Matilda the Platypus

 

Matilda the Platypus

Australia and New Zealand were the destination of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. The Australian Women's team are nicknamed the Matilda's and Australia rallied behind the team as it was the first World Cup held on home soil. The name Matilda comes from the iconic Australian poem Waltzing Matilda by AB 'Banjo' Paterson in 1895. You can read the poem here.  The Woman's World Cup has promoted support for female sport as well as inspiriting millions of young girls around the world to play football (soccer).  An injured juvenile platypus was rescued by wildlife carers and is recuperating in Sydney's Taronga zoo Wildlife hospital, they named her Matilda in honour of the Australian Women's World cup team.  Read more about Matilda the platypus here. A beautiful green and gold mural appeared in Newtown, New South Wales (on the traditional lands of the Gadigal and Wangal people) recently and it seemed a fitting tribute to the green and gold Matilda's. The mural was created by a New Zealand artist Sam Allen.  More information on street art in Newtown can be found here.

Bin located in Newtown promoting support for Matildas Australian Women's World Cup team

Beautiful mural on Mary Street in Newtown by Sam Allen

Ox King

Newtown and the inner west is well known for it's collection of great street art below is a wonderful piece by legendary street artist Ox King back in 2016 located at Lennox Street carpark in Newtown.

Fintan Magee

A mural by the talented Fintan Magee is featured on a wall at the Corner of Church Street and King Street Newtown.

I Have A Dream

Newtown's iconic I have a dream mural was created back in 1991 by artists Juilee Pryor & Andrew Aiken. It promotes reconciliation in Australia  and features Martin Luther King, it is also a local tourist attraction. It was featured in Cold Play's song A sky full of stars back in . 

Iconic mural by Juilee Pryor and Andrew Aiken

More Monotremes

I visited the nearby suburb of Stanmore ( a one town stop away from Newtown) to see a lovely mural by GEEBS featuring three echidnas and banksia flowers.

I featured this before on my blog but was nice to see that this platypus playing a drum was still in Dass lane Stanmore by Birdhat in a collaboration with Captain Earwax

Love is Love

A rainbow mural on a building near Stanmore liberty street and Trafalgar street. It was painted back in 2013 but also helped to promote the vote Yes campaign for the Same sex Marriage in Australia to allow Same Sex marriage which was successfully made legal in Australia in 2017.

Final thoughts

Newtown and Stanmore are great places to visit, most of the inner west suburbs feature great street art and have a variety of diverse foods and cafe culture. I always enjoy visiting.

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