Mural showcasing connections in the Busselton community a Tidy Towns finalist

A 72m mural depicting connections in the Busselton community has been nominated for a Tidy Towns WA Award. Named Boodja Koondarminy (Country Dreaming), the mural is on show behind Woolworths in the alleyway between Duchess and Kent streets. The mural has been announced as a finalist in the community action and wellbeing category in the 2024 Tidy Towns Sustainable Community Awards. Commissioned by the Building Busselton Town Team, it was painted between late December and March over a total of 28 days. Artists Melanie Hume, Stefan Caylon and India Armstrong worked on the piece. It was their first mural. They were guided by professional Perth-based street artist Samuel Allen. The work features depictions of native wildlife flowing along a track, with indigenous symbols inside each creature, telling a story of country and the Indigenous names for the regions. The wall also features handprints of local and visiting elders, as well as community members. Caylon said an emphasis on community was integral to the piece. “Myself, my aunty and my cousins all came up with the collab on this piece here,” he said. “We did elders first. We checked with them about what would be good to (do) and the one thing they all agreed upon is handprints. “We had lots of members of the community come and put their hands up there. It’s anyone who wanted to be involved.” Building Busselton Town Team president Lisa Massey said they were shocked to hear the mural had become a finalist. “I thought ‘I’ll just whack in a nomination’ and now we’re a finalist,” she said. “It’s good to just keep it in the public eye. It’s really bringing the whole project together.” The mural has brought exposure for the artists, with Hume operating an art store where she sells her original pieces. “A lot of tourists are coming from the mural to the spot where I’m selling my paintings now,” she said. “All the businesses along here have had such a good reaction to the work. The mood around here’s really changed.” The winners of the Tidy Towns WA Awards will be announced at a luncheon at Optus Stadium on November 29.