Mural pays tribute to Cobram CFA’s history

The mural was officially unveiled on Wednesday, October 28, as an excited crowd gathered outside the station.

Arts for All president June Wood said Mr Bowtell was an amazing artist and the project had been a great opportunity to recognise the brigade’s contribution to the community.

“I think he did a really nice tribute to the CFA, it’s captured exactly what they do, and I think it’s just turned out beautiful,” she said.

“The CFA support the community so well, so it’s a little acknowledgement, and thank you to them for all the hard work that they do and the hours they put in.

“I don’t think there’s any better way to thank and acknowledge the CFA than through beautiful art.”

Cobram fire brigade captain Allan Warfe said the mural was “absolutely awesome” and reflected the pride members had in their brigade.

“It’s achieved what we wanted to achieve, which is make us stand out and brighten it up a bit,” he said.

Mr Warfe thanked Mr Bowtell, Arts for All and the project’s sponsors for their efforts in bringing the mural to life.

The project took Mr Bowtell 13 days to complete, including two days of preparation work.

He said he developed five different themes and concepts before working with the CFA to decide on the final design, which combines a timeline of firefighting through the years with action shots of brigade members.

“I came on site one Sunday when the guys were working, doing their drills and truck work, they all got geared up, and we had a photo session,” Mr Bowtell said.

Having initially started the project before winter, Mr Bowtell said colder weather forced him to put the work on hold before returning more recently to complete the mural.

The corrugated fence also presented a unique challenge, requiring careful planning to ensure the design worked with its uneven surface.

“One of my first murals, which was back in 2005, was on a corrugated fence like this, and I don’t think I’ve painted one since,” he said.

“For obvious reasons, I tried to keep the design quite large. I had to get their faces within the flat part of the corrugation of the fence.”

Mr Bowtell is already preparing for another CFA mural, this time on a building in Merrijig.

He said projects such as the Cobram mural were about much more than simply creating beautiful artwork.

“The important thing is creating stories and adding to the culture of a town,” he said,

“I love the painting process, but ultimately to tell local stories, that’s the best part, and with the CFA, they need to be recognised for what they do.”