Kurri Kurri Murals: Exploring the Town of Murals

While staying in Newcastle, we spent a lazy Sunday afternoon driving out to the Hunter Valley – and on the way back stumbled across the Kurri Kurri murals completely by accident.

We’d normally associate this part of New South Wales with vineyards and wine tasting, but this particular visit was on Easter Sunday and many places were closed.

On our way back to Newcastle, we drove through the small town of Kurri Kurri – and a sign caught my eye.

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Kurri Kurri – The Town of Murals.

I’m always happy to detour for some street art, so we turned off the main road to take a look.

What we’d stumbled across was the Kurri Kurri mural walk, with more than 60 outdoor murals spread throughout the town and surrounding villages.

They tell stories of the area’s mining history, local people, industries, sport and everyday life.

And there’s an extra challenge: every mural has a kookaburra hidden somewhere in the artwork.

Why Are There So Many Murals in Kurri Kurri?

Kurri Kurri has a long connection with coal mining, and many of the murals tell stories from the town’s past.

The mural project began in 2003 as a way to celebrate the history and character of Kurri Kurri and the surrounding villages while bringing more visitors to the area.

Since then, the collection has grown to more than 60 murals, with scenes depicting everything from mining and local industries to sport, schools, transport and everyday life.

Walking the Kurri Kurri Murals

We didn’t arrive in Kurri Kurri with a plan. We simply parked in the centre of town and started wandering, following the murals as we spotted them.

And they weren’t hard to find.

It seemed like almost every large blank wall had been turned into a canvas. We found murals on shops, public buildings and other walls around town, each showing a different part of local life or history.

Because we were there on Easter Sunday, the town itself was very quiet. That actually worked in our favour – we could wander around at our own pace and stop for photos without much happening around us.

We spent about an hour exploring and saw plenty of murals, but certainly not all of them.

See if you can spot some of the hidden kookaburras in my photos.

How to Do the Kurri Kurri Mural Walk

You don’t need to join a tour to see the murals. It’s easy to find quite a few simply by walking around central Kurri Kurri.

For a more organised approach, pick up a mural map from the Kurri Kurri Visitor Information Centre at 199 Lang Street, or download a copy before you arrive.

I’d allow at least an hour if you just want to wander around the town centre as we did. Give yourself longer if you want to seek out more of the murals, particularly those outside the central area.

Guided mural tours are also available through the Visitor Information Centre and need to be booked in advance.

Don’t Miss the Big Kookaburra

Of course, no Australian country town is complete without a Big Thing!

Kurri Kurri has the Big Kookaburra, a sculpture standing almost five metres tall in Col Brown Rotary Park.

Created by local artist Chris Fussell and unveiled in 2009, it depicts a laughing kookaburra – a fitting symbol for a town where kookaburras are hidden throughout the murals.

Unlike those hidden kookaburras, this one is rather hard to miss!

Other Things to See in Kurri Kurri

If you have a little more time, there are a few other things to look out for around town.

The Sir Edgeworth David Memorial Museum focuses on the history of Kurri Kurri and the surrounding area, with thousands of items covering everything from the region’s mining past to everyday household life.

You’ll also come across reminders of Kurri Kurri’s mining heritage around town, including the Pit Horse Statue and Mining Memorial.

If motorcycle racing is more your thing, Kurri Kurri also has a speedway, so it’s worth checking whether there’s an event happening while you’re in the area.

Getting to Kurri Kurri

Kurri Kurri is in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, making it an easy stop if you’re travelling between Newcastle and the Hunter Valley wine region.

It’s around a 30–35 minute drive from central Newcastle and about 15–20 minutes from Cessnock. The Hunter Expressway also makes it easy to reach if you’re driving up from Sydney.

Having a car is the easiest option, particularly if you want to combine the murals with other places around the Hunter Valley.

Once you’re there, park near the town centre and explore the central murals on foot.

Is Kurri Kurri Worth Visiting?

If you’re already travelling through the Hunter Valley, I think Kurri Kurri is well worth a stop.

For me, it was one of those unexpected travel finds. We weren’t looking for the murals and didn’t even know they were there until we drove into town.

A quick detour turned into an hour of wandering around looking at street art and hunting for hidden kookaburras.

So if you’re driving through Kurri Kurri, don’t just keep going. Turn into town, park the car and take a look around.

And see how many kookaburras you can find.

Where to Stay in Kurri Kurri

We only visited Kurri Kurri as a day trip, so I haven’t personally stayed in town. But if you’d like to stay overnight, there are a couple of options close to the centre.

The Kurri Motor Inn is on Lang Street and is a straightforward motel option with free parking and an outdoor pool.

Another option is the Station Hotel Motel Kurri, where you’ll also find a restaurant and bar on site.

Check the latest prices and availability for the Kurri Motor Inn or Station Hotel Motel Kurri before your stay.

You may also like these other posts about regional Australia
Riding the Pichi Richi Railway in Quorn South Australia
Day Trip from Hobart to Richmond, Tasmania
Things to do in Mount Gambier South Australia

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