Kings Cross mural unites ‘voices of the community’

By SHARLOTTE THOU

To describe Kings Cross as a suburb with a colourful history would be an understatement. This sentiment hopes to be captured in Fenella Kernebone’s latest project, Here Lies Your Story.  

The project is a text-based mural installed outside the Potts Point Hotel and is accompanied by an audio work and short interview series, produced by Cinnamon Nippard.  

The mural – a collation of short stories from across the Kings Cross community – aims to “offer [the community] a chance to connect in a creative way in a public space”.

The designer of the project, Marita Leuver, told City Hub that she hoped the piece could echo the “vibrance of the ‘hood’” and the multitude of stories in the area.  

Kernebone told City Hub that collating the stories was an intensive process, involving a “public call out, interviewing people, vox pops on the streets [and] handing out business cards inviting people to contribute”. She then edited them into a “meaningful order”, which created a narrative and “flow to the order that you read the stories”.  

Measuring almost 4.5 metres wide and 3 metres tall and continuing on the ground – where it is 2 metres deep and 3 metres wide – the artwork holds a commanding presence in the Kings Cross community.

“I wanted it to be big in scale, on the wall and on the ground, thus the title, Here Lies Your Story. You stand in front of the work and read the stories, and you can stand on them!”, Kernebone said.  

She continued that while “standing on artworks is usually discouraged”, the mural “encourages us to stand on it… [creating] an in memoriam feel … a mark of respect for the stories, people and moments that are now gone, but in our memories”.  

“This work is an opportunity to combine the physical, hopefully, stop-us-in-our tracks moments, as well as a chance to hear the voices of the community,” she added.  

Kings Cross is a suburb with a checkered past, headlined by a history of organised crime, prostitution, and assault. The mural captures King Cross’ tumultuous background through stories such as: 

“In 1981, my twin brother, a punk, died after allegedly suiciding in Springfield Ave. A detective family friend said, ‘for the safety of your daughters, don’t look into it’. Twenty years later, my parents heard he was murdered because money was owed…the Kings Cross police were notoriously dodgy at that time”. – Marita  

This story was contributed to by designer Marita Leuver, who told City Hub that this experience was “difficult for family and my sisters who all have either lived or still live in this neighbourhood”. 

A Kings Cross story about the disappearance of Juanita Nielsen

One of the more harrowing aspects of King Cross’ history is the disappearance of Juanita Nielsen. Nielsen was an activist who campaigned against property development in Kings Cross and was believed to have been murdered by agents of the developers.  

Kernebone said she “knew I had to include a story that mentions Juanita Nielsen”. One story reads:  

“I have always admired Juanita Nielsen and how she fought for Victoria Street. She disappeared in 1975, last seen at a nightclub not far from my place. It was so corrupt around here back then.” – Anonymous 

Kernebone acknowledged the “long history” of Kings Cross that has resulted in some stories being inevitably centred around violence and loss, but affirms that “these are their stories”.  

Many stories encapsulate positive experiences, including the liveliness of the suburb and King Cross’ tight-knit community.  

Speaking on the design process, Leuver said the colour coded sections allowed people to more easily find their story and hopes the bright colour palette “reflects the colourful diversity of our wonderful neighbourhood”. She said the community response to the project had been “great”, with many “wishing the [mural] was bigger with more stories”.  

Looking to the future, Kernebone said she had “so many ideas about how to continue to evolve this project”.  

The mural is on display from 4 April to 16 May and is part of the City of Sydney’s ‘Art and About’ series.