viewing his land.  Within him is a warrior.  He loves the land, and the land is his mother.  The emu, the totem of the Weilwan people, is the shadow from the standing man.  The Warrambungle mountains are in the distance.

twilight artists - 2.6x1.6m


Dawn
The sun rises through the Koori flag.  The Weilwan bull, as drawn in earth, encapsulates images of cattle farming.  Yabbies and yellow-belly fish are painted in the river as Weilwan mark-making, representing some bush tucker of the area.  In the foreground there is a river gum with tree-carvings from the Koori people.

dawnartists - 2.8x1.6m


Morning I & II
There are two murals representing the morning.  The first is a merino ram standing next to a river with a river gum and Weilwan carving.  A cow represents the Hereford cattle farmers of the area.  Part of the sawmill shows one of the most important industries in the area.  The cattle shelter under a tree, the Koori stockman on a horse near the river.  Ceremonial markings are shown.  In the heat of the day, this is the beginning of drought.

morning one    morning two artists - 1.2x1.2m


Drought
In the heat of the day, the river bed is dry.  Weilwan markings show in the river bed.  There is a dead tree and a goanna marked in the sand, with Koori men symbolically hunting.  The white man looks on.  

The road runs through cracked earth and wheat fields.

drought artists - 2.5x1.6m


Flood
There is a windmill with sun-flowers growing, then the rain comes.  The river is flooded, flowing past the old post office (painted half in a black-and-white historical photograph and half as it is now), and the mission.  A kangaroo, half painted in an indigenous style, and half a contemporary style.  The road running through, with the rickety old bridge crossing the swollen river.

flood artists - 2.8x1.6m


The old hotel
Nearing the end of the floods, the river becomes calmer. A Galah flies over the old hotel, built in the 1920s, it burned down in 1968.  The black and white photograph shows its old glory.  There is old car parked outside.  The road continues on.

artists - 2.6x1.6m


Cap Lemon
The Bourbar Street runs through Cap Lemon - he has lived and worked on this street and town all his life.  The clock, showing years, represents his time spent in Gular - he was born in 1912.  Until he closed his shop on Bourbah St, you could still buy one balloon and stipulate the colour, and one battery if needed.  On the table is the pack of cards with which he loves to play.  The shops are seen with their earlier and grander facades.  The river runs through in the Weilwan style.

We pass through to the present and future.

cap lemon artists - 2.0x1.2m


The town
Showing the centre of Gulargambone - the important buildings for the children are painted, including the swimming pool, park, and school.  Locals will also recognise the garage, pub, Pete's Pumps, the post office and war memorial.

The river runs through as the evening draws close.

gulargambone town artists - 2.2x1.7m


Night through to dawn
The old outside cinema located next to the hall showed films under the stars.  There is also the possum that used to run around when the films were showing.  Trees stand next to the river.  The emu constellation in the night sky refers to the Weilwan people's totem.  The southern cross brings the dawn of a new day in Gular gambone.

night dawn  artists - 2.2x1.7m


click to see the long list of people who are involved in this project