An eye-catching mural depicting three yellow-tailed black cockatoos is pulling focus for all the right reasons at Kyneton Business Park.
Standing nine metres tall and 25 metres wide, the mural backs onto a building in a new development and was both started and completed last week.
Developer George Mercieca commissioned the piece as part of his permit conditions for the build.
“It will be a good attraction for the town and we’re hopeful it may encourage others to do the same,” he said.
Macedon Ranges Shire Council guidelines stipulated that the image needed to be “significant to the local Kyneton community and resonate broadly among residents”.
Mr Mercieca said the yellow-tailed black cockatoo was the star of the piece as they were local to the area but he understood they were becoming rarer in sightings at some locations around Australia.
“They’re absolutely beautiful and it’s nice to have them captured here,” he said.
Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s biodiversity projects officer Tanya Loos said it was a delight to see the bird featured.
“The yellow-tailed black cockatoo is a much-loved bird with its slow bouncing wingbeats and mournful ringing cry, and an integral part of the tall forests of the Macedon Ranges Shire,” she said.
“These birds live for 100 years or more, and rely on very large old trees for their nesting hollows. We are delighted to see this iconic species featured in the Kyneton Business Park mural.”
The artist behind the work is Gippsland-based Simon White, who has painted murals around the country including some of the much-loved Victorian silo trials. He has a passion for capturing wildlife, Australiana and war murals in his art.
“I just hope the locals of Kyneton love it – they seem to so far,” he said.
Local residents have already been inspecting the artwork and showing their appreciation. Some even beeping their horns in support as they drive by.
“There’s nothing quite like this around the area so I hope it draws it bit of interest,” Mr White said.
