Art from the Murray to Mountains helping Hume rebuild

A series of stunning art installations and infrastructure upgrades on the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail is helping support the Hume region as it reopens to visitors.

The projects were delivered in Rutherglen, Bright, Porepunkah, Yackandandah, Beechworth, Eurobin, Everton, Oxley, Milawa, and Wangaratta. They are tourism upgrades to encourage visitors to get out and explore this beautiful part of Victoria.

It's all thanks to an $8.5 million investment for Regional Tourism Infrastructure Projects.

Creative highlights include:

• the transformation of the bridge at Roberts Creek in Porepunkah into the Colour Bridge. It is a bright, immersive installation created by Melbourne-based creative studio Skunk Control.
• True Horizons by Kent Morris at Eurobin Station is a First Peoples’ artwork that invites visitors to reflect on the landscape and history of the region.
• an immersive passage of rhythm, colour, and perceptual play called Mindful Tunnel by Drez Studios
• new silo art in Rutherglen called Birds of Season by Wangaratta local Ronan Holdsworth
• the Magpie Family sculptures on the section of trail between Bowser to Tarrawingee and Bright by internationally recognised artist Emily Floyd.

Ensuring the project benefits the entire region there are also art installations in Beechworth and around Oxley and Milawa.

By sharing work from Victorian artists and First Peoples, the project is delivering art, culture and storytelling to the much-loved trail and enriching the visitor experience.

The project also delivered the following across the region:

• landscaping
• improved public amenities
• signage
• tourist information
• additional Infrastructure will allow for pop up food vendors, trail tours or bike hire opportunities in a number of the key locations.

This project was delivered by Tourism Northeast. This was in collaboration with Rural City of Wangaratta, Indigo and Alpine Shires.

These upgrades are in addition to the $5.2 million investment to add an almost 32 km extension of world-class cycling trails delivered last year. They have positioned the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail as a ‘must do’ accessible cycling experience to domestic and international audiences.

The completion of these upgrades, and the $2.5 million in support that was recently announced to supercharge the visitor economy in Porepunkah, Bright and surrounding region, will provide a massive boost to the area, helping draw more visitors and backing local jobs and businesses.

To learn more about business support for Porepunkah and Alpine Shire, visit the Business Victoria website.

To learn more about the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, and see these projects, visit Tourism North East.