New mural adds to beautification of Whanganui's Durie Hill suburb

Artist Sonia Forsey working on the new Durie Hill mural in Portal St this week. Photo / Bevan Conley

Artist Sonia Forsey has headed off for a South Island holiday after spending the last few weeks working on a Whanganui mural.

The sidewall of Durie Hill Fish Shop is now decorated with Forsey's work as a further stage in the suburb's beautification.

The main feature of the mural is a big white fish with orange markings.

"It's a redfin bully - an endangered native species," Forsey said.

"I wanted to show how beautiful our native fish are and I've included New Zealand plants."

The giant fish swims against a background of kakabeak, kowhai and native‎ clematis puawhananga.

Forsey said she was inspired by the work of 19th-century British textile designer William Morris.

"He would have been at his most active when the Durie Hill suburb was established and his work celebrated flora and fauna.

"I wanted to put that in a local context."

Forsey said she has had plenty of encouragement from the community while working on the project.

"Children walking by on their way to school have stopped to chat with me about it and walkers on the Te Araroa Trail have been interested to know what I was doing."

The mural is supported by funding from Creative Communities and is a further stage in the Step Up Durie Hill rejuvenation project.

It is a first solo mural project for Forsey, who completed a degree at UCOL in 2018.

In another aspect of the project, volunteers have been working to remove weeds from neglected public areas and install a number of garden beds on the berms in the suburb.

Garden beds with mosaic decorations by Jo Stanley are the work of Step Up Durie Hill volunteers. Photo / Bevan Conley

A main driver of the project is Sue Morgan, who also instigated the popular monthly market days held at St Barnabas' Church in Maxwell Ave last year.

The church and land have now been sold which is a big disappointment to the group, Morgan said.

"There was a lot of will in the community to raise funds to buy it.

"We asked for time and were given a deadline of December 17 but we weren't able to make an offer then and they decided they couldn't wait."

The group had hoped to establish a library in the disused church building and continue holding market days.

"Things happen for a reason," Morgan said.

"The bowling club have indicated their willingness to help out and there are a few ideas on the table so we'll see what happens in 2020."

In the meantime, Morgan said she was pleased to see the community gardens thriving and the mural was attracting a lot of interest.

"I met a couple from Brazil who were walking the Te Araroa Trail.

"Their faces lit up when they saw it and they chatted with Sonia about her work."

Morgan said the couple had been admiring the murals in the city and were delighted to see another when they reached the top of the hill.