Anonymous donor helps Mt Barker artist David Johnson bring stunning new mural to Gomm Park

A stunning new landmark for Gomm Park has appeared in the form of a mural painted by Mt Barker artist David Johnson.

The mural was commissioned earlier in March by the Lower King Community Association but was made possible through a generous donation from an anonymous benefactor after a grant application by the group was unsuccessful.

Johnson began working on the mural on Monday, March 25, and completed it on Friday, March 29, taking him roughly 50 hours over the four days.

He said he was pleased with how it turned out.

“I’m really thrilled with it; it certainly represents the croquet club and the Lower King area,” he said.

“It’s really the first time I’ve painted a bird; that was really the only challenge. I wanted to get it right.

“I wanted it to pop off the mural.”

Johnson has been a sign painter since 1982 and is a member of international mural group The Walldogs.

This has seen him travel to the US to paint murals with the group, as well as bringing its members to Mt Barker in 2019 and 2022 for the Mountains and Murals Festival.

Gomm Park Croquet Club member Beverly Ford praised the mural’s impact on the area.

“What a sense of wellbeing it gives users of the facility,” she said.

“It just makes you smile and feel good.”