Splash of colour added to Dardanup service boxes

Service boxes in the Shire of Dardanup were given a touch of colour by a visiting artist last week.

Perth’s Brenton See completed three murals depicting native birds in Dardanup, Millbridge and Burekup.

The works are a Dardanup Shire Council initiative and 27 sites within the shire have been identified as potential locations for the public art project which will completed over a five-year period.

Mr See said he specialised in painting Australian flora and fauna.

“I come at this from a conservation point of view and believe it’s really important to have these sorts of murals in areas where you can see the actual birds,” he said.

“The names will be written on there as well which means they can put names to what they see in their surrounding areas.

“It’s all about inspiring the kids and hopefully they ask questions.”

The three murals featured a spotted pardalote, a red-tailed black cockatoo and a Carnaby’s cockatoo.

Sea ospreys and pelicans have been raised as ideas for future murals.

Because the murals were painted on service boxes, permission had to be granted from the owners before work started.

Shire chief executive Andre Schonfeldt said the art would add to a sense of place within the shire.

“The theme of local birds was chosen with education in mind and in consultation with the shire’s environment officer, birds have been chosen that are of significance to the area,” Mr Schonfeldt said.