_{In partnership with District Council of Tumby Bay}

By Marcia Octoman

Tumby Bay is a coastal paradise on Eyre, where the sea meets the land and where people and coexist harmoniously. It’s on South Australia’s wild side; one which often gets overlooked, but always surpasses expectations.

The Tumby Bay Progress Association (TBPA) was inspired to start an economic development project in 2017 called the Colour Tumby Festival, commencing with Argentinian muralist Martín Ron painting the town’s silos. The awe-inspiring painting was based on a piece by local photographer Rob Lang depicting two boys jumping off the Tumby Bay jetty – almost a rite of passage for every local at least once in their lifetime! Completed in 2018, the silos were the third to be painted in South Australia, and the 18th to be included in the Australian Silo Art Trail Collection.

TBPA President Dion LeBrun stated, ‘People won’t walk across the street to look at average, but will for the world’s best.’ This philosophy was adopted to bring the best street artists to town. The quality of the street art is spectacular, led initially by Juddy Roller, Australia’s leading experts in ‘making the world more colourful, vibrant and engaging, one wall at a time’.

TBPA ran several street art festivals before joining forces with the District Council of Tumby Bay in 2021, to facilitate the annual Colour Tumby Festival. The collaboration has resulted in community-led, inclusive events each March long weekend, catering for diverse interests and demographics.

There are over 30 spectacular pieces of street art in Tumby Bay as of April 2023. Be tempted to visit Eyre, connect deeply with its world-class street art gallery and leave feeling a whole lot lighter – refreshed and pleased you visited.

To learn more, visit www.colourtumby.com or www.tumbybay.sa.gov.au.