Agitators are not always rebel-rousers

Tweet

Lightning Ridge in Australia is an opal-mining town and is situated in northern New South Wales, just south of the Queensland border. Now, acclaimed artist, John Murray, is inviting street artists to travel there to paint on abandoned agitators which were once used in processing opals. These mixing drums are like giant cement mixers and were used to sift soil on opal mines. Visiting artists are given food and accommodation for four nights plus financial assistance towards fuel costs. When the twenty agitators are finished, they’ll be displayed complete with a QR code that gives the name of the donor (of the drum) and the artist. There are no restrictions on what the artists paint and both men and women will have the chance to paint the drums. I can’t copy the photos but I’d encourage you to have a look at the article. One shows a yabby or fresh-water crayfish. Another is painted in the iridescent colours that opals are renowned for. The link is: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-29/john-murray-lightning-ridge-street-art-opal-mining/106995942 The photo is mine of some street art in one of our towns. You've seen it before but I just love it.