General News
20 May, 2025
Turning blank space into art
A blank community space has recently been turned into a vibrant mural with local artist Patricia Walsh giving her time to display the Adelaide Lead old school hall’s history.
The day they walked away depicts the moment the school closed down and its students left forever.
Built in 1863, the Adelaide Lead school shut down in 1954 due to low attendance.
Since then, the community has maintained the building and hosted events.
With the hall’s frequent usage as a community space, a toilet block and maintenance shed was built in front of the building.
Many locals insisted the building should be repainted to blend in with the hall.
With a history of contributing other artistic projects in the community, that was when Ms Walsh decided to donate her time and artistic ability to make the community space more visually appealing.
“I trained as a secondary teacher, I then went back to university and majored in print making, I’ve always made backdrops for concerts in the town, creating floats and posters for a range of community events,” she said.
Ms Walsh’s painting depicts the moment three students at the time, Colin Bartlett, Joy and Frank Martin and their dog Rusty left upon the school’s closing.
Not only did Ms Walsh put her artistry into the piece, the project also required extensive research.
“I started with an oil painting, as a concept. I then researched what kids wore in the 50s and what they carried to school,” she said.
“Then I did a scale drawing, after that my son brought out a projector and we projected it onto the wall, which had been undercoated with white.”
Ms Walsh said the entire process itself took over a week.
“The surface was so rough it had to be rubbed in. Just the painting itself took 60 hours. The preparation, probably the best part of a week,” Ms Walsh told The Advertiser earlier this year upon the murals completion.
Ms Walsh said the community has responded positively to the artwork showcasing the hall’s history.
“It’s been very positive, a lot of people have been coming out to have a look at it, and the people that are in the paint are thrilled to bits,” she said.