A collaboration between renowned street artist Austin ‘Nitsua’ and Lawrence Public School students has produced a spectacular mural on the local water tower that tells the story of the magical eternal flow of the Clarence River winding its way through the valley to the ocean.

After he repainted the mural of Yaegl elder Uncle Ron Heron, which was graffitied on a Maclean pump station, Austin said, Clarence Valley Council contacted him about a project on the Lawrence water tower.

“That got me known to council and funds were available in the arts to do a mural in the valley and Lawrence water tower was chosen,” he said.

Austin said he wanted to paint a story based on a character he created, and council requested he speak to children at the nearby Lawrence Public School to incorporate their ideas into the design.

“Originally the ideas for the design came from the kids at the school and I incorporated their words into the finished design,” he said.

“I had a chat to the kids, and I got a lot of subjects that they wanted to see in the painting, so a lot of the subjects you see on the water tower are some of the words from the kids.”

Assisted by his partner Monique, Austin said the mural which was finished last week took two weeks to complete with the aid of an elevated work platform, and a stunning time lapse video of his work is available on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu2KNz4_7Ko 

Austin said his artists statement tells of how his artwork incorporates the Clarence River, flooding, water, and local wildlife to tell a story.

“For thousands of years we have looked up to the vast expanse of sky, seeking for connection to our ancestral spirits and the awe of what is beyond our planet. It may provide one with a sense of well-being, among the lucky stars shining bright & leading the way to hope for a brighter future,” Austin wrote.

“We Humans are made up of 70 per cent water.

“Under the light of this full moon the river runs deep with a gravitational pull affecting us through high and low tides.

“Gazing up towards the moon with the vibrant plumage of the Rainbow Lorikeet soaring through the valley, creating trails of rainbows dust.

“A magical eternal flow of the powerful Clarence River takes place winding through the valley out to sea.”

As there are leaks toward the bottom of the tower, Austin said he was asked not to paint the entire structure, but he hopes council will repair the leaks so the mural can be expanded to cover the whole tower.

Austin said he will return to the water tower in the coming weeks to alter the numbers on the painted flood gauge to reflect the 4.6 metre height the water reached in the 2022 floods.

This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 2 August 2023.