General News
2 October, 2026
Marvellous mural brings stories to life
Thirty-five years ago, an idea was seeded to reflect the history of the Hopetoun district in art form, and the idea for a mural was born.
The perfect canvas was the Lascelles Street wall of Kaye’s Kollection, and so we have, still today, a visual history of the district, from the days of First Peoples to the early settlement of the McGinnes, Lascelles and others who came later to the district.
While most murals last around ten years, the fact that the mural is still clear is a testament to the quality and effort of the work and materials used.
While today it is not easily seen from the road, it continues to be admired by locals and visitors alike.
As an iconic part of the town, many don’t know how and why it started, and so the Southern Mallee Cooperative Parish, in conjunction with the local Historical Society, is providing an opportunity to rectify that.
Interested people are invited to gather at the site of the mural in the garden, on the corner of Lascelles and Austin Streets, where local artist Shirley Decker will invite us into the fascinating story of the mural and its meaning.
Shirley was one of the artists who designed and painted this massive work and has both an acute memory of the experience and meticulous records of the progress of the project.
With a gift for storytelling, it is an experience not to be missed.
Shirley will be sharing the story of the mural on Sunday, October 11, at 3pm, (late enough for people to come from the Circus performance being held in town that day).
Please bring your own chair so you can enjoy the experience.
There is another date being planned in February next year, at Lake Lascelles, at the site of another major town art project to hear about the development of those works and our local history.