Premier Mark McGowan has urged West Australians to “check out” the world’s largest dam mural, which was officially opened in Collie this morning.
Artist Guido van Helten titled the huge 8000 square metre mega-mural “Reflections.”
It took four months to complete and features images of Collie mines workers, families playing in the water, Aboriginal children and other scenes taken from actual photographs of Collie’s history.
Premier Mark McGowan claimed that the mural was a “key part” of Labor’s strategy for the future of Collie.
“The Wellington Dam mural puts Collie on the map as a major tourist destination for WA and the nation,” Mr McGowan said.
“Collie locals can proudly stake their claim to the biggest dam mural in the world.”
Mr van Helten, who slept in a tent on site for more than 130 days, said he enjoyed immersing himself in the town’s history.
“The title is a play on not only the natural environment which is really beautiful, but also memories,” he said.
“I was searching for a collective memory that could speak for all the different communities that have experienced this place.
“I feel really lucky to be here working on this… it is a huge responsibility so I really worked as hard as I could.
On Twitter, the Premier urged West Australians to “get down to the South West and check it out.”
“The pictures look great, but take it from me – this is something you’ve got to see in person,” he wrote.
Painting the mural was no mean feat.
The Wellington Dam wall is 34 metres high and 367 metres wide.
Cleaners abseiled up the wall to prepare it, while builders designed a special scaffolding platform to paint it.
The design was drawn and mapped onto a grid to help Mr van Helten translate his design from concept to a scaled mega-mural.
The mural is the centrepiece of the Labor Government’s $1.5 million Collie Mural Trail, intended to entice visitors to the region.
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