Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to recognise the artistry of the muralists who painted the town of Mount Barker, in the far south of my electorate, red, green, orange and blue—in fact, all the colours of the rainbow—over the weekend. In 2019, Dave 'Johnno' Johnson was instrumental in bringing the Walldogs mural collective from North America down under to WA's mountainous Great Southern region. At the time, Johnno was officer in charge of the Mount Barker police. Sergeant Johnson, respected as a law enforcer and revered as a footy coach, had a hidden string to his bow: he was once a sign-writer and he harboured a vision to colour the walls of the town. And so, the Mountains and Murals Festival was born.

Timing is everything when arranging events, and the inaugural festival snuck in just before COVID. I'm so proud that the former coalition government was able to provide $35,000 to help bring the muralists back to town. The festival, which wrapped up yesterday, was powered by the passion of a small army of local volunteers. During a cool and stormy opening night last week, the warmth between the Walldogs and the people of Mount Barker was palpable. As Illinois muralist Jay Allen said that evening, the Walldogs are a mirror for what is possible in any community. I applaud the Shire of Plantagenet and its people for having a red-hot go at putting Mount Barker on the world murals map.