The black and white portrait is of an Alawa man, known as Neighbour, who saved the policeman who'd arrested him moments before from drowning in a river.

But dig a little deeper and the mural is part of a large-scale project honouring Indigenous figures and changing perceptions in a town with almost no other obvious markers to its rich history.

The first in a string of street art portraits telling the stories of people from Katherine and the region, it is hoped it will break down damaging prejudices, Katherine Regional Arts executive officer Jacinta Mooney said.

"There are incredible stories out there of bravery, injustice and heroism and we want those stories told," she said, "it is time."

"Other than the bronze sculpture of Sabu Sing, there is no evidence of Indigenous people in the town.

"When you think about the streets in Katherine many are named after non-Indigenous families and there are hardly any public displays of culture.

"For visitors, there are no obvious landmarks... And we should be proud."

Pending on funding, a handful of portraits are expected to pop up on walls across the CBD over the next six months.

The portraits will be of people from the Wardaman, Dagoman and Jawoyn groups, who have largely gone unrecognised despite their incredible feats.

In the case of Neighbour though, his story is particularly incredible, which is perhaps why he is the first.

The mural was reproduced from a black and white photo by the artist who painted jets high in the sky a couple of walls over on Railway Terrace: Jesse Bell.

More than 100 years ago in 1911, Neighbour was arrested, chained up, and told to walk to the police station at Roper Bar by a policeman on horseback.

When they reached the crossing at the Wilton River, Neighbour swam across in chains and the policeman followed.

Then the horse stumbled and the policeman was swept away with a torrent of water.

Despite a chain around his neck and a chain around his hands, Neighbour plunged into the water and saved the policeman from drowning.

"The black and white conveys the history, it dates it to an earlier time," Ms Mooney said.

"He was involved in saving many others and was awarded the Albert Medal for Bravery."

While just one among many in a town rapidly filling its walls with street art, the portrait of Neighbour has already garnered widespread attention, even the Northern Territory's Chief Minister has taken note.

"We are hoping these portraits will draw people to the town, there is a lot to be proud of," Ms Mooney said.

QR codes which tell the stories behind the faces - in Kriol and English - are the next step on the never ending path to building Katherine into an artistic hub.

The mural was funded by the Department of Chief Minister, while Katherine Regional Arts brought it to life.

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