A new community mural honouring Australian pioneer aviator, artist, author and vice-regal consort Lady Maie Casey was unveiled in Berwick on Wednesday 9 September.
City of Casey Deputy Mayor Cr Anthony Walter, Cr Stefan Koomen and Women's Health in the South East (WHISE) CEO Kit McMahon were joined by community members at the Berwick Senior Citizens Centre to celebrate the unveiling of the mural.
The mural grew directly from Council and WHISE's Project Respect, an innovative partnership with local schools that invited young people to explore gender equality, respectful relationships, healthy masculinities, community safety and commemorative justice. Year 10 students from across the municipality created video pitches proposing ways to commemorate a woman connected to the City of Casey, with the successful proposal calling for a permanent tribute to Lady Casey.
Council supported the students' vision by commissioning the mural of Lady Casey, wife of Lord Richard Gavin Gardiner Casey, after whom the City of Casey is named. Lord Casey served as Australia's Governor-General from 1965 to 1969, and the couple lived at Edrington, their estate on High Street in Berwick.
Cr Walter said the mural, which was painted by local artist Arina Apostolova, is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when young people are empowered to share their ideas and help shape their community.
"This mural not only celebrates the extraordinary life of Lady Maie Casey, but also highlights the importance of recognising the contributions of women in our public spaces and local history," he said.
Ms McMahon said the students uncovered an important story that had largely gone untold.
"Through their research and advocacy, Casey students have shown how young people can be empowered to create meaningful and lasting change in their community," she said.
Following the unveiling, there was a panel discussion around public art and place naming; why women remain underrepresented in public places and local histories; and how local councils and schools can work with young people to create meaningful change.
The event also marked the launch of the Project Respect toolkit, which documents the partnerships, learnings and co-design process that enabled a classroom-based project to become a permanent public artwork.
Background information about the mural: The World Through Lady Casey's Sketchbook
This mural is imagined as a page from Lady Casey's own sketchbook-a collection of memories, travels and observations that shaped her extraordinary life. At the heart of the composition is Lady Casey herself, portrayed from an archival photograph as she writes and sketches at her desk.
Rather than celebrating only her public achievements, the mural reveals the thoughtful, creative and compassionate woman behind them. Surrounding her are fragments of her life: Lord Casey, her lifelong companion; an original sketch from her personal archive; references to India, Egypt and Edrington; and a vintage suitcase symbolising a lifetime of travel and cultural exchange. A vintage aeroplane reflects her passion for aviation and adventurous spirit, while a glowing kerosene lamp symbolises the warmth, kindness and curiosity that shines through her writings.
Delicate lace motifs represent femininity, peace, and her appreciation for women, textiles and craftsmanship. Native Australian flora-eucalyptus blossoms, gum nuts and golden wattle - frame the mural as a tribute to the country she loved and proudly called home. This concept invites viewers to discover Lady Casey not as a distant historical figure, but as an artist, traveller, writer and remarkable woman whose life continues to inspire.
Commemorative justice: fast facts
- Public space tells us who a community values. In Victoria, only about one in 10 commemorative place names and public artworks honour a woman, and just three per cent of commemorative public art does.
- Less than one per cent of those commemorations recognise First Peoples women or women from multicultural backgrounds, so the gap is not only about gender.
- Across Greater Melbourne, 165 suburbs commemorate a person. Three of them honour a woman.
- Nationally, there are more public statues of animals than of women. This is a designed outcome, not an accident, which means it can be redesigned.
- Victoria set a target for 70 per cent of new commemorative place names to honour women each year under Our Equal State: Victoria's Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan 2023 to 2027. That target has been met. Commemorative place names honouring women rose from 26 per cent in 2022, to 35 per cent in 2023, to 57 per cent in 2024, to 70 per cent in 2025, the first time Victoria has named more new places after women than men.
- By 2025, at least 42 Victorian councils had acted on place naming and public art equality, including audits, gender impact assessments and name banks that include women.
- Murals, monuments and place names are part of primary prevention. Who is visible in public space shapes what a community treats as normal, and the rigid gender norms reinforced by that absence are among the recognised drivers of violence against women.
