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Back to August 2011 Motorsports News Archive
| 15-08-2011 at 08:00: Art Project “Beautifies” Crash Barriers | |
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Local professional artist Elizabeth Young has painted historic scenes of the former gold-mining village on 15 of the 7-tonne, 7.25 metre barriers lining Macintyre Street between the start line and the first corner. Depicting landmarks such as the 1863 Royal Hotel – still operating, now under the ownership of retired rugby league personality Shane Webcke – the CWA hall, the Anglican and Catholic churches, slaughterhouse and old school, the paintings will be officially dedicated on Saturday 27 August by State Member of Parliament Lawrence Springborg. Leyburn Sprints President Ann Collins said the art project added a new year-round attraction to the town of 300 residents and highlighted the historical background of the 16th annual round-the-houses time trials. “The Leyburn Sprints celebrate the running of the 1949 Australian Grand Prix on a nearby wartime airstrip, but the history of the town itself goes back around 150 years,” Mrs Collins said. “These wonderful paintings Elizabeth has done voluntarily will be of great interest to spectators and competitors on 27-28 August – although we’ll have to instruct the drivers to keep on the track and not damage them! “The barriers were supplied to use for the 2010 event by RoadTek and as we have been able to leave them in place for 2011 we have saved very substantial removal and storage costs that will help ensure the longevity of the Sprints, which is a community-run, not-for-profit event. “Coincidentally the barriers have provided a ‘concrete canvas’ to tell the story of Leyburn.” Elizabeth Young said her work over recent months had attracted great interest. “The paintings are like little cameos showing Leyburn landmarks as they were when they were built and as some still are,” she said. “It’s been a lovely thing to do. The man from the local shop brings me coffee and my husband brings my lunch. Once there was a traffic jam of eight cars. “I’ve been painting since I was a tot and I’m now 66 and still loving it. It was an honour to be asked to take on this project and I hope all the Leyburn Sprints visitors take time to look at the paintings and enjoy their stories.” All paint for the project was donated by PPG. |
Visitors to the Leyburn Sprints on the Queensland Darling Downs this month will discover a new attraction alongside more than 200 classic and historic racing cars – a public art project to “beautify” the track’s concrete crash barriers with historical paintings.
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