Re-imagining the Women’s Mural – a virtual tour

The Women’s Mural Documentation Project in collaboration with Her Place Women’s Museum Australia, and artists Megan Evans and Eve Glenn present Re-imagining the Women's Mural – a virtual tour.

The original Women's Mural: Bomboniere to Barbed Wire, a 150 metre x 12 metre public artwork originally located at the Gas and Fuel site in Smith Street, Fitzroy, was created and painted by Megan Evans and Eve Glenn in 1986. This mammoth undertaking was completed by the artists after speaking with and photographing many women who lived in the then culturally diverse suburb of Northcote. From these consultations with the women, the artists wished to create an artwork that captured the everyday lives of women who lived, worked and studied in the area as a counter response to the large-scale sexist advertising that became prominent in the streets in the 1980s.

Thirty years later, in February 2016 the mural was defaced by a notorious tagger and this act created a swell of community outcry and commentary on the future of the mural – would it be repainted and preserved in some way, perhaps re-imagined by contemporary female street artists or, like all street art, the vagaries of time had determined that it would fade away? In the end, this much-loved artwork succumbed to urban pressure, and in October 2019 with the Women's Mural was demolished as part of the Gas and Fuel site redevelopment.

Now that the original Women’s Mural no longer exists, we are excited to make available this digital iteration of the mural. You can now digitally experience one of Australia's most significant feminist murals via mobile and electronic devices. Explore its continuing relevance to the experiences of women in Australia through music, text, images, links and audio interviews that trace the history of this remarkable mural and much-loved Melbourne icon, from its creation to the present day.

When you visit the digital site you will arrive at 1986. Just click on each of the 3 icons to explore the story of the original mural created by artists, Megan Evans and Eve Glenn. Then move through to 2019 to follow over 30-years of history of the mural.

The Women's Mural Documentation Project and Her Place Women's Museum Australia gratefully acknowledge the support of the Victorian Government and Public Record Office Victoria for making this project possible.

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation as the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which this project was created. We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

The digital platform for Re-imagining the Women's Mural – a virtual tour was designed by Digital Heritage Australia