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Day one
Murray Street Art GalleryMurray Street Art Gallery
Start at the Murray Street Art Gallery. There you'll find a detailed mosaic on the side of the entrance ramp showing the seascape and landscape of Kangaroo Island. Inside the gallery you'll find a wide range of lovely art works by our talented locals artists.
Just next door to the gallery there is a series of painted boards giving you a feel for the Island through eyes of the locals.
Community Youth Art MuralCommunity Youth Art Mural
Follow the signs through the Council carpark to the back of the gallery to find a Community Youth Art Mural designed by Year 12 Student, Kieren Scott, in 2016. Remarkable Rocks, the sky, the ocean, the Kingscote Wharf, rivers and a pair of hands explain Kieren's vision.
Fire Orchids among burnt out Eucalyptus
Fire Orchids among burnt out Eucalyptus
From the gallery, walk down to Dauncey Street, cross over, turn left and and discover a large mural depicting spectacular fire orchids among burnt out eucalyptus on the southern wall of the block of shops adjacent to a spare block. This mural was created by Jan Pengilly with fellow artists from the Kangaroo Island Art Society, after devastating bushfires of 2019/2020. Admiring these magnificent wildflowers is a thoughtful Kangaroo, called Room, in a signature red and white stripped T-Shirt. Jan describes Roo as 'a bit of a where's Wally' who appears in quite a number of murals in the township.
Roo Showering Mural
Roo Showering Mural
Cross back over to Dauncey Street and on the Op Shop wall you'll see Roo showering. Note how artist Jan Pengilly has cleverly connected the real pipes on the wall to the painted shower in this quirky mural
Roo's Bush Band Mural
Roo's Bush Band Mural
Recross Dauncey Street to the next lane way and you'll be surprised to by Roo thoughtfully observing a quirky Kangaroo bush band. Yes, we have a real musical talent on KI. Look for the words of the song (The Island) that the band and its vocalists are performing. It's cleverly printed on a notepaper at the left of the mural.
Bronze SculptureBronze Sculpture
Keep walking up Dauncey Street and just outside the gift shop keep your eyes open to see a beautifully sculptured bronze work by Silvio Aponyi. Adjacent to the footpath, a KI seal watches you from the safety of a large boulder in the street garden.
BollART
BollART
Turn right on to Commercial Street and you'll be immediately be attracted to a row of brightly coloured bollards installed outside the Aurora Ozone Hotel. This collaborative work is entitled by the BollArt Project. Each artwork was created by a local school student in 2020. Work your way down the hill towards the seafront and enjoy the bollard in turn. On each a young KI artist has shared their favourite place on Kangaroo Island.
Bollard 1: Scarlett aged 15, has painted Remarkable Rocks, a spectacular KI tourist attraction at the far west end of the Island
Bollard 2: Breaking wave by Zahli aged 14, reminds locals and tourists to enjoy KI's spectacular seascapes all around the coastline.
Bollard 3: Nick, aged 14, enjoys sea and the creatures that live in it. Whales are a wonderful sight, so look out for them.
Bollard 4: Make a visit to Seal Bay to catch the antics of seals. Camilla, aged 15, delights in the seal colony and has painted the Seals at sunset.
Bollard 5: Georgia, aged 6, sees rare bandicoots towering grass trees near Parndana and so created the Bandicoot in the Grass Trees
Bollard 6: Light houses on KI are open to explore, Anabella, aged 12, has captured the beauty of Cape du Couedic Lighthouse.
Bollard 7: In spring the Island is thick with Flag Iris blooms. Hallie, aged 6, shares her delight with Native Blue Flag Iris
Bollard 8: Poppy, aged 7, was captivated by this remarkable Eucalyptus Regrowth tree after the Bushfires
Bollard 9: Robbie, aged 17, captured some rock magic in the Psychedelic Remarkable Rocks at sunset.
Bollard 10: Birds are prolific on KI, even in the school playground as Grace, aged 11, shows us in Australian Ibis ('Bin Chicken')
Bollard 11: Chaeli, aged 15, cleverly transposes a spectacular insect on an Island landmark in Dragonfly at Admirals Arch.
Bollard 12: Zach, aged 8, produced a colourful art work depicting a Rainbow Lorikeet, a bird that he really loves.
Bollard 13: Kangaroo Island Sunset was created by Rose, aged 10, reminding us that KI sunsets and sunrises are always spectacular.
Bollard 14: Watch out for tiny blue wrens all over KI. 9 Year Old Taylah's artwork Four Fairy Wrens shows a gathering of male wrens.
Bollard 15: Senior Student Kelly, aged 18, photographed Sea Shells on the Sea Shore to encourage everyone to explore KI's pristine local beaches.
Bollard 16: 12 Year Old Elke's painting Crashing Wave confirms that as Islanders we have a deep connection with the sea.
Adjacent to the row of bollards, there is one further artwork on the hotel's glass window with an explanation of the BollART Project. 15 Year Old Arjay's work, Australian Pelicans alerts us to the many majestic pelicans that can be found in Island coastal waters.
Engaging Door Historic PaintingEngaging Door Historic Painting
Time to move on, so cross the street and walk a little way up the Commercial Street footpath and you'll find an engaging door sized historic painting by Jennie Clapson showing the KI Community as of yesteryear.
Metal Sheet SculptureMetal Sheet Sculpture
Just a few steps further on at the next corner there is a spectacular moulded metal sheet sculpture by local sculptor Deb Sleeman. Look closely and you'll see a canoe prow and tall plinth with the suggestion of a female navigator looking towards the horizon.
Fine Art Kangaroo Island
Fine Art Kangaroo Island
Walk diagonally across the intersection to the Fine Art KI Gallery. Go in to admire the tastefully arranged artworks- jewellery, paintings, weaving, sculptures, glass art and more all crafted by local Islanders. As you leave to continue walking up the hill, look out for the painting of a giant pelican on the external wall of the gallery.
Pair of Fairy Wrens
Pair of Fairy Wrens
A couple of shops further up Commercial Street, nestled in a laneway, there's a compelling, large mural by Jan Pengilly of a pair of Fairy Wrens. The intense blue background highlights the blue of the male wren and contrasts with the modest attire of the female wren.
KI Spinners and WeaversKI Spinners and Weavers
Re-cross Commercial Street and walk up the hill past the supermarket. Continue past the eye catching cloudscape set in a stone walled garden. Keep going up the hill, past an historic old green shed and you'll find yourself curving towards Telegraph Road. Not far past the shed, glance right to discover Roo cavorting with an eclectic mob of sheep on the wall of the former home of the KI Spinners and Weavers. The mural is a salute to the prime quality of merino wall farmed on Kangaroo Island.
Roo Fence MuralRoo Fence Mural
Now turn left and walk up Telegraph Road. Almost immediately you'll see another fence mural. There's Roo again, peering through his binoculars, trying to get closer look at a lively flock of western spinebills, foraging among native grevillea blossoms.
Turner Tyres Roo
Turner Tyres Roo
Cross over Telegraph Road to Turners Tyre's and begin walking back towards town. On your left tucked away on the adjacent wall, a bemused Roo examines a tyre in need of mending.
Bemused Bee
Bemused Bee
By now you'll be at the Kingscote Community Garden. There you'll find a large painting on the galvanized iron shed door of Junction Australia, adjacent to the garden. Its shows a giant ligurian bee in a colourful garden. You are welcome to have a look at the community garden but just outside on the street front, there is an inviting seat and Book Exchange Cupboard that might encourage you to rest awhile.
Optional: Kingscote Silo
Optional: Kingscote Silo
If you are an enthusiastic walker, or if you can ride or drive, there are a couple of spectacular art works not to miss. Driving in or out of Kingscote on the Playford highway you can't miss the towering old wheat silos, now showing off an authentic KI landscape, depicting a very large Kangaroo and Glossy Black Cockatoos in the natural KI bushland.
Optional: Local Animals Patient MuralOptional: Local Animals Patient Mural
Further out on the Playford Highway, the local veterinary clinic welcomes you with a large mural of some of their local animal patients. It's well worth a look.
Optional Life Sized CowOptional Life Sized Cow
If you happen to be driving, walking or cycling out of Kingscote via Bronlow, go south along the coastline for about a kilometer, past the yacht club to find a restored historic water trough complete with a life sized cow tethered ready for milking. Right there you will find a perfect picnic spot under the gum trees, alongside the ocean at Nepean Bay.
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That's a wrap
Be captivated by intriguing street art scattered throughout unexpected places. Experience the powerful illuminations that beautifully showcase Kangaroo Island's wildlife and nature, leaving you with lasting impressions you won't want to leave behind.
Discover captivating murals and artwork on the Kingscote Art Trail. Admire local talent at Fine Art Kangaroo Island Gallery and the collaborative BollArt Project featuring student artworks.
