Visual Arts & Writing
Giovanni Averzu was an Italian P.O.W. in World War 2. He was captured in Libya and then shipped with 18,000 other prisoners to Australia. He was put to work on the farm of Lewis Martin, not far from this water tank. Giovanni would often cart water from this tank which fills by gravity from the Flat Rock catchment area. The water would be used for livestock amongst other things.
When the war was over Giovanni was free to return to Italy, where he married, and also had a son. However, in the 1950's he returned to the Cadoux area with his family, and worked again for Lewis Martin as a ‘free man’.
When Lewis retired, Giovanni worked for neighboring farmer Lance Clarke, and then later for Lance’s cousin, Kevan; he would have continued to cart water from the tank for these farmers too, as the tank has never been on the Water Corp system.
Giovanni’s connection to this specific place is the inspiration for the mural.
The tank was constructed in rings of concrete one and a half feet high, and six foot long. This worked well for a 18 inch square grid, which was superimposed onto an image composed from 3 photos. Two of the photos were provided by Giovanni’s son, Agidio, and a third showing Italian prisoners of war disembarking a troop ship. Where more detail was needed I added a 6 inch grid; Giovanni’s face, tractor body, etc.
There was not much detail in the photo for Giovanni’s face, so the emphasis was more on his stance, and this was pushed forward in the mural by putting him in front of the mural boarder.
The paint used was a normal domestic exterior paint (Solarguard) which was a bit gluggy, and not so good for fine detail. Three premixed greys and a white.
I was going to introduce some colour into the background around the tractor (and to the tractor too) but there are plans for a very colourful graphic mural on the right side of the ladder, so I didn’t. Because of that I left the tractor background as the plain cream primer coat, because I thought the grey tractor may get lost in a grey background. The text was added mainly to put something in that space.
The mural was researched and commissioned by Rod Clarke, with cooperation from the Kalajzic family.
It is located at he junction of Kalajzic Road and Flat Rocks Road, about 10 minutes north of Cadoux.
Giovanni Averzu Mural - Kokardine Water Tank
The mural at Kokardine Water Tank is about Giovanni Averzu, an Italian prisoner of war who made the area his home.