The images of sheep wearing red socks, jumping through a canola field against a piercing blue sky, has become an iconic mural for Merriwa since it was painted as part of the Australian Silo Art Trail in 2019.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It's an image that is particularly unique to Merriwa, which has a strong reputation in the sheep industry, but is also a very popular spot for tourists to stop at take photos of the dramatic yellow canola-filled paddocks for a couple of weeks in September.
Capturing the essence of Merriwa in something like a mural offers a subtle learning tool for young people to ask questions about the artwork and learn about the area, says long-time Merriwa resident Deidre Peebles. Being featured in a national calendar will extend that reach.
The mural, hand-painted by David Lee Pereira, holds pride of place for many Merriwa locals and will feature among other mural art works in the official 2023 wall calendar of the Australian Silo Art Trail.
Being included in the calendar not only comes with the draw card for tourism to the small Upper Hunter town halfway between Dubbo and Newcastle, 50 per cent of profits from calendars sold will also be donated back into to the communities featured.
The GrainCorp silos, located on Hackets Road in Merriwa, draw a particularly strong sense of pride for committee members of the Festival of the Fleeces, which the sheep in reds socks is inspired by.
Every year on the June long weekend the Festival of the Fleeces draws tourists from all over in to Merriwa to watch the spectacular show that is the "running of the sheep." Where the highway is closed and more than 200 sheep run through the main street of town, many wearing read socks.
In June 2022, an estimated 7000 people attended the event. Organiser look forward to making 2023 even better yet.
IN THE NEWS:
