About the mural

The deer park mural is a collaborative effort of 

Brimbank Council

Deer park Pharmacy,

Gallery Sunshine Everywhere

St Peter Chanel School,

Deer Park North Primary School

and 

Deer park West Primary School

The mural is a celebration of the History of Deer Park.

Kororoit Creek, which runs through the five panels is an important part of the mural as the area was originally called Kororoit Creek. Kororoit is from the language of the Wurundjeri People who lived alongside the creek. 

 The mural begins with an acknowledgement of the Indigenous ownership of the land and pictorial representation and text pertaining to the 40,000 years that Indigenous people lived in the area.

The following two panels represent the early colonial settlement of the area, the Exploisves factory and other important buildings and happenings that were significant in the history of Deer Park.

The last two panels celebrate the diversity of the current population of Deer Park and the residential housing boom, which now sees Deer Park as a thriving community. The names of the 640 artists who made ceramic artwork for the mural are displayed mainly on the last two panels.

Above: original sketch of the Mural

How is it made?

The mural is ceramic and mosaic. Ceramic features have been made by the 640 participants, to represent various aspects of the history of Deer Park. These artworks are painted before being fired with liquid underglazecolours. The artworks are fired once, then coated with glaze and fired a second time. Bisque tiles were also used for much of the historical representation. These tiles are already bisque fired and then they are painted with the liquid underglazecolours to make the picture.  Then I have coated them with glaze and glaze fired them.

After glazing, the work is sorted into tubs and then installed onto the wall. Tile adhesive is placed onto the wall and the ceramic features pressed into place then the area around them filled with mosaic ( broken tiles)

The mosaic also had to be grouted. Grouting is where a cement like substance is rubbed into all of the cracks of the mosaic and then rubbed off again. The grouting which took approxiamately four full days was done by Alessandra Azzone and Myself.