Community & Business
28 March, 2025
Grand idea for water tower mural
Year 11 Clifton State High School student Ellie Stenzel is campaigning to have a mural painted on the water tower in front of her school.
Ellie has written to Toowoomba Region Mayor Geoff McDonald, Cr Carol Taylor and prominent community groups around Clifton with her proposal.
The high level water storage reservoir, on East Street, is operated by Toowoomba Regional Council.
"Looking around other communities, I feel inspired by their beautiful murals on their silos and water towers, they provide the community with a sense of pride seeing their amazing creations," Ellie said.
"With the water tower for the Clifton community sitting on school grounds I feel that the addition of a mural would be a brilliant pop of color to our community.
"This addition to our community would create a better binding and sense of community and bring a sense of place, shared identity and purpose.
"The flow-on effects of this proposal would leave a legacy and feeling of identity for many generations.
"From the perspective of a school student, if the mural was to be completed, it would create a sense of culture and identity for our surroundings.
"For some it may even remind them of a personal experience.
"Not only would the personal aspects leave a phenomenal imprint on our community, if the project was to go ahead and be completed, it would be part of a larger scheme, Australian Silo Art Trail, the addition of our mural would bring tourism to our area creating an enormous flow on effect on our community and help small businesses.
"I believe this change could benefit the Clifton and surrounding community and leave a legacy that our community will remember."
Back in 2020, the Clifton and Districts Chamber of Commerce and Industry held discussions about having the water tower painted.
The Chamber spoke with artist brothers Kerry and Malcolm Nicholson who have painted numerous murals around the Downs.
There was strong community support for that proposal at the time, however the idea fizzled out.
