General News
25 March, 2025
New mural in Adelaide Lead
A significant day in Adelaide Lead old school’s history has been captured and immortalised with a large mural honouring past students.
‘The day they walked away’ is a blend of art and history showing the moment its former students had to turn away from their school forever.
The artist Patricia Walsh said the painting symbolises the day the school was shut down due to low attendance.
“The education department closed the school down. Students were going to bigger schools in Maryborough,” she said.
At the time, Tullaroop Shire Council purchased the brick school building, which became the Adelaide Lead hall.
“The Adelaide Lead school was built in 1863, it was a primary school from then on. The children walked out for the last time in 1954. Since then, ex-students and locals have maintained the building and surrounds. My mural is a tribute to them,” Ms Walsh said.
The three children depicted in the painting are Frank and Joy Martin and Colin Bartlett, as well as their dog Rusty, who attended school with them.
Prior to painting the mural, Ms Walsh undertook extensive research to accurately depict the very moment on May 1, 1954.
“Frank, Joy and Colin know all about it, they supplied me with photographs. I researched clothes, school bags and the little cases they carried, which has been very helpful,” she said.
The building has since had a small maintenance shed and toilet block built beside it.
While the hall’s committee thoroughly disliked the look of the building sitting alongside the hall, it became a canvas to showcase its history.
“I’ve painted this on a voluntary basis, it was my idea. It’s a shame it was placed in front of this lovely building. We were going to camouflage the block, it was just grey brick, but then I had the idea of doing a mural,” Ms Walsh said.
She said it was difficult to paint on the rough surface, particulary during hot weather.
“It took many hours. The surface was so rough it had to be rubbed in. Just the painting itself took 60 hours. The preparation, probably the best part of a week,” Ms Walsh said.
While the mural is mostly acrylic paint, different techniques were used to add detail.
“It mainly has water based acrylic paint. For parts like the sky, I used a little bit of spray can,” she said.
Ms Walsh said the mural’s completion was out of her personal connection to the hall, and hopes it will have resurgence of interest, with locals continuing to use it.
“My father was a primary school teacher and it brings back memories of all the small schools he taught at. The present committee works hard to hold events in the hall,” she said.