Today from 1 to 4pm, there will be festivities surrounding the opening of the Tinnie Army Mural, the latest artwork in the Back Alley Gallery.

The art has been designed to honour those who acted selflessly and bravely to come to the assistance of those in need during the February 2022 flood - and it is interactive!

“We hope that the mural will be a meeting place, a place where we can go to reflect, and a symbol of how our community comes together in times of need, for many years to come,” said Dr. Bridie Cullinaire, one of the facilitators of the painting.

There is 50 meters of artwork to explore including flood and rescue scenes, interspersed with a bit of whimsy… Such as this surfing cow! You have to find the chicken that is in a bit of hot water...

Everyone who attends today is invited to colour code their outfit (not required)... Wear;

• Yellow, if you are a member of the Tinnie Army,
• Blue, if you were helped by the Tinnie Army,
• Green, if you want to say thank you!

The plans for the day will be festive, beginning with a smoking ceremony and speeches by Lismore’s political A-Listers at 1.45pm.

Plans include family-friendly games and events, arranged by the Summerland Bank as well as support services provided by Lismore City Council's Recovery Team. You can meet the artists who painted the image, and even add to the image yourself with your story.

There is an after party at the Metropole next door from 4pm onwards.

The artwork was predominantly completed by Holly Ahern and Erica Gully.  Holly shares some of the journey that has made mural what it is.

"This project has taken an incredible and somewhat unexpected journey over the past twelve months. When Dr Bridie Cullinane first contacted us in August 2023, we were on our way to Ōtautahi, Christchurch, to undertake four weeks of research and development in Public Art and Post-disaster recovery. 

"The experience we had in Ōtautahi was remarkable, having learnt from a number of organisations who navigated the devastating earthquakes with such grace and curiosity. We were met with welcome arms, and we left full of hope, determination, and a new sense of direction for our own public spaces within the region.  

"In the immediate aftermath of the flood, there was this finite timeline where anything was possible. This, we saw with the brave civilians mobilising their own boats to rescue residents in the early hours of the morning. 

"This artwork, we believe, has been able to test some of the best practices that we learnt from Ōtautahi, and lean into strong partnerships within our community. We were generously supported by Summerland Bank to facilitate this mural and received a significant paint donation from Dulux Lismore. 

"We lamented over what the mural would “look like” as the content is still raw, and traumatising. A lot of the feedback we received in our community engagement suggested a celebration of the diversity in our community, and this is what we leaned into. 

"One of the most important components of this project was to allow the community to have agency over the design which was captured through our community engagement. 

"It was integral for us to find a way that allows people to feel a sense of ownership of their own narrative by inviting individuals to share their own messages of thanks and appreciation directly onto the wall."

What are some highs and lows of this experience?

"The wall is privately owned by Nick at the Hotel Metropole, and everything was approved on his end. However, because we needed to set up on the Council-owned road in Larkin Lane, there were a lot of complex protocols to adhere to.

"Historically, the Back Alley Gallery has never acquired approvals, and operated as grassroots and somewhat guerrilla collective. It was a big learning curve trying to do this the “right way” by Council's standards. 

"It’s been overwhelming to hear of how much support we have every time we were on site. Working in such a public location for an extended time has allowed us to have hundreds of conversations with people going about their days, enjoying the process of the painting and responding positively to the artwork. 

"It was nice to share the process, stories and meet new people in our community."

How does it feel to be close to finished? 

"We’re excited to have our weekends back! :) But a little emotional to be finalising such a large-scale project. 

"Since May, we have facilitated twelve community painting days, we loved having the laneway full of artists, kids and families all having a go at the painting. I lost count at 38 community volunteers, who were eager to support the completion of this artwork. 

"The close of this project is also the opening of the next stage. We are handing this artwork over to the community now, inviting anyone to contribute messages of thanks and appreciation to the Tinnie Army in their own way. 

"We’ve incorporated more than 50 blank paper boats throughout the river, and encourage anyone to add their own message directly onto the wall. We’ll casually monitor the contributions over the next few months, but we’re excited to see how it evolves naturally when people have the agency to contribute in their own way."

What was your favourite part of the mural to work on?

"A large portion of the artwork was designed by primary school students, I believe these are the best parts of the mural. 

"When we distributed an education package to flood-affected schools throughout the region late last year, we didn’t know what to expect when they were returned. We were pretty teary when we saw all their messages and designs relating to the flooding events, and we really wanted to put their visions at the forefront of this artwork. 

"For example, the text at the Keen Street entrance was the exact handwriting from a student, and it has been so special to enlarge their creations and integrate them into the final artwork. 

"A really important lesson we took away from our time in Ōtautahi was “Mō tatou ā mō ka uri ā muri ake nei” which translates to “for us and our children after us”, and this is exactly what we have tried to embody with this artwork. 

"We hope that this commemorative mural not only acknowledges the bravery of the Tinnie Brigade, but also sends a message to future generations about the values of courage, selflessness and community spirit within our region."

Erica is in total agreement with Holly's view. She acknowledges the wonderful and incredible feedback that came from the community and hopes, "While we have done our utmost to include as many of the ideas as possible in the design we have not been able to embed all of them.

"It has been a mammoth effort, and we trust that the Northern Rivers community will feel a sense of connection to this mural and the space it has created to encourage a continued opportunity to heal."

Come along and see the mural complete and in brilliant full colour - Larkin Lane, Lismore, right beside the Metropole Hotel.