Canberra inspires Fiji to live colourfully

Former Canberran Maria Dunbar outside her home in Fiji which she had painted with a mural after being inspired by a Canberra Times story.

Canberra art has inspired a former ACT resident now living in Fiji.

Maria Dunbar (nee Curtin) is an international school teacher currently stationed in Fiji.

The former Daramalan College (class of 1982) student keeps in touch with her home city by reading The Canberra Times online and was intrigued by a recent article about a trend in the national capital for residents to commission large murals for their homes.

So much so, it inspired her to act.

She commissioned a mural to be done on a "boring" wall of a new studio apartment she had just completed at her home in Pacific Harbour, about 40km south-west of Suva.

"A local graphic designer, Sarah Toganivalu, came up with the design, and two local artists did the painting," Maria told us.

Local artists created the mural, welcome work during Fiji's tourism slump.

"It's generated quite a bit of interest in the Pacific Harbour community, with lots of people popping in over the two weeks it took to complete."

She even had a mural reveal - a "Bula"-themed cocktail party to celebrate the new artwork - contained to 100 people, of course, according to Fiji's COVID-19 restrictions.

"Sarah and the two artists, Kath Reade and Judy Tilbury, thoroughly enjoyed the process, and have since been contacted to do more murals in private residences here in Fiji," Maria said.

The mural is on a studio at her home in Pacific Harbour, south-west of Suva.

"So your article has had a very welcome positive impact on our tropical island home - a good news story here in Fiji which has been badly affected by COVID."

Fiji has had 28 COVID-19 cases and two deaths, with three current active cases.

But no one is visiting the tropical paradise.

"The hit on tourism has been very tough for the Fijian economy and communities," Maria said.

And does anyone want to buy their own slice of Fiji?

"Since the mural has been finished, I've had the opportunity to buy a nearby block of land on the Pacific Harbour golf course, in the same street, so will be selling this," Maria said.

One of the murals in the article that inpired Maria Dunbar. This one was by the artist Smalls is at Tracey Davis' home in Aranda. Picture: Elesa Kurtz.

Maria also keeps up-to-date with Canberra happenings via weekly Zoom catch-ups with her family back home.

Parents Lyn and Terry Curtin live at the Ainslie Goodwin Village, sister Tina is in Turner, another sister Bec is in O'Connor and third sister Annie is in Melbourne.

Maria's children Aisla, Abbey and Alistair also live in Melbourne, as do grandchildren Eloise and Paddie.

"Bula!" to them all!