Clunes Town Hall Mural

This mural sits on the west wall of the main hall of the Clunes Town Hall. It was painted as part of a memorial to those who served in the 1914-1918 War. 

The mural was originally the background for panels of photographs depicting the soldiers and nurses who were connected with the town and district (see Soldiers Memorial Panel (269199)). These panels extended the full length of the hall with over 150 photos enclosed. 

The mural takes the form of a rising sun, a crown and several scrolls with the following inscription – ‘A Souvenir of the Great War, and Glorious Part Played by Clunes and District Boys’, ‘Australia’, ‘1914 to 1918’. The Clunes Guardian and Gazette (March 1st, 1922) reported that ‘the mural was brilliantly and artistically painted by Mr. Ford, to whom much praise is due for the skill and care which he has bestowed upon the whole work’.

Mr. Richard Ford was Foreman of the Borough of Clunes during the war years and in addition to the Mural he was responsible for the beautiful stage accessories and backdrop in the Town Hall. He was also a horticulturalist, parks foreman and one of the town’s most well-known and revered artists. 

According to the newspaper report ‘the memorial is striking in effect, and as the years pass on will only require reasonable care and attention to ensure its permanence’. This prediction was quite accurate as to this day the seating for Anzac Day Services at the Clunes Town Hall (following the Commemoration Service at the Cenotaph) is arranged so that the audience sit facing the Mural.

• Clunes Guardian and Gazette https://trove.nla.gov.au/search
• Clunes Museum https://clunesmuseum.org/presidents-articles/ford-councillor-horticulturalist-a…