Lost Mosaics and Murals of Melbourne Walk
Lost Mosaics and Murals of Melbourne Walk
Learn about some of the Lost Mosaics and Murals located in the CBD by artists Harold Freedman and Napier Waller.
Summary
Learn about some of the Lost Mosaics and Murals located in the CBD by artists Harold Freedman and Napier Waller.
Description
This walk will focus on two Melbourne artists - Napier Waller best known for his 'Hall of Memory' mosaics and stained glass at the War Memorial in Canberra and Harold Freedman, State Artist 1972-84.
Napier Waller along with his wife Christian studied Stained Glass in London and Mosaics in Italy. Together they have produced many 100s of stained glass panels including in St Marks Church, Camberwell and Geelong Grammar Chapel. Additionally Waller was responsible for the Myer Mural Hall, Melbourne Town Hall Murals and Grossi Florentino Murals.
Waller was a teacher at RMIT when Harold Freedman was studying. Freedman would work on the Newspaper House Mural as a student. Freedman was a commercial artist and would go onto complete many large scale mosaics including The History of Racing, VFL History and The History of Geelong
This is a 5km walk within the CBD where access to trams is available. We start and end at public transport connections. You may like to break the walk with lunch or coffee in the QV centre adjacent to Point of Interest
Three, State Library of Victoria.
1602 Views
Points of Interest
1. The Transport Mural
100 years of transport 1835-1935 is depicted in this mural by Harold Freedman - State Artist. Unveiled on Australia Day in 1978 it took 4 years to complete. Displayed in the Spencer St Outlet TK Maxx
2. Legends of Fire Mosaic
Approached by the Fire Services to cover this brutalist building, Freedman depicts Greek mythology of fire coming to earth on the free flowing horizontal whilst the vertical shows the use and misuse.
3. Peace after Victory and War Murals
Waller's 'Peace after Victory' 1928 needs to be compared and contrasted with Harold Septimus Power's 'War' 1922 on the opposing wall of the State Library Staircase which reopened in 2020 after refurb.
4. Better than to Squander Life's Gifts is to Conserve them and ensure a Fearless Future Mural
Inside the T&G Building 161 Collins St -Versace store is Waller's mural depicting a man, 2 women and a boy in an orchard with another figure in the background tending the land and watching the sheep.
5. I'll Put a Girdle Around the Earth Mosaic
Commissioned for the facade of Newspaper House 247 Collins St - Waller 1933. The name comes from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and was used to describe submarine cables that would go across the globe.
Features
Public Transport
Public toilets
Historical interest
Local treasures
Art and culture
