Southern Yorke Peninsula Trail
Reimagining infrastructure with large-scale artworks to boost cultural tourism
AusTrade Bushfire Recovery, Edithburgh & Stansbury Progress Association, Yorke Peninsula Council, Yorke Peninsula Tourism and SA Water
Yorke Peninsula, Nharannga Banggara Country, South Australia
The Southern Yorke Peninsula Water Tower Mural Trail is a 60-kilometre self-drive tour that leads visitors through five murals in different Yorke Peninsula towns. This initiative has transformed SA Water owned towers into stunning murals, enhancing the landscape and drawing visitors to a regional location.
The trail connects places across the Yorke Peninsula, allowing visitors to seek out and discover locations.
Artbox artists completed visually rich murals on two impressively tall 25m water towers with a 670m2 canvas. Translating creative concepts onto large-scale canvases like water towers require careful consideration of scale and visual impact when conceptualising the artwork. Artwork concepts responded to the unique character of each place by weaving connections to local themes. The final designs strengthen the identity of the locality and accentuate the expansive landscape-scale perspectives across the flat plains.
Edithburgh Tower Mural highlights the striking underwater world below Edithburgh Jetty. Vibrant colours depict underwater marine species with a stunning sunrise and the iconic Troubridge Island Lighthouse.
Stansbury Tower Mural celebrates the distinctive coastline of Oyster Bay. Featuring the distinctive coastline of Oyster Bay with its Norfolk Island Pines and the iconic Stansbury jetty and coastline.
The project involved a detailed, community-centred approach over six months with multiple rounds of townhall meetings, on-street consultations, and opportunities for written feedback. Community engagement necessitated multiple rounds of in-depth consultations. The creative team balanced their artistic vision with community input and the interests of various stakeholders. Artists also collaborated with local subject-matter experts, who provided insight into the distinctive characters and details in the underwater scenes. This inclusive process ensured the murals resonated with residents and reflected the vibrancy of local towns.
The water tower trail has had a transformative impact on the Southern Yorke Peninsula. Vibrant murals have beautified the once blighted public assets - now significant regional attractions.
Services
Community Consultation
Site-specific Storytelling
Public Art
Concept Development
Design Implementation
Site Planning & Logistics
Project Oversight
Stakeholder Management
Challenge
Approach
Impact
Outcomes
Artistic excellence - two highly detailed, site-specific murals designed and executed, injecting to life into aging infrastructure
Successful large-scale execution - over 670m² of murals painted, demonstrating Artbox's expertise in managing complex large-scale public art projects
Cultural tourism development - enhanced the region’s reputation as a cultural destination, drawing visitors and boosting long-term tourism growth with positive economic benefits
Community consultation & collaboration - effective collaboration with artists, local councils, stakeholders and the local communities
Strengthened local pride - murals are symbols of regional pride, reflecting cultural and natural heritage celebrated through public art