A MURAL of Ned Kelly's last stand, which has been impressing visitors to Kates Cottage and the Ned Kelly Museum in Glenrowan since March last year, is officially among the best public art experiences in the nation. The Ned Kelly Siege at Glenrowan Mural, by national award winning artist Andrew-J-Bourke and contributing artist Bryan Itch, has been shortlisted for the 2023 Australian Street Art Awards’ Best External Mural gong. Awards director Liz Rivers said the country's largest such competition seeks to recognise places and operators around the nation who are using public art to entertain visitors and engage their community. “The awards provide a platform where trailblazing destinations – cities, regional towns and precincts – can be recognised for their contribution to both the world of street art and art tourism," she said. “Being shortlisted in these awards further cements the reputation of Glenrowan as an aspirational destination for tourists with history coming to life through art." National gold, silver and bronze winners in all 12 award categories plus each state champion will be announced at a gala dinner celebration on March 8 as part of the Art of Attraction Tourism Summit on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Co–owners of Kate's Cottage, Michelle Coad and Doug Stoneman, said they were rapt to see national recognition of what they believe is the most comprehensive mural of the Glenrowan seige ever created. The artwork, which took a month to complete, depicts the full police siege of the Kelly gang at the Glenrowan Inn, with the police and the gang engaged in a gun fight, accompanied by a large portrait of Ned Kelly. "It was important for us to be able to represent it (siege) in its entirety; the flagging down of the train, the shootout between the Kelly gang and police," Ms Coad said. "We decided we want to do this mural because there's nothing in Glenrowan like it and we thought it'd be great to link the town with the art trail and also helps small businesses within small towns. "This town is really well established as a destination town for Ned Kelly and putting something like that here brings the interest of the holiday goers who do the art trails as well as the silo trails...it links us into that. "We're not going to be here forever; Chris and Rod who were the previous owners of the business added the big Ned Kelly to the town and that was crucial to bringing people in. "Adding another aspect of the whole Ned Kelly theme is something we just couldn't pass by." Melbourne based artist Mr Bourke had completed multiple murals in the North East prior to his work in Glenrowan, including at the Winton Wetlands and two other Ned Kelly themed murals in Benalla.
