PERCY HOBSON MURAL

The Percy Hobson was completed in April 2021, on the Bourke water tank, by the renowned Lightning Ridge artist John Murray, local artists Brian Smith and Bobby Barrett, Melbourne street artist Lucas Kasper and a crew of young Aboriginal artists.

As a finishing touch, the Bourke community added their hand prints to the bottom of the mural. The mural honors Bourke's Commonwealth gold medalist, showing Percy Hobson clearing the high jump bar with red-tailed black cockatoos on the other side of the tank.

At the 1962 Perth Commonwealth games, Percy Hobson became the first Aboriginal athlete to win a gold medal for Australia. Aged 20 years at the time, Hobson took victory in the high jump, clearing the bar at 6ft 11 in. (2.11 m ), setting a new Commonwealth Games record.