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It’s all in the eye of the beholder Photographer SILAS BROWN has been quietly collecting this selection of pictures of street art around Canberra. WHILE the National Gallery celebrates Australian street art from graffiti to stencils to stickers in its exhibition “Space Invaders”, the ACT Government is perhaps not so enthralled with growing cultural appreciation of the medium. Chief Minister and Minister for the Arts Jon Stanhope has yet to attend the exhibition and points out property owners can report graffiti artists seen “defacing public or private property” to Crime Stoppers. “Marking graffiti on property is an offence under both the Crimes Act 1900 and the Criminal Code 2002, under which anyone found defacing property is liable for prosecution,” Stanhope told “CityNews”. “Defacing property includes affixing a placard or paper or making a mark with chalk, paint or any other material on private premises without the consent of the occupier or owner. “’Post No Bills’ (or similar) signs have no particular legal power over and above the general prohibition on marking graffiti, but do make it clear that the owner does not want this activity undertaken on their property. “Property owners can report graffiti artists who are seen defacing public or private property to Crime Stoppers
on 1800 333 000, where details will be recorded to assist police with bringing action against offenders.” There are currently 29 legal graffiti sites around Canberra, three in Kaleen and none in Civic, including a significant number of toilet blocks, stormwater drains and underpasses. The “CityNews” Canberra graffiti gallery does not discriminate between legal and illegal street art. – Eleri Harris
Legal graffiti sites There are currently 29 legal graffiti art sites around Canberra. Each wall is signposted indicating that it is a legal site. The sites are: Ainslie, toilet block walls, Majura Oval, Angas Street; Calwell, stormwater drain under Tharwa Drive adjacent to playing fields; Chifley, toilet block walls, Chifley Oval; underpass, Tuggeranong Parkway, near Waldock and Badimara Streets, Waramanga; Curtin, underpass, McCulloch Street, 100m south of Cotter Road; Florey, underpass behind Florey shops one wall only); Flynn, underpass, Ginninderra Creek, under Ginninderra Drive; Giralang, underpass, bridge corner Baldwin and William Slim Drive; Greenway, Athlon Drive cycle underpass between Greenway and Kambah, skate park half pipe, two walls facing car park; Hawker, hit up wall, basketball court, Belconnen High School, Murranji Street; Isabella Plains, underpass, Narooma Street; Kaleen, hit up wall, tennis court, Kaleen High School, Baldwin Drive, underpass, Maribyrnong Avenue between Diamantina and Daintree Crescent; underpass, Maribyrnong Avenue between Ashburton and Moruya Circuit; Kambah, hit up wall, behind Mt Neighbour Primary, Boddington Circuit; Latham/McGregor, underpass, Florey Drive; Lyneham, Canberra Netball Centre (back wall only), toilet block walls, Lyneham Primary School Oval, Hall Street; Melba, Parks Depot, Brownlee Place (wall facing tennis court), Melba, underpass, two pylons 100m North of Ginninderra Drive; Narrabundah, Jerrabomberra Sportsground, Sturt Avenue; Nicholls, underpass, Kelleway Avenue; Richardson, Clift Crescent underpass; Torrens, underpass 1, Marr Street, near Marist College, Melrose High; underpass 2, Marr Street, near Marist College, Melrose High; Turner, Barry Drive, Sullivans Corner catchment; Waramanga, underpass, Damala Street; Woden, storm water drain wall, Callam Street.
A list of legal graffiti sites is located on the TAMS website http://www.tams.act.gov.au/play/pcl/ get_out_there/community_art/graffiti/legal_graffiti_sites CityNews December 9-15 21