A beloved trompe l’oeil mural that has charmed people in North Hobart for more than 20 years will be removed next week after reaching the end of its life.
The artwork on the southern wall of Tony Haigh Walk, created by local artist Peter Gouldthorpe in 2001, has deteriorated beyond repair due to weather exposure.
The mural features elements including a flower-filled window, a blue heeler and a white picket fence intertwined with shrubbery.
Removal works will begin on Monday 12 May and are expected to take about one week.
Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the decision followed consultations with Gouldthorpe and the family of Tony Haigh, the former Alderman after whom the laneway is named.
“Public art plays a vital role in creating welcoming, interesting spaces – and this mural has been a fantastic example of that,” Reynolds said.
“We thank Peter Gouldthorpe and the Haigh family for their support as we manage this next chapter of the laneway’s life.”
To preserve the mural’s legacy, the City of Hobart plans to install permanent signage featuring photographs of the artwork in its original state.
The mural on the northern wall, depicting an old-style bakery and a rooster on a mailbox, remains in good condition and will be retained.
Gouldthorpe reflected on anecdotes from when he created the mural, including an elderly woman who came up to him while he was painting.
“Your mural is like when it snows, it makes strangers talk to each other,” she told him.
The Haigh family have given their support for the refresh.
“Tony was a long-time resident of this part of Hobart and spent his public career on Council during the 1970s and 1980s fighting for the community including better public spaces,” the family said.
During the works, public seating in the laneway will be temporarily removed but reinstated afterward, with minimal disruption expected for local businesses and the public.
