Sheffield: Mural Town in Tasmania

Alpacas in the backyard, the landscape of mount Roland, a variety of fudges, friendly locals, and murals in every nook and corner of the town is what Sheffield is all about. A small town in the north west coast of Tasmania has its entire history depicted in murals by artists, with hardly any wall spared.

With a mural map in one hand and hot coffee in the other, it was a pleasure to walk around all evening, spotting and admiring the attractive work by artists.

Queuing for Gold. In 1884, after news broke out that a 17 ounce gold nugget was found here, people from everywhere headed to the Kentish district. The mural depicts one such scene.

Redwater Creek Steam & Heritage Society. It depicts the Krauss Loco which was built in 1906 in Germany. It was first used in the coal fields on East Coast of Tasmania.

Celebration of Education. Painted on the wall of the Recreation and Related Arts Centre, the mural illustrates the joys of being a student at Sheffield District High School, from the past to the future.

The Spirited Troopers. The Light Horse regiment was established as a Voluntary Defence Corps by an Act of Parliament in 1858.The intention of “The Spirited Troopers” is to show the energy and exuberance of the wild colonial boys who formed the back-bone of the Sheffield Light Horse Squadron.

The Drill Hall. The Drill Hall was built for the 22nd Light Horse Company. In 1912 a great ball was held to raise funds to send a team of horsemen to compete for the Prince Edward Cup in Albury. The mural depicts an elderly gent looking back over his life and remembering his youth as a Light Horseman.

Stillness and Warmth. “When the ground is all covered in snow, I do build a big fire, open my door, seat myself very, very quietly in front of the blazing logs and presently they come in, one by one, the wild animals, without their usual fear of man or of one another, and share with me, in stillness, the grateful warmth”. – Gustav Weindorfer

The Spirited Horses. This mural depicts a scene in 1919 when some men working on the cradle Mountain road were hit by a lightening storm causing the horses to panic and throw their riders off their backs leading to the death of one of the workers.

Wildlife Theatre

A G Rowe. This mural depicts Alf Rowe’s achievements- a coin-operated self-service automated fuel pump, pressure cooker and carrot- washing machine for use on farms.

The Cows

Discovering the August Plains.

The ANZAC and World War 1 Commemorative Mural

Sheffield Mt Roland Cable Car Company.

Turangawaewae

Tips:

• Do taste the fudges in Fudge n Good Coffee on the Main Street. The lemon meringue flavour is the most popular one. I loved them.

3 Alpacas were reared in the backyard of Kentish Hills retreat, where we stayed, and the owners were friendly enough to let me feed them. It was an enjoyable experience in itself!

• You can climb Mount Roland if you have planned a longer holiday. I stayed here for a night. Source of the information on murals was its

website

where you can even buy if it catches your fancy.