INDIGENOUS artist Maddi Moser’s mural on the road up to Mt Buller village gives a unique welcome to visitors.
The new sweeping mural installation at the White Bridge corner embodies a connection to Taungurung Country linking themes of the crucial shared water source and the journey to the mountain.
The mural serves an important practical purpose, protecting the road from landslip and is a reminder of the country we are on.
Those who have been connected to the resort for many years may remember the fateful night in September 1986 when the landslide at White Bridge occurred, blocking the only access road to the village for several days.
When the debris was cleared, the 50m x 5m landslip wall was installed and sometime down the track, the timber cladding was added to improve its appearance.
Over the past few years the flaking and fading paint work has not received much attention and deterioration has been accelerating over the past 12 months.
Fortunately Austrade extended a $30k grant opportunity to the alpine resorts to aid bushfire recovery, which has been used to tackle the cosmetic restoration of the wall.
An expression of interest was put to the Taungurung Land and Waters Council (TLaWC) to identify an indigenous artist with an appropriate concept for the wall.
Maddi Moser, a young Taungurung woman from Wodonga, was the successful artist.
“My concept represents two stories, one of Country and one of the journeys we make,” Maddi said.
“The winding lines through the centre of the piece speak of the water source that is crucial to all of life.
“The different shades of green represent the indigenous seasons and the different landscapes depending on altitude.
“The many dots featured alongside these lines represent the many events that the land has seen and the many interactions with the water source (people and animals).
“It reminds us not to be greedy as many things are reliant on what the Country provides us.”
The second story is about the traveller and the path they take, like many of those that venture up to Mt Buller.
The dark green and gold circles represent the communities welcoming the traveller when they need rest.
The act of travelling also represents the cycles that the Taungurung people observed throughout the different seasons, where they too, would travel to Mt Buller at the different times of the year.
“Wumindjika means 'welcome' in the local Taungurung language,” Maddi explained.
The artwork and associated interpretive information will be reproduced inside Village Square Plaza so visitors can study and understand it in more detail.
Matt Elliott of Mt Buller RMB said it is important that those coming up the hill to Mt Buller do not stop at White Bridge to photograph the mural as this could be dangerous.
The replication of the mural and interpretive sign will give visitors the chance to photograph it and learn of its meaning in safety.
