By Callum Ludwig
Three new murals are set to join the plethora dotted around Wandin North this weekend.
The murals are the final ones in the project without further funding and will be installed near the IGA on Saturday 5 March.
Wandin Rotary’s community service committee chairman Gavan McIntyre said the murals are good for giving the Wandin shopping centre a bit of life.
“We had a bit of money left over after doing the mural on the wall in Marigold Lane and so we decided to do these three and install them on the wall of the IGA facing the car park,” he said.
“I think it’s a good little thing for the community and it uses up all the money from the grant that we were given, which we were very pleased to get.”
Artist Brad Colling, who has created many of the other murals, consulted with the Wandin North and Wandin Yallock Primary Schools for two of the murals, with students involved in creating the designs. The third mural was designed by Mr Colling.
Other community groups that have been recognised or have been involved in the mural project have included the Wandin branch of the Country Women’s Association, the Wandin Fire Brigade, Wandin Football and Netball Club, Wandin Cricket Club, Mont De Lancey Historic Homestead, the Wandin-Seville Bendigo Community Bank, Wandin Seville Financial Services and of course the Rotary Club of Wandin.
Mr McIntyre said all of the community groups have appreciated the project.
“It has been great because they get lost in the background sometimes. They all do all great work even if it’s just the football club and the cricket club who do a huge amount of work get kids on the ground every weekend,” he said.
“The whole project has had a feel-good community feel about it,” he said.
Brad Colling, Peter Van Bruegel and Mary Newham are the three artists who created the murals.
Mr McIntyre said there is definitely scope to continue and further the project.
“If another grant becomes available, we’ll definitely go for it. The money from these grants has to go through a community organisation so that’s why rotary gets involved,” he said.
“We would definitely be happy to make it happen.”
