The Bundaberg Region has some fascinating public art for visitors and locals to discover while out and about.
These artworks featured in public areas provide an intriguing and often colourful point of interest to the streetscape.
Childers
Travelling along Churchill Street in Childers, observant pedestrians will spot some of the more than 50 mosaics that can be found embedded in the footpath.
Created by artists Alice McLaughlin, Dave Machen, Carol Seeger, Delwynne Dwyer, Jennifer McDuff and Susan Hutton, the designs include Australian animals, rural scenes and reference to Childers community events.
Following the mosaic walk from east to west, the journey takes visitors from Dave Machen’s Boobook Owl figure near Ashby Lane to Alice McLaughlin and Dave Machen’s Cattle Dogs bronze sculpture outside the Grand Hotel.
Burnett Heads
In the coastal community of Burnett Heads, outside the IGA, stands an intriguing metal and glass sculpture by artist Christopher John of Red Phoenix Glass.
At 3.3 m tall, LightBuoy engages viewers from afar with its striking form and the inclusion of glass lenses that encourage closer inspection to reveal a series of hidden images.
Bundaberg
Situated in the roundabout at the intersection of Targo and Bourbong Streets is Paul Johnson’s stainless steel installation The Cutting.
Conceived as a water fountain, the artwork features striking silver spears resembling sugarcane to acknowledge the region’s sugar industry.
Two tucked away spaces in Bundaberg CBD feature colourful murals that bring interest and life to these forgotten spaces.
Created by artist Simon Degroot and local students who attended an Arts Summer School, the laneway mural Paper Town beside the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre draws on the architecture and colours of the CBD for inspiration.
Behind Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery is another mural by Simon Degroot was painted in 2017 and titled Build, Connect, Grow.
Gin Gin
Adding to the interest of the Gin Gin streetscape are two low-relief carved sandstone sculptures by artist Paul Stumkat.
The Pioneer and Wagon were installed in 2012 and reflect the community’s chosen themes of pioneering families and farming methods.
Bargara
Along the Bargara coastline, colourful mosaics by award-winning local artist Paul Perry pay tribute to the region’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and community spirit.
Recently completed, a mosaic in Bill Fritz Park celebrates the legacy of the Bargara Lions and their work developing the park for people with disabilities.
Further south along the coast, MilBi Magic community mosaic at Archies Beach consists of 33 mosaics that took two years, 230 volunteers, 100,000 tiles and more than 6000 hours to create.
At Bargara Headland in Innes Park, Paul has installed the first mosaics on an art trail that will wind from the coastline through parkland being developed throughout the new housing estate.
