We were invited to paint a mural on the Bay Street frontage of the Port Melbourne Yacht Club—part of the local migration trail that stretches from Station Pier up through Bay Street.

The brief was meaningful: share real migration stories connected to Port Melbourne and celebrate the people who helped shape this suburb into the multicultural place it is today. Danny Awes painted five photorealistic portraits based on archival images and community consultation—including two people we were lucky enough to meet and photograph in front of their portraits.

One of the mural subjects is Abram Goldberg, who arrived in 1951 and just turned 100. The other is Ralph Todisco, who came from Italy in 1960. Having them stand in front of their larger-than-life portraits was a pretty special moment.

The mural forms part of The Migration Story Wall, a powerful public artwork exploring key chapters in Australia's immigration history—from early settlers and gold rush migrants to the upheaval of the war years and the waves of post-war arrivals. When completed, viewers will be able to scan QR codes integrated into the mural to unlock an augmented reality experience, where the people featured in the artwork tell their own stories in their own words—bringing history to life in a uniquely personal and immersive way.

We love when public art can bring history to life, especially when it involves real people and real stories from the neighbourhood. Thanks to the City of Port Phillip and the Port Melbourne Business Association.