A town rapidly becoming a hub of artistic walls adds another to the list
A vivid mural of hanging bats and half-eaten mangoes plastered across the side of the Salvation Army wall on Katherine's main street brings the town's collection to more than 20.
There are so many for such a small town, it is becoming hard to keep track.
Last week, 17-year-old artist Chloe Forscutt took on the major challenge of leading Katherine's first youth mural.
From the design to the installation, young people were at the forefront.
Students at MacFarlane Primary School had the honour of having their artwork plastered on their school wall.
Working into the night to finish the project and beat the scorching heat, the town can now add another art-filled wall to its name.
From Indigenous designs, to crocodiles, jets flying high, and a nod to Katherine's position on fracking, our walls are filling up fast.
There is even a mural of the Man from Snowy River, in honour of a favourite movie of the many regular visitors to the Katherine Doorways Hub.
The Man from Snowy River was a project taken on last year on the side of the Katherine Doorways Hub building.
And there are many more to come.
Katherine Regional Arts executive officer Jacinta Mooney said the public art is creating a greater sense of pride in the community.
The community arts hub is a key player in the majority of murals brightening a once drab Katherine.
"It is not just standard signage or graphic design. It is artistic work that evokes sentiment and emotion."
Keep our Territory Frack Free is a mural seen by thousands as they travel along the Victoria Highway.
She said each of the murals tell a story specific to Katherine, from Indigenous artwork to depictions of our past, Katherine's history is slowly being told on walls.
"People are really at the centre of the murals, we have students who have their art on their school walls, local artists putting up their visions of past events, the murals give a sense of place and they tend to inspire people because they are personal," she said.
It was a monumental project for the Katherine High School student, who hopes her first solo design will cement her a spot in the art industry later down the track.
A Katherine High School mural.
"It is nice to see bats in a positive light," a Katherine resident has said.
"I'm used to seeing them as a pest, or needing to be smoked out, when they should be celebrated because they play an important role in nature."
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