A once-blank wall at a retirement village in Sydney’s inner west is now alive with colour, thanks to one resident’s long-held dream and the neighbours who helped her realise it, The Catholic Weekly reports.
For years, Jillian Cullinane, a resident at Southern Cross Care NSW & ACT’s Patrick Minahan Retirement Village at Marrickville, had wished the tired wall her home faces could be transformed into something spectacular.
The finished mural celebrates Australia’s natural world with bright native birds and plants, a waterfall and a koala. PHOTO: : Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT) via The Catholic Weekly.
Marist Sister Vivienne Goldstein was among the first to rally behind the idea.
“Soon after my arrival in our village in mid-2024, I came to hear about the dream of one of our residents, Jillian,” Sr Vivienne said.
Jillian gathered a small committee of residents, including Sr Vivienne, to bring the idea to life. Together they drafted letters, secured approvals from the local council and the neighbouring tennis club and engaged artist Shelia Tan to make the wall her canvas.
The finished mural celebrates Australia’s natural world with bright native birds and plants, a waterfall and a koala, and it is lifting the spirits of residents, visitors and the inner west community.
“Every time we look at it, we’re filled with joy and also peace,” Sr Vivienne said.
“People’s faces break into smiles as they catch sight of it. They stop and admire it and then look around for someone with whom they can share their joy.
“I’m a big believer in spreading peace these days. Our dear Pope Leo is doing his best with that message and I’ve been doing my best to spread it, but I think something like this does it.
“We’re the ones that need to learn from nature, so it’s just a delight to have this mural capture the beauty of our natural world. You can feel the calm coming over us.”
For Jillian, the help of her fellow residents, Southern Cross Care staff and the artist who brought her idea to life has been invaluable, and the view from her home has never been better.
“I started by saying I would love to look out at some beautiful, lush greenery, and Sheila, the talented and lovely artist, took it from there,” she said. “It’s glorious, it’s a touch of heaven.”
This article was published in The Catholic Weekly, the publication of the Archdiocese of Sydney.