Everything you need to know about the local music talent at Warrnambool train station

If you’ve hopped on or off the train in Warrnambool over the past week, you might’ve noticed something a little brighter than usual greeting you on the platform.

A vibrant new mural, Musical Warrnambool, now wraps around three walls of one of the station’s buildings — a tribute to the city’s rich musical and cultural heritage. 

Painted by Mornington Peninsula artist Tyson Savanah, known as Father Marker, the work celebrates notable past and present local musicians, while also looking ahead to what the city’s soundscape could become.

Designed from the point of view of a train carriage, the mural imagines a journey shared by a lineup of legendary Warrnambool figures, all riding together.

Each of the mural’s three walls explores a different theme:

Legends of Warrnambool features beloved late singer Uncle Archie Roach, alongside Goanna’s Shane and Marcia Howard.

Keeping the Beat includes Christina Macpherson — credited with composing the melody for Waltzing Matilda after hearing a marching band at the Warrnambool Races — as well as local songwriters Leah Senior and Didirri.

The Sound of the Past, the Pulse of the Future casts a spotlight on Thomas Rome, the Warrnambool bootmaker who created Australia’s earliest surviving sound recording using an Edison spring motor phonograph. 

Also depicted is John James Villiers, who sang The Hen Convention in 1896 — the recording captured by Rome. A young girl riding the train, saluting to local rock band Airborne in this final scene represents the city’s emerging musical future.

The project was backed by the Department of Transport & Planning, V/Line and Warrnambool City Council.

Council cultural development coordinator Gareth Colliton told The Brolga that the artist was chosen through a competitive expression of interest process judged by a panel from the council and V/Line.

“We had 59 applications — double what I’d anticipated. Most of them were of very high quality, so the selection was tough,” he said.

“We were looking for someone who demonstrated a high degree of artistic ability, great storytelling skills, and also plenty of experience working in challenging environments and public spaces. Making an artwork is one thing — making it in winter, on a busy train platform, takes a whole lot of extra skill.”

Colliton said Savanah brought a personal touch to the work, connecting with many of the people he painted — and where possible, meeting with them face to face.

“He didn’t simply copy a photo from the internet to create the mural, but actually spoke to the people he painted, and wherever possible, met with them personally.”