They say a picture tells a thousand words, and a new mural at Bangs Street, Prahran does just that.
Artists Alex Kerr and Ash Firebrace designed the mural as a celebration of Indigenous Elders who have paved the way for local community, culture, and leadership.
Alex, a proud Wurrundjeri man, said he chose to depict two Aboriginal elders from within the local community who have contributed to social housing and improving outcomes for residents.
“For us as Indigenous people and us as a community all I want to do is make them feel welcome and feel safe,” Alex said.
“For the people that live here, it’s going to create conversations within the household and enable families to actually connect with one another and grow together.”
The theme for the mural is "Community Culture & Leadership. The theme for the mural is "Community Culture & Leadership and it features two Wurundjeri elders" - Aunty Pat Ockwell and Aunty Margaret Gardiner.
Aunty Pat is a proud Wurundjeri woman who was “set on a path of community involvement and activism” from early on, Alex said.
Her accomplishments include boards and committees with Aboriginal Housing Victoria, being the current Vice Chair of the Aboriginal Community Elders Services and a Senior Elder and Life Member of the Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council.
Aunty Marg is a proud Wurundjeri woman who maintains “a lasting legacy,” Alex said.
Her accomplishments include being serving on the board of the Birrarung Council, capturing the oral histories of Victorian traditional owners and striving for improved housing and health services for Indigenous people throughout south east Melbourne
Jack Rowland, the mural artist who helped install the large-scale piece onto the buildings, said he was proud to collaborate on the project.
“I feel really great about this,” he said.
“The team I’ve been working with, the message that it’s conveying and the construction of this building that will be aiding the community, I think is just a wonderful thing to be a part of.”
About Bangs Street, Prahran
The Bangs Street housing development is now complete and providing high quality social and market rental homes for the Prahran community.
Homes Victoria CEO Simon Newport said the inclusion of the artwork demonstrated how Homes Victoria is integrating culture and self-determination into new housing developments.
“Art is an important part of community and builds pride of place,” he said.
"This piece contributes in a positive way to the 434 new social and market rental homes we recently delivered in partnership with Building Communities.”
The site was redeveloped to replace older style housing with 434 new homes that are bright, modern and energy efficient.
The redevelopment included a 1500sq m park, gardens, pedestrian and cycling pathways and the large-scale mural.
The new 1, 2 and 3-bedroom homes are a mix of 228 social and 206 market rental, with Specialist Disability Accommodation homes, bringing a 90% uplift in social housing at the site.
Delivered through a first-of-its kind Ground Lease Model, Homes Victoria is leasing the land to not-for-profit project partner Building Communities to manage and maintain for the next 40 years, enabling all land to remain in public ownership.
To find out more about this project visit the Bangs Street webpage.
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