Artists prepare for Percy Hobson Mural

Leonie Brown, Victor Bartley, John Barrett, Heather Meini, Freda Harvey, Peter Brown, John Murray, Dwayne Willoughby and Brian Smith with one of the possible images for the Percy Hobson mural to be painted on the Bourke water tower. PHOTO TWH

The Percy Hobson Mural on the water tower at the entrance to Bourke is now more than just a great idea.

Soon, brushes will be dipped in paint and the iconic image of gold medallist Percy Hobson soaring over the high jump will be a visual welcome to the town.

This week, the three artists who will be creating the image were in Bourke preparing – Lightning Ridge artist John Murray and his two long time collaborators Bobby Barrett of Lightning Ridge and Big Brian Smith of Bourke.

The idea of using the image of Australia’s first indigenous Commonwealth gold medallist on the water tower has been a passion of Bourke councillor Victor Bartley for more than two years and he fought hard to secure funding for the project, which is now a reality.

For John Murray, the chance to paint such an important local hero and work with his old colleagues was too good to pass up.

“When Victor asked me if I would be involved, I said, ‘Yeah mate, on the condition I get the other two boys back’,” John explained.

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