By Derek Schlennstedt
A mural of a platypus has been unveiled in Warburton to help raise awareness about the importance of keeping our local waterways healthy and litter-free.
The painting has aptly been painted on a vacant wall which runs along the Yarra River track in Warburton and is next to the Yarra River – a local hotspot for platypus.
The project is part of the Communities for Platypus program which is funded by the Victoria State Government’s Litter Hotspot Program and hosted by Yarra Ranges Council.
Despite bad weather the local artist Jimmy Beattie completed the work on 7 June and the painting measures 20 metres in length and 3.5 metres wide.
The entire work only took two days to complete, despite works being hampered by rainy weather on 6 June.
“In terms of challenges it’s mainly been the weather,” he said.
“It’s mainly with the acrylic undercoats.”
“The first day we did the undercoat and then the next day it was still wet, which is pretty much unheard of.”
Jimmie said the community feedback had been incredible and he was happy with how the painting had turned out with the blending of the colours into the background.
“The community’s been so behind it and fantastic, people here are so passionate about the platypus, because it is so rare and so unique to this area,” he said.
“To try and celebrate it is a really positive thing and we’ve tried to blend in the colours with its environment.”
Julie Hanman, of the communities for Platypus Program said initiatives like this were vital for the preservation of local wildlife especially for platypus who were deeply affected by litter.
“It’s about bringing awareness to where street litter ends up,” he said.
“Unfortunately our streams can be affected by pollution, including waste and litter, which can injure or even kill platypus.
The worst offending litter items are rubber bands, plastic packaging and fishing waste which can entangle and strangle platypus,” she said.
over the course of the two days of painting Jimmie hoped he would see a wild platypus, even getting up early to see if he could see one.
“I’ve been looking out every time I hear a splash in the water and went down to the bridge at dawn but I think the water’s running a bit too quick … if we could see one it would be amazing, because it is something that’s so rare to see in the wild these days,” he said.
