Many local residents and their children will remember how “the bush was alive with excitement” in Dorothy Wall’s The Adventures of Blinky Bill. Now, the village of Glenbrook is alive with excitement at the completion of the new mural on the iconic bus stop.
In February, local artist Jayne Shephard put the finishing touches on the mural, which features the much loved Australian children’s stories of Blinky Bill, The Magic Pudding, Wombat Stew and Possum Magic. The mural can be seen outside the Glenbrook Cinema on Ross Street.
Mayor Mark Greenhill said: “I’m delighted to see the new-look mural and thank Jayne for her skill and dedication in bringing the iconic bus stop back to life for Glenbrook residents.”
The original mural was a collaboration between Ms Shephard and children from Glenbrook Infants School in 1992 to celebrate the centenary of the school by way of a tribute to Australian children’s literature.
“I’m very happy with the result,” she said of the new mural.
“I’ve had a strong emotional connection with the bus stop since 1992, and I am thankful for the chance to restore it.”
The original mural was destroyed by a car colliding into the bus stop in December 2013.
All of the books represented in the mural remain an important part of Australian literary culture for children.
“I feel that the new mural is more true to the books than the original mural”, Ms Shephard said.
Four very different styles of illustrations - from the soft water colours of Possum Magic to the flat, bright colours of The Adventures of Blinky Bill – are represented at the bus stop, she said.
“The Blinky Bill bus stop has contributed to a strong sense of place for Glenbrook residents,” Cr Greenhill said.
“Council went to considerable effort to find a suitable replacement bus stop after the collision. I can’t imagine Glenbrook village without it”.
The shelter is now a tourist attraction and the subject of an untold number of ‘selfies’ by international visitors. Ms Shephard acknowledged the support of the Glenbrook Historical Society, Glenbrook Cinema, local residents and the authors/illustrators of the books.