Yarram, Victoria: Why the Heesco mural trail is the top attraction

Top of the list of things to do in Yarram, Victoria, is the Heesco mural trail that has transformed this South Gippsland town.

Yarram, Victoria, is home to one of the most remarkable mural art trails in Australia. The town, on the South Gippsland Highway between Welshpool and Sale, has become the canvas of mural artist Heesco Khosnaran.

Heesco Khosnaran murals in Yarram, Victoria

Heesco, who was born in Mongolia but is based in Melbourne, has gained a strong reputation for murals and silo art in Australia. But his most ambitious project started in March 2020, when Yarram resident Eric Greenaway and local film-maker Wayne Tindall invited him to transform the South Gippsland town.

The Heesco Town project started as a four week residency, where Heesco painted a series of murals across the town’s walls. Before then, he had already painted the striking bull mural on the side of Tindall’s Bull Bar and gallery.

Yarram street art trail

Since then, he has been back to paint more, with local residents queuing up to have their homes and businesses decorated. At time of writing, there were 24 murals on the Yarram mural art trail.

A town that faced economic downturn has given itself a gimmick making it worth a stop for visitors. It has become Victoria’s secret street art hotspot.

Murals on the Ship Inn Motel and Bull Bar, Yarram

Visit the Heesco Town website, and you can find an interactive map of the Yarram murals. Highlights include the scene of naval warfare on the side of the Ship Inn Motel at 480 Commercial Road. Also on Commercial Road are the inventive surfing mural on the side of the Wynne’s Building and the collection of Australian icons – including a kangaroo, Uluru and the Sydney Harbour Bridge – on the Yarram Bakery.

The original Yarram mural site has some extras, too. The Bull Bar and Gallery has a few murals worth checking out inside the premises and at the rear.

Yarram accommodation

Yarram accommodation options include the fairly functional Yarram Commercial Hotel Motel and family-focused Yarram Holiday Park.

This article came as a result of a Melbourne to Sydney coastal road trip in March/ April 2022. This trip was supported by Tourism Australia and Visit Victoria.