New Mural Celebrates The Heart & Heritage Of The Burdekin

A vibrant new mural perfectly capturing and celebrating the heart of the Burdekin Shire has recently been unveiled, with locals and travellers already adoring the piece’s striking display of identity, bold hues and creative storytelling.

Award-winning artist Lavinia Letheby created the large-scale artwork to capture several defining elements of the Burdekin Shire’s identity, carefully weaving together illustrations of hand cane cutting, an iconic cane train, the glow of a cane fire, the famous Burdekin Bridge, and an abundance of locally grown produce.

“I carefully incorporated each aspect in a creative and visually engaging way, and together, these elements tell the story of the region’s rich agricultural heritage, and strong community spirit,” she explained.

“It was an honour to bring these ideas to life, and create an artwork that reflects the identity, history and pride of the community as for me, murals like this are about honouring everyday people whose work shapes a place, even though their stories aren’t always told in traditional ways.”

Lavinia’s paintbrushes have coloured the region multiple times in recent years, with each piece created to celebrate the people, stories and identity of the area. One of her most celebrated projects in the shire was commissioned by George Populin as a tribute to his parents, Maria and Demetrio Populin, and can be seen on Beach Road in Ayr.

“The mural honours Maria and Demetrio Populin’s journey from Visinale, Italy to building a life in Ayr, reflecting both their Italian heritage and the lasting impact they had on the local community,” she said.

“It’s a deeply meaningful piece that connects family history with the town they came to call home.”

Lavinia has led a lifetime of creativity and cannot recall a time when she didn’t have a love for painting, alongside a passion for creating large-scale art.

“Art was always something I naturally gravitated toward growing up, and over time, it became something I couldn’t imagine not doing, and murals happened quite organically - once I painted my first large wall, I realised how powerful public art can be,” she enthused.

“A painting on a canvas might be seen by a handful of people, but a mural becomes part of the everyday environment. It transforms spaces, starts conversations, and creates landmarks within a town – that scale and impact is what really drew me into mural work.”

With each piece she creates, Lavinia hopes her murals will stand the test of time and become part of a region’s identity and story.

“It’s incredibly special and meaningful when you create a mural as people walk past it every day, take photos with it and it becomes a small part of their lives,” she said.

“Public art has such power to transform spaces, and I’m passionate about continuing to create works that communities feel proud to call their own.”

CAPTIONS:

1. This piece is the latest in a growing collection of murals Lavinia has completed across the Burdekin, each deeply rooted in local history and community. Photo supplied
2. Lavinia recalls the casual conversations she would have with locals as they came across her in action. Photo supplied
3. Lavinia’s previously completed mural on Beach Road in Ayr of Maria and Demetrio Populin. Photo supplied