We’ve done our usual crisscross ramble around town to find some street art, this time in Townsville, and as per usual, have found some beauties.

I’ve seen some of the artists work in other cities and towns around Australia, and some were new to me. They certainly have hidden some of the murals pretty well too. It was a challenge to find some and even more of a challenge to try and get a decent photo, but here are the results.

From the treetops is the name of this mural by Jon Electros, a local artist who painted this in 2022. It raises awareness of the threatened Lumholtz tree kangaroo and the importance of conserving its natural rainforest habitat.

This sugar glider was painted in 2015 by international artist ROA in keeping with his usual theme of painting native fauna of the area. Another mural by ROA is Goanna, which was inspired by an encounter he had with one on a previous visit to Australia.

ROA also painted the Croc and Turtle mural in another typical style with the animals stacked on top of each other.

Faces of Townsville, was painted by Australian stencil artist HAHA and it showcases noteworthy identities associated with the city. By the same artist is the octopus mural, just around the corner.

A really difficult one to find and photograph, was The Tower, by Fintan Magee. It pays homage to the resilient and helpful nature of Queenslanders during times of flood and hardship.

Nearby is a mural called ‘The Smizler’ by Lee Harnden.  It is a larger than life depiction of a local well respected street artist, Garth Jankovic.

Adnate is the artist behind Wulgurukaba and Bindal, which he created in consultation with Townsville’s traditional owners and custodians.

Australian artist James Giddy painted this mural of kookaburras in an impressionistic-realistic style and depicts how closely nature interacts with the viewers everyday lives.

My favourite work has to be Mother Earth by LEANS which features coral and fish species specific to the Great Barrier Reef in the Townsville region. At the side of this building is another work by Run Collective, a group of Townsville based artists. It is called Space Trails, and depicts a surreal dreamscape incorporating outer space themes, clouds, planets, UFOs, eyes and patterns.

A collaboration between two Townsville artists, Garth Jankovic and Nicky Bidju Pryor, created this mural which embraces the stories of traditional owners. It depicts the dreaming story of Girroogul and the Soap Tree.

I always love finding murals by Hafleg and this one didn’t disappoint with his usual colour and cross hatch painting style. This Larrakia artist painted ‘Under the Sea’ to encourage viewers to respect and appreciate their relationship with the natural environment.

The mural Cat and Mouse by 815K1 is in perfect position at the end of an alleyway that you can see as you walk by. It’s also a parody of Michelangelo’s ‘The creation of Adam’, with the near touching limbs of the cat and mouse.

Claire Foxton’s mural ‘Sound and Movement Personified’ is also instantly recognizable of her style. It is a collaboration with a local dance company, Dancenorth Australia, from a photograph of a contemporary dancer in motion.

All of these terrific pieces were within the city area and I still didn’t manage to capture them all. Oh well there’s always next time.

Enjoy the discovery,

Glenys