It gives us great pleasure to inform you that Paint Place and Luxury Paints have committed to sponsor the long-awaited and much-anticipated mural of Percy Hobson on the Bourke Water Tower Project in New South Wales.
In 1962 Gundabooka man Percy Hobson was the first Indigenous athlete to win a medal at the Commonwealth games. At only 20 years old and against all odds this local high jumper broke the record when he leapt over a 6’11 high bar, in Perth’s Perry Lakes stadium. A feat forever establishing Percy as one of Australia’s most iconic sportsmen.
To pay tribute, his hometown of Bourke, NSW is celebrating Percy Hobson’s achievement by dedicating the Bourke Water Tower as a canvas for a large mural of Percy; a recreation of the iconic photo of Hobson bounding into the air; the moment he earned his first gold medal.
The mural in question will be painted by artist John Murray of Lighting Ridge, who painted Bourke’s original ’The Gateway Mural’ in 1994 which greeted visitors as they entered Bourke from Nyngan. John will also be joined by his long-time collaborators Bobby Barret and Brian Smith. The team have reported they are excited to paint Percy Hobson and eager to get started on the project.
With an overwhelming local response and full support, the project is now locked in place and work will soon commence. The iconic image of Mr Hobson will be immortalised on the tower and in the sky at the entrance to town, delighting both visitors and locals.
With such talented artists and quality products in hand, we know this will be a huge success. Being Australia’s only true paint specialist group it is a pleasure to be able to partner with an Australian owned and made manufacturer to honour a great Australian achievement by a great Australian sportsman and legend. Paint Place would like to thank artist John Murray and his team along with the Bourke Shire Council and everyone else involved for making this a reality and giving us the opportunity to be involved in such an inspiring and powerful project and we cant wait to see the final masterpiece.
Update
A year onwards, the Percy Hobson mural is now completed and stands proudly at the entrance to Bourke, welcoming all with this beautiful celebration of the first Indigenous man to win a medal at the Commonwealth games.
A huge thank you and congratulations to leading artists John Murray and Brian Smith, assistant artist Lukas Kasper, assistant Bobb Barrett and the community members who helped bring this now stunning piece of history to life.
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