Mural links community to its past

A COMMUNITY driven effort to preserve and mark the history of Mount Pleasant has reached the end of its route, delivering a huge piece of public art.

It’s a large mural of a tram at the end of the Mount Pleasant line, with historical notes, and it’s been mounted on the corner of Barkly and Cobden streets.

The project was an initiative of Mount Pleasant History Group, the Ballarat East Neighbourhood House, Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre, and area resident Bernadette Duffy.

“I put in the pitch for the original idea and from there we combined with the history project,” she said. “So we were able to combine both the mural and the historical signage.

“I saw how hard the local community fought to have the tram extend all the way here and since I’m on Cobden Street I had a personal link.”

The mural is mounted on the Cobden Street side of Country Lane Furnishings, but the featured scene is from the diagonally opposite perspective, with the tram in Barkly Street.

That means you can view the mural and then turn a look at space it’s created from, and set the two views against each other.

Ms Duffy said the idea for project started at home.

“I live down the hill and have quite a fascination in the local history,” Ms Duffy said. “I was researching my own house and kind of came up with other things that came up in Mount Pleasant.

“I can imagine the people who lived in my house would have used the tram. It would have been an important part of their lives.”

The artwork, a composite drawing of the Mount Pleasant tram at the end of its line was produced by the daughter of well-known designer Peter Lambert.

But the journey hasn’t been as easy as hanging a picture on a wall. There were challenges along the way as more groups and experts were brought in and funding was sought for the project.

Ultimately though, the outcome was rewarding.

“It’s been really fabulous because it really feels like I’ve been able to learn a lot as I’ve gone along,” Ms Duffy said.

The public art and history project was supported by the City of Ballarat with funding through the Mount Pleasant Engaging Communities Program.

Deputy-mayor Cr Belinda Coates said the effort reflected the community sprint alive in the suburb.

“It ticks so many boxes,” she said. “Not only is it recognising history and promoting it, it’s creating community pride along the way, and community connections.

“We can’t underestimate the value of that.”