Southern suburbs

Newtown

Newtown Community Hall, 71 Daniell Street

Intersection: of times, memories and people (2021)

Intersection is a Newtown inspired mural, painted at the Newtown Community Hall on Daniell Street by Andrew Tamati-Wright, aka Kerb One, and Sarah Tamati-Wright, aka Spexone, during the summer of 2021.

Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua, I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past.  This whakatau speaks to Māori perspectives of time where the past, present and future are intertwined.  Intersection reflects this perspective, representing Kerb’s memories of growing up in Newtown in the 70s, 80s, and 90s in and around Daniell Street. 

The focus for the mural is the busy intersection at Constable and Daniel Street, from the former Adventure Playground where local tamariki played and built forts that grew into castles from scrap wood, rope and tires, to the PIC church, on the opposite side of the intersection – an important gathering place for many pacific families.  The mural is rich in meaning, embodies social history and reflects the artists' deep connection to place – to its past, present and hopeful future.

218 Riddiford Street

Latin Collective mural by Chilean Artist, Alfonso Ruiz Pajarito, 2019

This big, bold mural painted on the North side of the building at 218 Riddiford Street in Newtown brings to life the stories of the Latin American community who have made Wellington their home.

The mural, facilitated by the Latin Collective, was inspired by stories and experiences collected from Latin American residents living in the Wellington region.

The collective held several workshops to gather stories and ideas, as well as a final workshop with the artist where community members agreed on the final design. Around 70 people from the community attended meetings, representing all ages and 12 different Latin American countries.

The Artist, Alfonso Ruiz Pajarito is a prominent muralist from a well-known collective founded in the 1960s called Brigada Ramona Parra. The Brigada have a particular Latin American aesthetic and a history of working with communities to depict their stories.

Over 100 people helped with the mural, including guests from the Wellington City Mission and local passers-by. They joined in painting, preparing food, setting up scaffolding, and a Brazilian Batucada band (a traditional samba music band) even performed during the mural's development. The atmosphere was vibrant and humbling for the Latin Collective.

Bus shelter, Rintoul Street, on the corner of Waripori Street

Xoe Hall, 2014

Neon Delights is Xoe Hall’s second bus stop boutique (the first is in Aro Valley). This candy-floss pink shelter incorporates elements from Xoe’s life - one of her sisters has green hair and the other makes top hats. The boutique depicts Xoe’s interpretation of the multi-cultural, creative and exciting communities of Newtown and Berhampore.