CommunityandPublicArtDesign,DevelopmentandManagement

Nth Pinjarra Pedestrian Underpass Mural

Community Art project

(The Nyungar Aboriginal name for the area is Carcoola – “Place of many Trees”)

The location of Nth Pinjarra is peculiar within the greater Peel region in South Western Australia and has the unique history of being originally established in the early 1970’s as the housing estate for a new and emerging mining community employed by alumina producer Alcoa of Australia.  Oover the years the demographic of the community has changed from that of mining employees to a rather eclectic community mix, and presently has a population of between 1300 and 1500.

Archaic and prejudiced opinion at the time forced the building of the housing beyond the Pinjarra town limits. 

“We can’t have those mining riff raff disturb our town now Harry?........ although they will spend some of that mining money in our/my shops........hmm.  You know we need to maintain our way of life here, and if we let them build in town all hell will break loose, I’m tellin ya!  Let’s make ‘em buy up old Gus’s farm and build their houses out there.”

The historical town of Pinjarra is located 4 kilometres to the south.  Interestingly, Nth Pinjarra still finds itself situated in a precarious geographical void of being;

“too close to existing urban infrastructure to develop autonomy of identity and yet not close enough for inclusion and a sense of belonging”. 

Whilst there is a wider community perception of semi isolation in regard to its locality within the Peel region, and coupled with a lower socio economic demographic, the Nth Pinjarra community enjoys cultural and generational diversity, relatively low crime rates and a general sense of community safety. 

The project has a strong youth emphasis and aims to achieve broad community engagement in the mural design, development and making.  Youth engagement is particularly significant in light of the semi isolated nature of the community and the detrimental implications of alienation, be it social, geographical or economical.  The project has the potential to generate significant cultural development outcomes and through the medium of a community mural the project seeks to provide community members with a creative opportunity to explore and express their cultural identity and achieve an enhanced sense of community ownership and pride.

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