The positive pARTnerships program aims to work with community groups, local schools, and stakeholders to collaborate and produce high quality public artwork projects that transform rail stations across South East Queensland. The program also validates our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our customers while enhancing community pride.
To date positive pARTnerships public artworks totals to approximately 15715.6 square metres across the Queensland Rail city network. This includes subways, station buildings, bike lockers, car park banners, attenuation barriers, ramps, and lift wells.
In 2009 positive pARTnerships and Norman Park State School were the Queensland State winners of the Abaf (Australian Business Arts Foundations) Toyota Community Award for their collaboration in the station beautification project at Norman Park station. The Toyota Community Award is for partnerships between businesses and arts and cultural organisations that enhance the life of communities.
Positive pARTnerships were also awarded earlier this year a Abaf Good Practice Recognition Award for our 2010 Kingston station mural project. Positive pARTnerships worked closely with community partners Boystown and Kingston College, who were also recognised for their outstanding work on this project.
Throughout the year positive pARTnerships community artists also conduct art workshops within the community at various events and locations. For upcoming art workshops please check the website regularly for the next event near you!
Click to find out more about:
Current works in progress 2011
- Wacol station
- Oxley station (Stage 2)
- Bundaberg station
Recent projects
- Darra Corridor & TSC building
- Ormiston station
Darra Coordisor TSC building
To help combat graffiti, positive pARTnerships were approached by a Queensland Rail Project Manager to mural a corridor wall and TSC Building. Community artist Lee Harnden was selected for the job. As a trial, the wall was first painted, and after a few months it proved to be successful.
The mural features the words ‘Knowledge is King” in a large flowing calligraphy font. The wording is a positive and uplifting day to day message for commuters.
Ormiston station
Ormiston Station has received a vibrant new community mural that was officially opened on Friday 8 July 2011. Community Artists Ky Curran, Symone Male, 
Ben Werner, Kim Woolley and Rod Bunter did a fantastic job to complete the 178.4 square meter mural in partnership with the local community. To gather local insight and ideas, workshops were held with local Ormiston College vacation care and Ormiston State School and design theme discussions were in consultation with the Ormiston medical centre.
The mural is located on the wall adjoining the new station car park extension and features a contemporary history and nature themed landscape design inspired from the local Redland City area.
Designs include flowing landscapes from Cleveland Point heritage precinct which wraps around to Wellington Point as well as historic landmarks such as the Lighthouse, Ormiston House and Carmelite Monastery.
How we create murals
There are a number of processes taken in order to produce high quality public artworks. These processes can vary depending on the mural location and its accessibility. Dedicated staff within Queensland Rail, positive pARTnerships, and other key stakeholders work hard to ensure these public artworks are delivered and reflect its local community.
Frequently asked questions
| 1. How big is a mural? |
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Murals vary in size from small panels (a.500 x 500 mm) to large walls, fencing and subway murals spanning over 1800m sq. |
| 2. How long does it take to paint a mural? |
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This varies according to scale of the project. The variables include size of the mural, number of community groups involved in the consultation process, number of community panels involved in the job. |
| 3. How many artists are involved in a mural project at one time? |
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This varies from 1-10 depending on the size and nature of the project. |
| 4. How many murals has positive pARTnerships program done to date? |
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To date there are approximately 82 murals that adorn a total of 15715.6 m sq. |
Positive pARTnerships 2011 first quarter
Roma Street Lost Property Artwork
Roma Street stations Lost Property received two attractive paintings to brighten up the office and surrounding subway. Positive pARTnerships artists Ky Curran and Mark Makhoul consulted with Lost Property staff regarding their desired designs. The two artworks include a painting of a city train in front of platform 3 and the other a sign post installation where lost property items are represented.
Yeerongpilly station mural
Yeerongpilly Station’s Western wall received an artistic makeover, in the form of a 289.4 square metre mural. Completed by positive pARTnerships community artists, the tennis themed creation gives residents something new and exciting to look at while passing by Yeerongpilly Station.
The sizeable mural, which depicts tennis throughout history along with local icons, is the one of the recently completed artworks of Queensland Rail’s positive pARTnerships program.
Kerrith Giese, the lead artist for this project has done such a fantastic job on the Yeerongpilly mural. 
Kerrith designed the artwork so that it would compliment the new footbridge design, and capture the spirit of the local community.
As the mural is located on Fairfield Road, opposite the Queensland Tennis Centre at Yeerongpilly, a tennis theme was deemed the most appropriate for the painting.
Working alongside Kerrith were community artists Emma Nimec, Taylor Hackwood, Celeste Giese, Anthony Jigalin, Kenji Uranishi and Stephen Vella, all of whom have received praise from local residents for their vast creation.
Darra station mural
Darra station murals were completed by Queensland Rails positive pARTnerships community artists, Kim Woolley & Fintan Scott - Magee in collaboration with The Vietnamese Community of Australia.
The two murals, which stretch across 588 square metres of the station, follow a strong Vietnamese theme to honour the multiculturalism of the Darra community.
Queensland Rail Chief Customer Officer said the murals were a vibrant addition to the station and integral to Queensland Rail's focus on customer service.
Queensland Rail has participated in 71 positive pARTnerships projects to date, covering 12,947 square metres across the City Network.
On Saturday 2nd April, Transport Minister Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk MP and Chief Customer Officer Theo Taifalos launched the completed murals.
Roma Street Parklands 10th Birthday
Queensland Rail positive pARTnerships attended the Roma Street Parklands 10th Birthday Celebrations on Saturday 9 April. The team provided face painting and Lady Bug Rocks (garden theme) activities for children. Community Education Officers also were on hand to deliver rail safety and customer service information.
Positive pARTnerships 2011 second quarter
Ormiston Station Mural
Ormiston Station has received a vibrant new community mural that was officially opened on Friday 8 July 2011. Community Artists Ky Curran, Symone Male, Ben Werner, Kim Woolley and Rod Bunter did a fantastic job to complete the 178.4 square meter mural in partnership with the local community.
To gather local insight and ideas, workshops were held with local Ormiston College vacation care and Ormiston State School and design theme discussions were in consultation with the Ormiston medical centre.
The mural is located on the wall adjoining the new station car park extension and features a contemporary history and nature themed landscape design inspired from the local Redland City area.
Designs include flowing landscapes from Cleveland Point heritage precinct which wraps around to Wellington Point as well as historic landmarks such as the Lighthouse, Ormiston House and Carmelite Monastery.
Ipswich show
Queensland Rail sponsored the Global Fiesta at the Ipswich Festival from Saturday 21 May to Sunday 29 May 2011 which saw the spectacular Robelle Domain parklands officially opened by Premier Anna Bligh and Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale.
The Community Engagement Team presented a public display with information about the new timetable, rail safety as well as disability access information. Positive pARTnerships artists held interactive art workshops at the Kids Kingdom which included face painting that was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Positive pARTnerships 2011 third quarter
AbaF (Australia Business Art Foundation) awards
On the 7th of September Positive pARTnerships attended the AbaF awards for nomination for the Toyota Community Award and to receive Good Practice Recognition in Partnering, Volunteering and Giving
Ormiston Official Unveiling of Station Car Park Mural
The official opening of Ormiston’s station vibrant new mural took place Friday the 8th of July 2011, and features a contemporary history and nature themed landscape design inspired from the local Redland City area.
Community Artists completed the 178.4 square meter mural in partnership with the local community following workshops and design theme discussions with Ormiston College vacation care, Ormiston State School and Ormiston medical centre.
The mural is located on the wall adjoining the new station car park extension and features landscapes from Cleveland Point heritage precinct and historic landmarks such as the Lighthouse, Ormiston House and Carmelite Monastery.
Darra Corridor Mural
The positive Partnership team completed the Darra Corridor mural project in July as a trial to combat heavy graffiti in the area between Wacol and Corinda.
Project Manager Terry Pyne, approached Positive pARTnerships in regards to mural work within the Darra corridor to help combat graffiti of the TSC building and retaining wall that had become a frequent graffiti target.
The mural features the words ‘Knowledge is King’ symbolising a message of respect in the graffiti underworld which deters vandals whilst delivering a positive message to Queensland Rail commuters.
Emerging Artists Billboard Competition
Two Queensland Rail Emerging Art Billboard Competition winners will now have their artworks shining down for everyone to see at Fortitude Valley station over the next 12 months.
In June, we put the call out for Brisbane-based emerging artists to submit vibrant and creative designs that would enhance the experience for customers and make a positive contribution towards the local community.
The competition attracted a large number of entrants, however, the winners were standouts and their artworks captured what ‘The Valley’ is all about.
Kadir Kiraz, a Brisbane based emerging graphic designer, was the Selection Panel winner with his artwork ‘The Valley, Come & Find’ - a story about how the Valley is a place where people come together.
The People's Choice winner was Brisbane based graphic designer and illustrator Taniera Robati whose artwork ‘Sound of The Valley’ displayed a visual interpretation of the sounds of Fortitude Valley, where the city is the music and the music is alive.
Taniera’s vision was to use his artistic abilities to achieve stability, his style is explosive and creative and he has truly captured the all of the elements that the Valley is famous for.
To see the winners as well as the other entries, visit our Facebook page.
Holiday Art with Fun
Positive pARTnerships were a part of the Roma Street Parklands spring School Holiday Program attended by approximately 2500 people to host face painting, chalk art and colouring in competitions for children.
Community Education Officers were there for three of the five days to hand out rail safety messages.
Want to get involved?
If your school, community group or organisation would like to be apart of the Queensland Rail station beautification program, please email your details to; pARTnerships@qr.com.au