Vibrant mural celebrates volunteers’ dedication to Good Friday Appeal Home

A HIGH-PROFILE Torquay artist has created a striking mural in honour of the volunteer tradies and suppliers who helped make the 2025 Good Friday Appeal (GFA) Home in Armstrong, Mount Duneed.

The $1.4 million house, the result of a collaboration between Henley Homes and Villawood Properties, will be auctioned with no reserve on April 18 with all proceeds supporting The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH).

Fans could follow Kirstin Walsh on Instagram as she used a host of spray paint cans and worked away on the large-scale commissioned piece.

The work centres on a child spraypainting a red love heart, who is surrounded by pages from children’s books and different coloured love hearts and flowers as well as words such as “family” and “home”.

Described as ‘a living canvas of gratitude’ the mural is inspired by artwork from children whose lives have been touched by the RCH.

“When I heard about the children’s artwork being the inspiration, my mind immediately went to Banksy’s Girl with Balloon, a simple, yet powerful image recognised across the world,” Walsh said.

“I wanted to capture that same raw emotion, but through the eyes of the children, in a street-art-inspired explosion of colour and creativity. Think Hosier Lane meets heartfelt gratitude – artwork that is bold, joyous and filled with artistic energy.”

Walsh, a resident at Torquay’s Ashmore Arts, won bronze at the 2020 National Street Art Awards for her first artwork, located on Pakington Street.

Among the many volunteers bringing the home to life is Jake Murrell, a father to four-year-old Evan, who has been battling the rare genetic disorder X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH).

Mr Murrell’s commitment to the GFA 2025 house is deeply personal, as his family has seen first-hand the impact of the RCH.

“Helping out on the GFA house project is one way I can give back. Being part of something that supports families like ours reminds me of the incredible strength Evan shows every day,” he said.