Kingston Street and Public Art
The City of Kingston has a public art program which reflects and celebrates the local history, stories, cultures and sense of place through ephemeral, temporary and permanent public art. Public art includes:
Bonbeach
Bonbeach Bird by James and Eleanor Avery
A quirky and playful sculpture of the Bonbeach Bird which was inspired by the birdlife of the nearby Edithvale Wetlands and has been imagined with a pop culture twist. The quiff on the bird's head references waves, a rolled-up beach towel, and periwinkle shells found in Aboriginal shell middens on nearby clifftops. Shell middens are concentrations of shells, containing evidence of past Indigenous activity. The black and white colours of the quiff were chosen because of the striped swim caps of the Bonbeach Life Saving Club and the blue colouring of the bird reflects the sea and the beach huts that line the bay.
Location: Bonbeach Train Station, 544 Nepean Highway, Bonbeach
Braeside
Mordialloc Freeway Underpass Murals by Hayden Dewar and Ashleigh Pugh
A series of murals painted on the new pedestrian underpass in Braeside with themes of local flora and the Aboriginal history of the area. The Braeside park side wall features a depiction of a smoking ceremony with various native animals emerging from the smoke. This design reflects the Bunurong people's connection to the land and all that inhabits it.
Location: 31 Park Way, Braeside
Braeside Park Mural Walls by Sandy Caldow and Jan Saric
The four panels that make up the artwork interpret the natural and cultural heritage of Braeside Park and the surrounding area. The first wall with the circular "window" depicts the flora and fauna of the park. The large motifs on the two sides of this wall represent stylised insect wings, River Red Gums, wetlands and frogs. The second (western) wall shows the cultural heritage of the area. Motifs in these panels represent historical and present day uses of the land. See if you cans identify references to the Bunurong people, the horse racing track and market gardens. Cogs and wheels symbolise the industries established around the park. The walls are constructed from handmade and commercial tiles, glass, bricks, cement.
Location: Braeside Park, 469 Lower Dandenong Road, Braeside
Braeside Park Tree Stump Art by Rob Bast
At the northern end of Cypress Drive in Braeside Park are a number of tree stump sculptures with Australian animals and birds, Phar Lap, pelicans and possums. The art stumps are produced from old cypress trees which were planted in 1939 to form an avenue to the pump house for the Braeside Sewage Plant which operated on the site from 1940 to 1978. Some of the trees have been cut down to three metre stumps after being assessed as presenting a high risk to park users. More information about the Braeside Park Tree Stump Art.
Location: Braeside Park (Cypress Drive), 469 Lower Dandenong Road, Braeside
Carrum
Beach Bar @ Carrum Mural
Location: 611 Nepean Highway, Carrum
Chelsea
Seasonal Migrants by Geoffrey Carran (2020)
Artist Geoffrey Carran completed this large-scale mural on the rear facade of Chelsea Women's Sports Centre in consultation with local community members, Friends of Edithvale Wetlands and users of the Sports Centre. The mural pays homage to the Sharp Tailed Sandpiper, which annually migrate from Siberia to the Edithvale Wetlands. The wetlands support over 1% of the global Sandpiper population, which has seen them listed as a RAMSAR site of international significance.
Location: Exterior wall of Chelsea Sports Womens Centre, 101 Argyle Avenue, Chelsea
The Art Pass Re-imagined by Anu Patel (2022)
Due to the demolition of the Chelsea Station as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project, Kingston Arts has partnered with artist Anu Patel to create a mural in homage of The Art Pass; a large scale public mural which was created for the Chelsea train station underpass in 2013 by the artist. For The Art Pass Reimagined project, Anu worked with a wide range of community members to complete the large scale mural on the laneway wall, which is the pedestrian walkway that connects the Chelsea Shopping Precinct with the Safeway carpark.
Location: Rowy Lane, 1/423 Nepean Highway, Chelsea
The Strand Mural by Tom Civil (2020)
The artist worked with members of the Chelsea Community Panel to develop the design, incorporating the strong coastal and beach themes that the community in Chelsea hold close to their hearts. The mural features local plants, shells, seeds, starfish, grass, seaweed and other objects home to Chelsea's beaches, including a conical sand snail egg sack. A piece of fluorescent fishing line highlights the importance of keeping our waterways clean and safe.
Location: Salvation Army, Cnr The Strand and Nepean Highway, Chelsea
Pluma by James Tapscott
The artist produced a sculptural interpretation of the grasses found growing along the sand dunes at Chelsea Beach. The work Pluma comprises a total of 10 blades of grass with 'fluffy' ends and has been designed to reflect the relaxed feel of the area. It is installed on both sides of the Chelsea station pedestrian bridge.
Location: Chelsea Train Station (northern end), Cnr The Strand & Nepean Highway, Chelsea
Cheltenham
Two Acre Village by James Beattie and Andrew Bourke (2012)
Two Acre Village comprises a large section of abstract shapes and patterns that almost merge into trails of colour when seen from train windows, but view the image close up and you will develop an appreciation of the incredible and detailed images that reflect Cheltenham's history. From the bush and parkland and local Indigenous culture, through to early shopfronts and buildings and iconic local residents, the mural is a historical timeline of Two Acre Village, the name once given to the suburb of Cheltenham.
Location: The Fore Apartments, 278 Charman Road, Cheltenham
Resting Place by Anne Ross (1999)
Anne Ross is an accomplished Melbourne-based artist with a growing body of public sculpture in Melbourne, Canberra and Hong Kong. Her work exudes a playfulness and humor, often seen in her beloved canine characters that reappear throughout her sculptures. Resting Place was commissioned in 1999 by Kingston City Council in partnership with Westfield Southland, and has offered both a whimsical and physical place of refuge outside the busy shopping precinct ever since.
Location: Westfield Southland, 1239 Nepean Highway, Cheltenham
Outside this Artful Life
Painted pole.
Location: 7 Olympic Avenue, Cheltenham
Baden-Powell Mural
Mural of Baden-Powell, founder of scouting.
Location: 7th Cheltenham Scout Group, 73 Argus Street, Cheltenham
Lorna Street Playground Mural by Alex Sugar
A beautifully colourful mural with Australian birds on a side fence.
Location: 29 Lorna Street, Cheltenham
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle or Regret
Acrylic illustration about recycling.
Location: Bayside Depot - Waste Transfer & Recycling Centre, 144 Talinga Road, Cheltenham (opposite to Cheltenham Cemetery). Artwork is located on building at the exit driveway of depot.
Southern Community Church of Christ Mural by Michael Peck (2016)
Location: Southern Community Church of Christ, 2 Chesterville Road, Cheltenham
Cheltenham Community Centre Carpark Mural by Janis Morgan (2022)
Location: 8 Chesterville Road, Cheltenham
Clarinda
Bundle of Sticks by Elizabeth Weissensteiner (2008)
The City of Kingston commissioned artist Dr. Elizabeth Weissensteiner to create a piece of public art for Clarinda Community Centre. Bundle of Sticks was launched in April 2008 and is based on the fable of the same name. The design represents the strength of a community that has a shared identity and purpose. The work celebrates the values of the people of the area, multiculturalism and unity.
Location: Rear side of Clarinda Community Centre, 58 Viney Street, Clarinda
Clayton South
Unukomuno by Ian Bracebirdle (2017)
High profile artist, Ian Bracegirdle, was commissioned to work in partnership with the local community to create a site specific artwork outside the new Westall Library and Community Hub that would celebrate the local area and its people. Whilst the plant like form historically references the market gardens that once thrived in the area, it also reflects the growth of the contemporary community, the waves of migration to the region, as well as the language and culture of past and current generations. The outer glazing or skin of the sculpture, features drawings, icons and words gathered through community consultation and workshops. The coming together of community is further reflected in the title of the sculpture, Unukomuno, which means one community.
Location: Westall Library and Community Hub, 35 Fairbank Road, Clayton South
Dingley Village
Tillage by Paul Johnson (2014)
Artist Paul Johnson was unanimously selected by Council's Public Art Advisory Panel for his concept, Tillage, as the preferred design in reference to the region's agricultural history. Tillage depicts a series of mounded furrows arcing above the ground in shapes that evoke working metal tools, wheels, discs and farm machinery. This notion of agricultural labour is further emphasised by curved, custom designed, laser cut images of cart wheels into Corten steel sheets resting upon the tops of the five arcs. At ground level is a matching series of furrows, created from low planting, that reaches from one side of the roundabout to the other. As the sun fades the arcs are illuminated by yellow-orange ambient light.
Location: Roundabout at the intersection of Old Dandenong Road, Centre Dandenong Road and Tootal Road, Dingley Village
Edithvale
Black Crow Mural by Jenna Lee
The creation story of the black crow passed down by the local Bunurong people has inspired a bold and contemporary mural facing the Nepean Highway at Edithvale Station. The 5 black wings and 4 feathers made from recycled plastic highlight the area's Indigenous history and the significance of the nearby Edithvale wetlands. According to the Bunurong creation story, Waa was born with white feathers, but after the crows stole burning coals, their feathers were burnt black in a bushfire.
Lee, a Gulumerridjin (Larrakia) and Wardaman and KarraJarri Saltwater woman of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, worked with the Bunurong Land Council to illustrate and pay homage to the cultural story of the Waa being the spiritual protector of the land, waterways and the community.
Location: Edithvale Station, Cnr Sinclair Ave and Nepean Hwy, Edithvale (northern end of station on western side of outer wall.)
Edithvale Recreation Reserve Electrical Box
Sports themed South East Water electrical box.
Location: Edithvale Recreation Reserve, Cnr Edithvale Road and Bridges Avenue, Edithvale
Mentone
New Rivieria by Julie Shiels (2014)
In celebration of the Mentone Renaissance redevelopment, community members selected Melbourne artist Julie Shiels' permanent bronze artwork entitled "New Riviera" to be installed in the new Mentone community piazza. The community supported the use of the deck chair as a motif that celebrated Mentone's history and beach culture, as well as it's Italian influences. The familiar form of the deck chair is made strange and surprising through the process of casting in bronze and has appeal to all age groups. Julie hopes the work will create a space to relax and enjoy all that Mentone has to offer but also that will also serve as a reminder to look around and to consider everyday objects in new ways. "New Riviera" was constructed locally at the Perrin Sculpture Foundry in Cheltenham.
Location: Mentone Community Piazza, Florence Street, Mentone
Electrical Box Mural
Location: Mentone Community Piazza, Florence Street, Mentone
Kilbreda College Mural
Mural on the wall of Kilbreda College
Location: Kilbreda College external wall, 68 Como Parade West, Mentone
Moorabbin
Moorabbin Junction by James Beattie and Carmen Davies (2014)
Local artist James Beattie was commissioned to design the Moorabbin Junction mural. James' design was inspired by the area with the aim of connecting viewers in a relevant way to the unique character of Moorabbin. The art work celebrates the rich history of Moorabbin within its design. Images of the area's iconic hall including its ruby red curtain and its historic 1928 Wurlitzer Theatre Organ also feature in the work and give relevance to the local arts precinct. Being local means that James has a close affinity with many local youth interested in his style of work.
Location: Kingston City Hall Carpark, 979 Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin
Urban Angels by Wendy Reiss (1994)
The Urban Angels sculpture was created by the artist in September 1994 and now sits at the entry of the Kingston Arts Centre in Moorabbin.
Location: Front of Kingston Arts Centre, 979 Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin
The Centaur by Wendy Reiss (1994)
The Centaur sculpture was created by the artist in September 1994 and now sits in the side garden of the Kingston Arts Centre in Moorabbin.
Location: Side Garden of Kingston Arts Centre, 979 Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin
Butterfly Renewal & The Monarchs Murals by Mike Makatron and sculptures by Damian Vick through Artbox (2022)
The Butterfly Renewal murals by Mike Makatron and assisting artists takes inspiration from Australian flora, depicting the progressive stages of the Monarch butterflies' rebirth, which, much like Horscroft Place Pocket Park, has undergone a significant transformation.
The Monarchs sculptures by Damian Vick are designed to continue the narrative of the adjacent mural, bringing an additional and playful dimension to the space, emerging from their chrysalides to bathe their newly formed wings in the sun.
Location: Horscroft Place Pocket Park, 1 Horscroft Place, Moorabbin
Monochromatic Faces by Rone
A beautiful set of three faces, rendered in monochromatic blue.
Location: Clearlight Shows, 5 Horscroft Place, Moorabbin
Moorabbin Bowls Club Mural by Hayden Dewar (2021)
Location: Moorabbin Bowls Club, 426 South Road, Moorabbin
Mordialloc
Pompei's Boat by Julie Squires (2010)
Pompeis Boat is the third and final sculpture as part of the larger Pioneer Coastal Arts Project, which also produced the art works, Horse and Memories of a Seaside. Artist, Julie Squires, spent considerable time consulting with brothers Joe and the late Jack Pompei regarding the style of boat building that has become synonymous with the Pompei style of hand-made boat construction. The work has become an iconic landmark in Mordialloc at the gateway to the southern bayside suburbs of Melbourne.
Location: Pompeis Landing, 563 Main Street, Mordialloc
Horse by Julie Squires (2009)
The City of Kingston launched the Pioneer Coastal Arts Project in 2006, a series of interpretive sculptural art works installed along the foreshore between Mentone and Mordialloc, with the iconic Horse sculpture as a focal piece. The vision was to create a distinct and memorable series of public art works that would enhance civic pride through a tangible legacy that reflected the history of the area. A cast bronze sculpture of a horse standing 16 hands high, located at the end of Bay Street, Mordialloc was inspired by the memories of racehorses being exercised in the water along the foreshore.
Location: 183 Beach Road, Mordialloc
Raindrops and Sunbeams by Deb McNaughton (2022)
The sculpture is part of the Bay Trail public art project and features seven arched posts which symbolise a rainbow. The title refers to the two natural elements required to form a rainbow, with raindrops representing the struggles and sadness experienced as a direct result of the pandemic and sunbeams representing the light and hope at the end of the tunnel. Together these elements create a rainbow, while the wording on each post refers to the seven values that make the Kingston community shine so bright. The artist's intention is to create a visually stimulating landmark whilst representing the strength, diversity, positivity, and spirit of the Kingston community now and into the future.
As part of this project Kingston council worked with The Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation to incorporate seven key community values into the sculpture in Indigenous language. These include:
Respect - King, Chief - Ngarnurngate
Leadership - No Fear - Murrun
Honesty - Truth - Kopin
Kindness - Help, Aid, Assist - Kunar
Happiness - Delight - Pert-Burn-Min-Un
Gratitude - Love - Ge-A-Nbean
Equality - He and I United - Bungarlook
Location: Along the foreshore at Hazel Pierce Reserve, Cnr Beach Road and Main Street, Mordialloc
Building Murals beside Mordialloc Creek
There are murals on each side of the old building which stands in Hazel Pierce Reserve.
Location: Beside Mordialloc Creek at Hazel Pierce Reserve, 222 Bay Trail, Mordialloc
Mordialloc Cellar Door Mural
Location: 622 Main Street, Mordialloc
Pavement 3D Artwork by Father Marker
#1 - Wave and surfboard - outside Rip Curl, 628 Main Street
#2 - Dropped ice cream - outside Lima & Co, 580 Main Street
#3 - Dolphin - outside Australia Post, 554 Main Street
#4 - Seagull - outside Tanabe Japanese, 479 Main Street
#5 - Octopus - outside Barry Plant, 507 Main Street
#6 - Skate ramp - outside OCD Skateshop, 541 Main Street
Location: Main Street, Mordialloc
The Shape of Movement by Abbey Rich and Beci Orpin (2020)
The Shape of Movement mural is a large sports themed mural on the onsite sports rebound wall (both sides). Throughout the community consultation process, the artist's collaborated with Mordialloc Beach Primary and St Brigid's Primary students on the murals design. Students worked with the artists to create a vibrant design inspired by energy, play and movement.
Location: Ben Kavanagh Reserve, 33 Bear Street, Mordialloc
Waterways
Argyle by CPG Australia (2007-2008)
The final stage of the Waterways development was named "Argyle" after developer Mirvac noticed the footprint of the land resembled a diamond chamfer. In keeping with the development's name, CPG Australia was commissioned to create a sculptural focal point for the area, choosing to reference the sleek design of the modern diamond ring.
Location: Cnr Lake King Circle and Jubilee Boulevard, Waterways
Excavator by Greg Johns (2008)
In 2002, Greg Johns was commissioned by the Waterways Residential Development to create a body of sculptures that responded to the development's wetland environment. The result of this commission are the five bird-like creatures that Johns refers to as "excavators". The abstracted birds are constructed out of Corten steel, a signature material used by Johns to create a stable, rusted surface that continues to develop over the course of the sculpture's life. The sculptures reference the rich and diverse bird-life inhabiting the Waterways Estate, and can be found scattered along Waterside Drive. This sculpture is part of the Waterways Lake Sculpture Trail.
Location: Waterside Drive, Waterways
Waterways by Ken Blum (2008)
Ken Blum was commissioned by the Waterways Residential Development to create four carved wooden sculptures that reflected the wetlands and history of the local area. Two of his works are of birds, representing the ancestral spirit of the Bunurong / Boon Wurrung; the traditional people and custodians of the land. The two other works are portrait carvings, primarily made from cypress logs that have been placed as sentries to the wetlands. Using chainsaws, axes and chisels Ken has revealed the faces of two indigenous people. The large stones featured as a platform on each of the sculptures perform a necessary proactive function, to keep water out of the trunk of the timber and prevent rotting. This sculpture is part of the Waterways Lake Sculpture Trail.
Location: Bowen Parkway Bridge, Waterside Drive and Westbridge board walk, Waterways
