Hornsey Lane mural embraces our past and looks to our future

Published on 07 August 2020

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Hornsey Lane Burwood has been transformed into an artistic destination that tells the story of the area’s past, present and future.

Burwood Council chose internationally renowned and First Nations artists, with ties to the area, to create murals as part of its Burwood Cares program.

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The program, started in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, aims to support the health and wellbeing of the community and provide opportunities and income for artists.

The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment contributed $130,000 to the Hornsey Lane upgrade project, including $30,000 for the murals, as part of its Streets As Shared Spaces program.

Burwood’s stories come to life

The mural wall has been divided into three sections with the theme Past, Present and Future.

Karla Hayes, Noni and David Cragg’s design for the Past mural explores themes of Indigenous custodianship of Burwood prior to colonial occupation.

Noni and David are a brother and sister of First Nations heritage, who spent their early childhood in Burwood and have maintained a close connection to the area.

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The trio’s mural explores themes of Indigenous custodianship of Burwood prior to colonial occupation using imagery that references ancient connection to the land through story.

The central portrait of the artwork is Kirli Saunders, a Gunai woman of First Nations heritage, who is an award-winning international children’s author and poet, judge for the 2020 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards and 2020 NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year.

Her portrait represents Indigenous heritage and its ongoing presence in the area.

Native flora and fauna feature in the work include the waratah flower (a symbol of the Darug people and NSW state flower), the black cockatoo (a common Darug totem), and the lyrebird (symbolic of the vast spread of dialects from around the world spoken in Burwood).

Strength and optimism

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Internationally renowned artist Georgia Hill lives in the Inner West.

Her design for the Present mural focuses on the coming together of the Burwood community during the COVID-19 pandemic using the simple phrase ‘With You’ to convey a sense of optimism, assistance and community.

Her use of concentric circles suggests the strength, resilience and growth of the Burwood community during the crisis.

Fintan Magee, another internationally renowned artist, will start work on the Future mural in coming weeks.

His design is based on interviews with two families who have strong connections to Burwood.

Mr Magee asked the children to draw their hopes and dreams for the future, which he incorporated into a mural that reflects childhood optimism and imagination.

 

 

 

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