About the project

In January 2024, the LMW and SWEP communication and engagement teams joined forces for a community art project to honour the retired Dethridge wheels which had been removed in order to create efficiencies in the Sunraysia water network.

We hosted a community workshop where we invited schools, private business, community organisations and historical societies to attend to collaborate on how the Dethridge wheels could be used, decorated and displayed.

Once the workshop was complete and we gathered the communities' thoughts we commenced an expression of interest process where community could apply to receive a wheel.

Who applied for a wheel?

• 8 organisations
• 2 aged care facilities
• 9 primary schools
• 5 secondary schools
• 7 local residents

Eight organisations applied, who were keen to publicly decorate and display their wheels as part of a community art trail. Two aged care facilities also applied to display wheels privately on their sites, for the enjoyment of their residents.

Mildura’s education sector took the biggest interest in this project, with nine primary school and five senior colleges submitting an application to own and display a wheel on their grounds.

Applications at a glance

• 31 applications received
• 4 sponsorships requested
• 16 applicants will decorate their wheels
• 15 applicants will display the wheels in their original form

Community art project completed

At the end of 2024, the Dethridge wheel community art project come to an end with a total of 41 retired wheels given a new lease on life. We are pleased to see the wheels adorning residents front gardens as garden art and the historical societies in Red Cliffs and Merbein have installed their wheels in their original concrete cast.

Below are some images of the community workshop and the completed wheels.