MORE than 150 people in Yarram stood and watched as the Heesco Town Water Tower Mural was officially unveiled on Wednesday, April 19.
This is the 25th and final mural in the Yarram Heesco Town Mural Trail project, which has been five years in the making.
Among those attending was Water Minister and Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing, local Gunaikurnai Elders Lloyd Hood and Sandra Patten, local dancers led by Shaun Braybrook, and Wellington Shire Council Mayor Ian Bye.
Also making an appearance was the president of The Friends of Heesco Town Wayne Tindall, benefactor of the water tower Eric Greenaway, and Mongolian-Australian muralist and project namesake Heesco – real name Khosnaran Khurelbaatar.
The top part of the Water Tower mural was designed by Mr Tindall and depicts local landmarks and wildlife; the lower part was designed by Ms Patten and depicts traditional Gunaikurnai art, along with hand shapes inspired by the Sea of Hands events held since 1997, which Ms Patten was a big part of.
Heesco said it was overwhelming and emotional to finish the final mural, a legacy that began a few years ago when Mr Tindall asked him to paint a mural on Yarram’s Bull Bar & Gallery building.
“Through this project I have gained many close friends who I can call family now, and it has given me many unforgettable memories that I won’t ever forget,” Heesco said.
“I really wanna thank our Friends of Heesco Town group for everything they’ve done and achieved for Yarram, and the entire community for taking me in and giving me this awesome opportunity to create art at this large scale.”
Heesco thanked Mr Tindall, Mr Greenaway, Paul Frost, Garry Stephens and Kevin Mackin who all worked hard to make Heesco Town a reality.
“If anything, this project is an example of what a small, driven group of individuals can achieve, without any corporate or government funding,” he said.
“Aside from myself, none of these guys got paid for their hard work and they put hundreds of hours of volunteering towards this project.
“Not only that, Friends of Heesco Town supports Lantuun Dohio Australia – a charity organisation dedicated to helping underprivileged children in Mongolia, and are one of the major sponsors of Family Fun Day events organised in Sydney annually.”
Mr Tindall said that Yarram is now well and truly on the map and set for a bright future.
“This has been a dream run over three years, and two Gold Awards in consecutive years for the Best Street Art Trail in Australia is testament to the quality of Heesco’s work and the dedication and hard work of our team – The Friends of Heesco Town,” he said.
Heesco said he’s sure he’ll return to the town that bears his world-famous art, and will continue to design murals for Gippsland as a whole to enjoy.
“I have one last mural to come and fix up in Yarram, probably in early June,” he said.
“After that, I’m sure I’ll be involved one way or another in community events and activities in Yarram.
“I would love to do more workshops with kids, and organise a small annual art festival, if things work out.
“As for the rest of Gippsland and the Shire, I’m open to offers and collaborations for sure.”
For more information about the Yarram Heesco Town Mural Trail, visit heescotown.com
