Created in 1980 during the St Kilda Festival with local school children, the mural part of the Port Phillip City Collection and is formally recognised as an object integral to the library's Heritage Victoria listing, cementing its status an integral part of the St Kilda Library's heritage value.
After decades of exposure, the mural showed signs of wear, including cracking, paint lifting, fading and surface grime. Expert conservators are now stabilising the panels, re-adhering fragile paint and cleaning the surface using delicate techniques.
A custom vitrine enclosure is being built to protect the artwork from future damage, while removing a non-original aluminium frame will restore its authentic look and reveal historic details such as original edges and colour contrasts.
Following the recent deinstallation for the first time since its installation in the 1980s, it has been possible to closely examine the reverse (verso) of the mural boards.
The verso paintings suggest that the boards used for the mural may have been recycled, potentially supplied either by Council from another project or by one of the local participants involved in the St Kilda Festival project
More broadly, the full story surrounding the mural's creation is incomplete. Available documentation indicates that the mural was produced as part of the St Kilda Festival in the 1980s, with Mirka Mora working with children to create the mural.
Details regarding the how the artwork came together remains unclear, so if you have any information or knowledge on the "Children's Mural", reach out to our Port Phillip City Collection Team - [email protected]
The mural is expected to return to its familiar home by the end of March 2026, refreshed and protected for generations to come.
