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One of my favourite things to do when out and about is spotting public art. Murals are a particular favourite, as they can evoke elements of a place or idea with a particular vitality. Here are some examples of public art that I’ve seen in Lithgow, NSW.

A recent addition to the growing collection of murals in Lithgow is the Lithgow Workies Community Mural, created by Sharon Billinge. It is located at the entrance to the Lithgow Workies Club, which is the oldest registered club in NSW. It dates back to 1887, and has over 10,000 members. This mural is a celebration of Lithgow’s past, with images of the heritage club building, a portrait of two coal miners, the steel works in 1902, and the Zig Zag crane.

Created in 2023 by Elaine Butler, Share celebrates the joy of reading, and the journeys that books can offer. I love the bright, bold colours and the different ways that the fish are enjoying the fun of reading too. This mural is on the rear wall of the Lithgow Library.

Another recent public mural was created in the Cook Street Plaza. Do You See What I See? is the creation of Michael Bourke, and it has transformed the post office side of the plaza with images of railway viaducts, birds on skateboards and other visual delights across two buildings. You can find photos of some of the details included in this creation on Michael’s website here.

A space that people tend to seek occasionally is a public toilet, and some of these have been significantly improved by the addition of artwork. The above mural is located on the front wall of the Queen Elizabeth Park toilet block. The mural artist, Mandy Schone-Salter, worked with the Lithgow City Council, students from Lithgow High School and others to bring the visions to life. It was part of the development of the public arts trail in Lithgow. The back wall features the legendary Black Panther.

Inspired by the locality, the mural above was created by Gerard Brown (Le Grizz) in 2018 in a mere 4 1/2 days as a Homage to Lithgow. It includes Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, the “Lithgow Flash”, and black cockatoos. The mural is located on the side of a commercial premises.

These are just some of the many interesting public art installations to be discovered along the Lithgow Street Art Walk. You can read more about art and history on display in Lithgow here. Have you come across any murals of merit in your travels?

Photo: Black Panther mural, Queen Elizabeth Park, Lithgow NSW