Explore and Enjoy Nowra’s Murals

As well as the indoor exhibitions at Shoalhaven Regional Gallery there is a host of public art in outdoor spaces around Nowra to explore and enjoy, including a collection of 8 murals by talented emerging and established street artists.

The murals were created in stages from 2014-2022, installed in some less obvious and off-the-beaten-track spots. Wherever they appeared they have breathed fresh life and vibrancy into public spaces, each one highlighting a different aspect of the region’s history and culture. 

This rejuvenation of Nowra’s CBD was a joint initiative by Shoalhaven City Council, the Shoalhaven Historical Society and local building and shop owners who came together to commission artists to create the murals.

Before you set out here’s an introduction to the artworks and the artists responsible for creating them, and a map showing their location.

Guido van Helten, 2014. Fisherman at Greenwell point

Guido van Helten, 2014 – Fisherman at Greenwell Point

Location Egans Lane carpark

This mural by Brisbane based artist Guido van Helten, painted on what was once an enormous blank wall, is now a tribute to the Shoalhaven’s deep fishing roots. The mural is based on a photograph by Australian photographer Jeff Carter – a portrait of an angler mending his net at Greenwell Point. Van Helten has always been interested in this part of NSW and spent a lot of time searching through Nowra images in national photography archives before landing on this photo as his inspiration.

Guido van Helten at work on Nowra mural, Egans Lane carpark

Adnate – Celebrating Aboriginal Heritage

Location Rear wall of Nowra Library, Berry Street

Melbourne based artist Matt Adnate’s mural celebrates the Indigenous people of Australia, of Nowra and the region’s culture. The portrait of the young boy is inspired by a photo Adnate took during a trip to the Northern Territory, with the deep, earthy tones directly referencing the colours of the Aboriginal flag. The landscape seen in the reflection of the eyes is left to the viewer’s own interpretation while the black cockatoo pictured flying alongside the boy is a totem of some people in and around Nowra, and the Yuin Nation.

Owen Dippie – Remembering the Legendary Arthur Boyd

Location Stewart Place

Owen Dippie’s photo-realistic portrait of the late painter Arthur Boyd is a tribute to a local legend who has made a significant contribution to the arts. In 1993, Arthur Boyd and Yvonne Boyd, his wife, gifted their property along the banks of the Shoalhaven River to the people of Australia. This beautiful spot on the river is the site of Bundanon Art Museum, designed by award winning architect Kerstin Thompson.

Claire Foxton –  The Face of A WWII Veteran

Location Holt Centre building

Wollongong artist Claire Foxton’s mural – one of the largest to date – tells the story of local air force veteran, Narelle Hart. Narelle has been a Nowra local for over 70 years and served as a young recruit with the Base Torpedo Unit in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force during World War II. Foxton’s portrait honours a strong, courageous woman who has made a significant contribution to the community’s history.

L: Mural by ARCY. Black Cockatoo. R: Mural by SMUG. Ode to Local Artist

SMUG  – Ode to Local Artist

Location Quest Building Kinghorne Street

This mural is by local artist SMUG (also known as Sam Bates), a world-renowned muralist, recognised for his photorealism style and now residing in Glasgow, Scotland. SMUG’s mural features another local in the Nowra arts scene, George Sobierajski, paying tribute to George as someone influential in his early graffiti career. 

ARCY – Black Cockatoo

Location Egans Lane

Ryan ‘ARCY’ Christenson’s artwork depicts a soaring black cockatoo in his signature paint splash style. The mural is a tribute to the local Indigenous community, as the Aboriginal word ‘Nowra’ means Black Cockatoo. The animal is a totem for people in this locality and ARCY’s piece celebrates the bird in all its glory, covered in reflections of colours that also represent Nowra’s surrounding coastal environments.

Mural by Case Maclaim. The Hands That Built Our Place

Case Maclaim, 2019 – The hands that built our place

Location Ison and Co. Hardware building, Bridge Road

Renowned German artist case Maclaim (Andres Von Chrzanowski) is known for combining photorealism with surrealism, with many of his creative pieces shedding light on the struggles afflicting different people and cultures around the world. Case’s mural acknowledges the significant contribution of those who have built our town over generations and the physical struggles involved, focusing on hard working hands, rather than identifying particular individuals.

Scott Nagy and Krimsone, 2022 – Dreamboat

Location Haigh Avenue

Scott Nagy and Krimsone are both internationally recognised who hail from the Blue Mountains. After working in cities across the globe they now travel Australia painting landscapes and scenes that represent, engage and interact with the local community.

Dreamboat depicts suburban living flowing into the native environment and invites humans to take in all it has to offer. The artists are asking us to live with our surrounding environment in peace, being one with nature.

Find information and interactive map on the Shoalhaven Tourism website

Map: Locations of Nowra’s 8 murals