October 12, 2022
A project to transform a plain brick wall in the Kingaroy CBD into a stunning artwork was officially unveiled on Tuesday.
The plan is to make over one wall of Hector Munro Lane, the pedestrian thoroughfare which connects Kingaroy Street with the Council carpark behind the bank buildings.
The artwork will cover a 30m stretch of wall on the southern side of the former Bank Of New South Wales building.
Sunshine Coast artist Joel Fergie – better known by his “art alias” Zookeeper – has been meeting this week with community members to gather ideas for his mural design.
Zookeeper’s previous projects include artwork on the Thallon and Monto silos and the Cloncurry water tank.
Joel has spoken so far to people including John Bjelke-Petersen, representatives from the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry, G. Crumpton & Sons, The Peanut Van and Taabinga Homestead; and volunteers from the Kingaroy Visitor Information Centre and Kingaroy Museum.
The aim is to try to find out “what’s current, what’s important, what makes Kingaroy uniquely Kingaroy”.
The idea for the Kingaroy art project came from Cr Kirstie Schumacher, who has pulled it together as a private initiative.
Kirstie initially received the green light for the mural from the building’s owners, retired Inverlaw farmers Alwyn and Dianne Reid.
She then approached Stanwell’s Tarong Community Partnership Fund which came on board as sponsors.
The project, which will include an art workshop for young people, is being auspiced by the not-for-profit South Burnett Arts Inc.
The plan is for the mural to extend the full length of the laneway, reaching up to the flashing on the roofline of the old bank building.
A scissorlift will be required for the artist to reach the highest spots.
Joel said he was impressed with the diversity of Kingaroy and the many different crops which can be grown here.
“There’s also a huge love for Joh and Flo Bjelke-Petersen which is cool to see. I have learned how invested they were in the community,” he said.
“And I love the peanut story of the place. It is so stereotypical but peanuts have this aura around them.
“The people I have met are quite quirky and passionate about peanuts. I like the way the town embraces it.”
Work on the mural is due to start early next year.
Footnote: Hector Munro was an early surveyor who worked in the South Burnett region.
[Disclosure: Anne Miller is secretary of South Burnett Arts Inc]
Thank you Alwyn and Dianne Reed for allowing your building to be the start of what I hope will be many more art projects throughout our renewed and beautiful town of Kingaroy.
Transformation is the key word that Kingaroy is embracing. What an uplift the KTP (Kingaroy Transformation Project) has been. Lifted from a ‘sad’ older looking town into a vibrant new business space, we who live here and those who visit, have a new image imprinted in our minds.
Congratulations to Cr Kirstie Schumacher and the South Burnett Arts Group for driving this art project. Joel Fergie (Zookeeper) is a vibrant and gifted artist with an incredible footprint of successful major art works throughout rural Queensland and beyond.
There’s yet so many Kingaroy history stories in visual form to be told. I’m looking forward to enjoy what Joel’s art creation produces for Hector Munro Lane.
A wonderful idea. Not as visible as the silos would be, but a good way to get something interesting into Kingaroy CBD. Especially since apparently nothing can be done with the silos, which are the most obvious things in town.