Spotting Platypus Art in Canberra

 

  Tuggeranong

Now that restrictions have eased I traveled to the Australia's capital Canberra (ACT) in search of platypus art. Canberra is located within the land of the Ngunnawal people.  My first stop along the way took me to the suburb of Tuggeranong located south of the centre of Canberra. Tuggeranong means cold place in the Ngunnawal language.  The toilet block located at the Tuggeranong park lake at 165 Mortimer Lewis Drive near the Learn to drive Centre, is decorated in a beautiful design of platypuses created by Local Indigenous artist Kristie Peters.  The mural represents the dream-time story creation of the platypus and the moral is that it is ok to be different and unique just like the platypus.  The lakes around Tuggeranong are beautiful too. There are wonderful wooden carved sculptures created by
Wellspring and Brian Carrick called the Gathering place (2001). The work is intended to encourage an ongoing process of reconciliation between Indigenous and non–Indigenous people in the area.

 

 Griffith

My next Platy stop took me to the suburb of Griffith in ACT located at the corner of 30 McMillan Crescent and Sturt Avenue just outside St Clare's Catholic Girls High School. The mural was created by Geoff Filmer for Icon water in 2020 it features platypuses, a turtle and yabbie.  A map of the murals he painted for icon water can be viewed here

Braddon

Following Griffith, I traveled to Braddon, the inner north suburb of Canberra.  A stunning platypus and bogong moth mosaic are featured within the entrance to Merici College on wise street Braddon. The detail of the mosaics are wonderful I'm unaware who the artist is but it might be by Bev Hogg. 

Also within Braddon is an amazing mural on the yard skate park located at 61 Cooyong street near the Canberra Centre. It was created by Phibs and George Rose (2017). It features native icons of the Canberra region the Bogong moth and southern Corroboree frog.

Dickson

 Dickson located in the inner north of Canberra features a collection of street art and diverse culture.  My visit there was to see the Library mural created by the Majura Womens group and Bev Hogg back in 2002, it depicts Australian animals and a bunyip too. The mural is titled Backyard Project.

More wonderful art by Bev Hogg decorates near the outdoor seating area within the Dickson shops.

More beautiful street art murals decorated the walls along the alley way of the Saigon Grocey Store with a breathtaking artwork by Faith Kerehona (@faithsprays). I had the pleasure of meeting Faith outside her artwork and I took a photo of her in front of her artwork. Her artwork entitled When Blood Ties and Unites You which explores Māori identity within Australia. 

 
A beautiful native bird themed mural is along the wall besides Woolworths at Dickson shops it was painted by Mexican artist Peque.

 Another mural by Peque and T.K Chavez is on the lane way at corner of Wooley and Cape street. It features Mexican and Asian imagery reflecting the artists background but also incorporating the diversity within the Dickson Community.

Canberra was full of amazing street art I also visited the National Art Gallery of Australia and outside is a beautiful sculpture by Dr Thancoupie Gloria Fletcher James AO (1937-2011).  She made art that celebrated Thainakuith culture which are the traditional owners in Weipa, in the Western Cape York area of far north Queensland. Her sculpture Eran (meaning river in Thainakuith language) depicts the animals and stories of tribes along the rivers of Weipa. I think on the sculpture there is a platypus, but it could be a salt water crocodile too.

 I enjoyed my time in Canberra and hopefully be back again to find more platypus art.

Below is more footage I filmed while in Canberra