Cowara Mural
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Brenton See
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2018
Location: Pioneer Park
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: Cowaramup means ‘place of the cowara’, referring to the purple-crowned lorikeets, a swift, screeching bird that can still be found foraging in the treetops.
The fast-flying birds can be difficult to spot but are often sighted in nearby karri forest, nesting in the hollows of old trees.
This magnificent, larger than life mural pays homage to the traditional owners of the land, the Wadandi people and their connection to country, animals and flora.
Purple Crown Laneway
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Gabe Heussenstamm, Tim Howe, Karl Heussenstamm
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2022
Location: Purple Crown Tattoo, Cowaramup Main Street
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: Step into the narrow laneway leading to Purple Crown Tattoo, and you’ll find a vibrant mural guiding your journey.
Featuring motifs from their tattoo art plus natural wonders from the region, this is a creative collaboration by local tattoo artists, brothers Karl and Gabe Heussenstamm and Tim Howe.
Wings
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Anita Revel
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2019
Location: Cowaramup Main Street
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: It’s hard to resist snapping a photo in front of these glorious cowara wings. Activate Augmented Reality mode to bring the wings to life – it’s quite a thrill.
The vibrant shades of blue, green, purple, red and gold represent the cowara bird for which Cowaramup is named.
The artist wanted to show her respect for the Wadandi people, their culture and knowledge, and the gratitude she feels living on Wadandi Boodja.
Moon Haven
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Brenton See
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2020
Location: Cowaramup Main Street
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: Cowaramup means ‘place of the cowara’, referring to the purple-crowned lorikeets, a swift, screeching bird that can still be found foraging in the treetops.
The fast-flying birds can be difficult to spot but are often sighted in nearby karri forest, nesting in the hollows of old trees.
This magnificent, larger than life mural pays homage to the traditional owners of the land, the Wadandi people and their connection to country, animals and flora.
Telstra Box
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Unknown
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: Unknown
Location: North end of Cowaramup
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: A Telstra exchange, adorned with Cowaramup’s namesake, the cowara bird.
Also known as a purple crowned lorikeet, this one has been painted in geometric pastels merged with organic shapes.
Group Settlement Murals
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Jacob Butler (Shakey)
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2021
Location: Margaret River
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: A tribute to the early settlers who came to Margaret River hoping to find success in the newly fledged dairy and logging industries.
It was a life of poverty and hardship for the intrepid pioneers, marked by backbreaking work and desperate poverty for those whose farms didn’t succeed.
The paintings intend to give us a glimpse into the extreme conditions and suffering.
Where the Wild Things are
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Hope Perth
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2020
Location: Margaret River Bakery, Main Street
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: These Wild Things won’t scare you – they’re here to welcome you into a headspace of playful memories and childlike wonder.
The artist puts a clever croissant twist on the beloved 1963 kids book written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.
The mural will bring back memories of a long-cherished story that has stood the test of time.
Helter Skelter
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Hope Perth
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2020
Location: Margaret River Bakery, Main Street
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: A portrait of the artist’s friend Kristy, a talented graffiti artist herself and soon to be mum.
There’s a dash of artistic licence here, the butterfly on her cheek symbolising the incredible feats we can achieve when we trust ourselves, and the croissant smoke?
A playful reference to the delicious location. The famed bakery is responsible for some of the best pastries, pies and fresh bread you’ll taste.
Prince
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Hope Perth
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2020
Location: Margaret River Bakery, Main Street
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: Commissioned by Marcelle Egberts, the portrait of Prince is a homage to one of the best songwriters in the world.
Prince looks flamboyant as ever, ready to have us swooning with his voice as he adorns the exterior wall of the bakery.
King Krule
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Hope Perth
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2020
Location: Ned Higgins Lane
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: Commissioned by Ed from The Scissorhands Collective, Ed gave the artist free reign to paint one of his favourite musicians, King Krule.
The British singer, songwriter and producer touched a generation with his fusion of alt rock, hip hop and jazz.
The Ocean Always Wins
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Gabe Heussenstamm
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2020
Location: Ned Higgins Lane, Sessions Surf Shop
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: Poseidon rules the sea, storms and earthquakes – and the local surf shop, too.
Harnessing the raw power of the ocean, he’ll smack some sense into anyone foolish enough to think they are in control.
Painted by an avid surfer and tattoo artist, it’s a reminder to respect the ocean and never underestimate its mighty swells and currents.
Ed Scissorhands Mural
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Shime (Mike Barker)
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: Unknown
Location: Ned Higgins Lane
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: Debbie Harry’s inimitable gaze and heart shaped pout greets you outside the Scissorhands Collective, her signature peroxide locks a luscious shade of green.
The thunderbolt across her eye reinforces her status as a fearless frontperson and a groundbreaking musician. Her band Blondie was a pioneer in the American new wave scene.
A salute to a cult icon – and a hint at how fabulous you’ll feel after a trip to the salon.
Drifting Mo
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Sharon Hinchliffe
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2019
Location: Ned Higgins Lane
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: A sweet pup named Mo, adrift in a rowboat on an imaginary sea.
Mo’s family are the owners of Drift Café and commissioned this whimsical mural inspired by the coastal environment of the Margaret River region and name of the café.
They agreed it was perfectly placed facing the park to give Mo space. A happy bonus of the project is all the dogs and their families that come to admire the wall.
One of the loveliest things about calling Margaret River home? That no matter where you journey, and how wonderful the adventures are, it’s always a joy to come home.
Wooditjup!
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Ian Mutch
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2020
Location: Margaret River Main Street
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: Wooditjup is the traditional placename of Margaret River in Wadandi-Noongar culture and tells the story of the magic man Wooditch, the ancestor who created the river, Bilya. The Wooditjup Bilya is such a lifeforce and integral to the biodiversity of this area, for every raindrop is lifeblood to this land.
This collaborative mural celebrates the vibrant nature, culture, and community that draws us to the heart of Margaret River town.
Ian Mutch’s joyous characters are painted to represent everyone, celebrating diversity and unified respect for Wooditjup.
Stu McMillan’s addition draws on the native forest, bush and meandering river as it winds through paddocks, scrub, eucalypts and ancient granite gullies to the sea.
Jake Quodling riffed on Ian’s colour palette to write the place name, aiming for a simple illustration that would resonate with locals.
Wanda the Whale
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Cara Sanders
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2019
Location: Margaret River Main Street
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: The Margaret River region has the longest whale watching season in the world – southern right whales spend winter in Flinders Bay, Augusta, and 35,000 humpback whales and pygmy blues pass the coast each spring.
Wanda is inspired by the migrating whales that swim through our pristine waters. Try out the Augmented Reality to see if she really does swim – let Wanda fill the camera frame on your smart phone to activate the AR.
In 2019 Cara Sanders began her own migration, a 22,000km journey around Australia, and painted Wanda while visiting the region. Embellished with natural wonders such as a blue wren, dolphins and waves, the shadow effect makes it feel as if Wanda is swimming the streets with you.
River Mouth Lookout Mural
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Rebecca Cool, Margaret River Youth Advisory Council
Asset Type: Mural, Community collaboration
Year of Work: 2013
Location: Cape to Cape Track, near the River Mouth
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: There’s a sculptural quality to the landscape here – weathered limestone and shapely dunes meet curves in the waterway, sandbanks expand and contract as the river spills into the ocean.
Perched atop the hill overlooking the river, ocean and surf, this water tank has one of the most spectacular views in the region.
Adorned with a colourful mural celebrating 12 important themes, it was painted in a collaboration between local artist Rebecca Cool and members of the Margaret River Youth Advisory Council.
Shred Til Ya Dead
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Gabe Heussenstamm
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2021
Location: Sessions Surf Shop
Provenance: Shire of Augasta Margaret River
Description: Surfing is a way of life – an obsession – and this cheeky mural celebrates those of us addicted to the thrill.
Our world-famous waves have lured many a surfer from around the globe, plenty of them staying and making the region home.
Margaret River has a great surf culture too, with young groms encouraged to chase the healthy high that comes from catching waves.
Give and Take
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Ian Mutch, Kyle Hughes-Odgers
Asset Type: Mural
Year of Work: 2013
Location: Margaret River Main Street, near Visitor Centre
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: In a place where much of our leisure time is spent in and around the river and ocean, this artwork celebrates the relationship we have with our environment. Created using outdoor acrylic, aerosol and markers, it is a narrative based artwork portraying nature’s life cycle and the gift of water.
Art lovers will recognise the artist’s distinctive styles; Ian Mutch’s playful characters and Kyle Hughes-Odgers’ geometric figures. This brightly painted mural is on the wall between IGA and the Margaret River Visitor Centre.
Hold up your phone to activate AR mode and see the artwork come to life in an unexpected and playful way. Turn up the volume for the full experience!
Image source Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Montessori School Tree Mural
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Children of the Montessori School
Asset Type: Mural, Community collaboration
Year of Work: Unknown
Location: Car park behind IGA
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: An earnest painting of the values that underpin our friendships; trust, kindness, courage, patience and more.
Using a grandfather tree as a foundation for these lessons, the children of the Montessori school created a heartfelt reminder of what we can all strive for.
Dolphin Mural
Image source Margaret River Art Trails
Artist: Marie Williams, Koora Kel-Archie Paandi, Wadandi elders, Local young people
Asset Type: Mural, Community collaboration
Year of Work: Unknown
Location: Car park behind IGA
Provenance: Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Description: This mural was developed by Marie Williams and Koora Kel-Archie Paandi working with local young people, Wadandi elders to create the Dolphin story mural.