Indigenous Influence on Melbourne Street Art

Curated by Unimelb, 2015

Australia before settlement had a plethora of Indigenous art dating back to before time was recorded. In this walking tour we will be witnessing how that original art form done by the Indigenous Australians have influenced the street art scene in Melbourne, more specifically in Fitzroy and Collingwood along the 86 tram line. These pieces have been chosen so that they will be easily accessed by people unfamiliar with the Melbourne region and its history.

Stop 1

The First stop and the beginning of the tour will be off Gertrude street after stop 12 on the 86 tram line (between Nicholson and Fitzroy streets) we have a mural of an indigenous Australian painted in traditional ochre, with a resilient facial…

Stop 2

For the second stop just down Gertrude Street between stops 13 and 14 on a wall in Little Napier Street, we see what at the first glance appears to be a goanna painted in a traditional style resembling a rock painting that might have dated back…

Stop 3

For The third stop of the tour we need to leave Gertrude street just before stop 15 and wander 50 or so meters down little smith street where on the right we can see a garage and fence painted with a beautiful Aussie styled mural. We see an…

Stop 4

Stop 4 of our tour is on the corner of Smith Street and Gertrude Street visible from stop 15 of the 86 tram. Here we can see three busts of what appear to be indigenous Australians, although it is worth noting that due to the blurring of the left…

Final Stop

The last stop on our tour I would recommend jumping on the 86 tram as it is just before stop 20 (easey street) in an alleyway and walking could take a little while (although there are many pieces of beautiful street art to view on the way.) We can…