Monash Street and Public Art
A number of Street Art murals and sculptures have been created across Monash over the past years. Much of the artwork has been a collaboration between artists and the local community.
These include:
Mary Street Laneways, Clayton
Three interconnecting laneways between Clayton Road, Carinish Road and Mary Street have vibrant street art created on walls and pathways.
Location: 129 Carinish Road, Clayton (Melways Map: 79 Ref: C2)
Thomas Street Laneway, Clayton
The street art project in Thomas Street Laneway was part of a larger project to beautify the laneway.
Location: 1 Thomas Street, Clayton (Melways Map: 79 Ref: C3). The laneway runs from beside #1 Thomas Street to Clayton Road (opposite Dunstan Street). There is also a mural in the car park north of the laneway.
Warrigal Road Bridge Underpass, Ashwood
In June 2017, artist Carla Gottgens painted a mural on the Warrigal Road bridge underpass, having developed the mural's theme using ideas gained from a community workshop. The local community said they wanted the mural to reflect the surrounding natural parklands, with native and green floral elements, trees, leaves and vegetation.
Location: Corner Warrigal Road and Gardiners Creek Trail (near 597 Warrigal Road, Ashwood). (Melways Map: 60 Ref: G12)
Stephensons Road Supermarket, Mount Waverley
Year 9 visual arts students from Huntingtower school created street art on the eastern wall of the Ritchie's IGA supermarket in Stephensons Road, Mount Waverley.
Location: 283 Stephensons Road, Mount Waverley. (Melways Map: 70 Ref: E1)
Wanda Street Milk Bar, Mulgrave
Artist Hayden Dewar painted the mural on the Wanda Street milk bar, having developed the mural's theme using ideas gained from a community workshop. The local community said they wanted the mural to represent the different cultures and ages of local people, as well as the green character of Mulgrave.
Location: 50 Wanda Street, Mulgrave (Melways Map: 80 Ref: C2)
Huntingdale Road Milk Bar, Chadstone
This mural on a milk bar wall in Huntingdale Road (near Jordanville station) is designed around an image of the 1952 Jordanville/Ashwood supermarket. The artists Andrew Bourke and James Beattie wanted to create a design that would engage with local young people and the older generation.
Location: 267 Huntingdale Road, Chadstone (Melways Map: 60 Ref: G12)
Huntingdale Railway Station, Oakleigh South
Huntingdale residents took part in a community forum to help develop ideas for a street art mural at Huntingdale railway station. Council commissioned artist Niels (Nails) Oeltjen to design and create the mural with the wider community through organised workshops.
Location: 10 Railway Avenue, Oakleigh (Melways Map: 69 Ref: J11)
Village Walk, Glen Waverley
A mural that draws on Indian folk art and mythology has been created a wall in Village Walk, Glen Waverley between O'Sullivan Road and Railway Parade North.
When we visited it looked like the building was going to be demolished.
Location: 55 Railway Parade North, Glen Waverley (east of Kingsway) (Melways Map: 71 Ref: C2)
Public art locations across Monash are:
The Clayton Pinnacles (Clayton)
The Clayton Pinnacles indicate a place of 'welcome, strength and achievement' in the Monash community and were completed in 2008. The artwork represents the enduring strength of the Clayton community over time, inspired by a stone pinnacle on the edge of land and sea. Incorporating visual and touchable elements, the sculptures are designed for constant human access, interaction and contact. The smooth grooves and softly textured surfaces allow people to experience a deep, physical connection to the Clayton community and the City of Monash.
The installation was designed and created by Stephen Newton, an award-winning Brisbane artist known for his public sculpture using wood and stone.
Location: Clayton Community Centre, on the corner of Cooke Street and Centre Road, Clayton. (Melways Map: 79 Ref: B3)
Ripples and Journeys (Glen Waverley)
Ripples and Journey relates to the idea of how water is both a means of centralizing a community - the 'village well or fountain' as a meeting place - and as a metaphor that speaks of our individual journeys to this place though the movement of ripples.
The sculpture works as a parable - a visual parable that relates to these cultures and communities. The water plunging into the pool below and the individual droplets rising and then falling randomly into the water creating ripples. These ripples then grow outwards and join other ripples creating a wider pattern on the water.
Ripples and Journeys uses red, symbolising life across all cultures, and powerfully concentrating the pool as a central meeting place. In Chinese culture it is the colour of good luck representing celebration, happiness and beauty.
The 2010 sculpture is the work of Melbourne-based artist Konstantin Dimopoulos, who using linearity to define space has created an uncluttered simplicity, an aspect which is the hallmark of his work.
Location: The artwork is located in the reflecting pool at the front of the Monash Civic Centre at 293 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley. (Melways Map: 71 Ref: C3)
The Stilt Walkers (Mulgrave)
The Stilt Walkers are based on a series of active and playful stilt-walking figures. The artist team sought to evoke visions of celebration, new experiences, skill acquisition, concentration, and simple pleasures.
The figures appear engaged as they strive to master the skill of stilt walking, while the middle figure seems close to losing its balance, there is an overall impression of fun and optimism. The concept's intent is to convey a visual message that the figures are having great fun acquiring new skills.
'The Silt Walkers' pays homage to the history of the Wellington Reserve Community Centre, including the Mackie Road Neighbourhood House, Scouts and Girl Guides.
Artists Tor Roxburgh and Velislav Georgiev of Zabelki Han Sculptors created the design of the three whimsical stilt walkers.
Location: In front of Mulgrave's Wellington Reserve Community Centre, 36-42 Mackie Road, Mulgrave. (Melways Map: 80 Ref: C3)
Spirit of the Land (Oakleigh)
The Spirit of the Land is a breast feather sculpture, a blessing from Bunjil the Creator which is an important local Indigenous creation story. The sculpture was created by Megan Cadd, Maree Clarke and Vicki Cousens. The sculpture is approximately 1m high, 9m in length and about 2.5 tonnes. It nestles at the apex of Hurst Reserve and is visible from several vantage points.
Location: J.W. Hurst Reserve at the intersection of Ferntree Gully Road and Dandenong Road/Princes Highway, Oakleigh. (Melways Map: 69 Ref: H7)
Melody (Oakleigh)
The Melody sculpture is inspired by the essence of the Universal Language according to it's creator Sun Yu-li. Melody is formed by beginning with the dot, forming a line, then progressing to a plane, and finally into volume. The work can be described as 'art of the mind' and his style 'an expression of abstract thought based on metaphysical principles'.
Location: Intersection of Portman Street and Station Street, Oakleigh. (Melways Map: 69 Ref: F7)
Euneva Art Project (Glen Waverley)
The Euneva Art Project was a collaboration of Glen Waverley Secondary College students and two established artists who produced artwork at the Euneva car park and Link Health & Community building.
The aim of the artwork was to celebrate Australian wildlife and highlight the significance of Australian culture. The artwork has five different themes for each level of the car park, based on the following:
- Desert scenery and animals
- Bush scenery and animals
- Beach scenery and animals
- Rainforest scenery and animals
- Indigenous theme and animals (this is the best artwork which is on level 3)
Don't go with the expectation of seeing Monet quality artwork.
Location: Corner of Euneva Avenue and OSullivan Road, Glen Waverley. (Melways Map: 71 Ref: C2)
A Place in Time (Ashwood)
The artwork, which celebrates the community's history of providing affordable homes for those in need, was designed by artist Anna Meszaros and commissioned by the Port Phillip Housing Association.
The two piece sculpture represents the constant and changing characteristics of this community. The "constant" is represented in the sculpture as a continuous procession of people - people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds, with the common thread of being assisted at some stage in their lives with affordable housing in this place. The "changing" element is reflected by the characteristic shapes of the changing architecture of housing over time - from a history of migrant settlement to public housing and more recent community housing.
Location: 4 Power Avenue Ashwood (Melways Map: 60 Ref: G12)
Map of Street Art Locations:
Photo Slide Show:
Web Links
→ The Best Street and Public Art in Collingwood
→ The Best Street and Public Art in Brunswick
→ The Best Street and Public Art in Fitzroy
