From pipes to paint: The Big Picture Fest breathes new life into Hunter Water's historic pump station

Hunter Water's historic Newcastle West 1 Wastewater Pump Station (WWPS) is set to receive a colourful makeover with a thoughtfully designed mural as part of this year's The Big Picture Fest.

Designed by Aboriginal Artist Jasmine Craciun, the mural will cover the King Street side of the WWPS and will feature an artwork celebrating our cultural connection to water and the Newcastle region.

Hunter Water Executive Manager Strategy and Engagement, Emma Berry, is pleased to see the prominent site being transformed into a work of art, with an important message.

"We’re happy to be in partnership with The Big Picture Fest and to host one of our assets for the location of a mural. Jasmine Craciun has designed an artwork with an important message that promotes our Aboriginal history and the value of water. This will be the second mural she's designed for our organisation – the first at Finnan Park at Grahamstown Dam.

“I'm looking forward to seeing the mural come to life over the weekend and for the opportunity for the community to connect on a project like this," Ms Berry said.

This is Hunter Water's second time participating in The Big Picture Fest, which will see street artists painting in real time across 26 locations in Newcastle for three days this weekend (27 – 29 September).

Event Director Katerina Skoumbas is happy to see the sponsorship continue following the organisation’s participation in 2022, which saw a water themed mural painted on to Hunter Water's head office building on Honeysuckle Drive.

"We are delighted to be working again with Hunter Water as a sponsor on this central site at Marketown.

"This time it's with the incredible Jasmine Craciun, who is back on the lineup bringing plenty of colour through her latest style of art. It's sure to lift the vibe in this part of the city," Ms Skoumbas said.

Prominent artist Jasmine Craciun is also excited to be participating and for the opportunity to create a meaningful artwork that can be enjoyed by the community.

"I'm super excited to be painting for The Big Picture Fest this year. The Hunter Water mural explores the layers of Newcastle’s landscape and is inspired by middens—shell collections that reveal where Aboriginal people lived and gathered food. These middens, many still lying beneath our footpaths and within the walls of historic buildings, have been significantly impacted by colonisation.

“Here in Newcastle, and along the East Coast, middens were crushed to produce lime, with remnants still visible in some Sydney buildings. The ripples of water in the mural evoke the horizon seen from the breakwall, intertwining my personal memories with the enduring presence of those who came before us,” Ms Craciun said.

Constructed in 1909, the Newcastle West 1 WWPS is one of Hunter Water's oldest pump stations. It services customers in the western parts of the Newcastle CBD and the suburbs of Adamstown, Broadmeadow, Hamilton, Islington, Mayfield, New Lambton, Tighes Hill and Wickham.