A large mural celebrating Dunedin's Chinese and Maori heritage is to be painted on the side of a pub.
Stickum Co-operative artist Guy Howard-Smith and artist Aroha Novak planned to start work on the mural on the Crown Hotel, in Rattray St, at the end of next month.
The artwork would be about 15sq m, incorporating Maori and Chinese history and would also explore the history of the Toitu Stream and Rattray St.
''We were amazed that the Toitu Stream still runs beneath the road at this intersection, Mr Howard-Smith said.
''It was a really important site of interaction and trade between Maori and the original settlers of Dunedin.
''It is a chapter in our history that seems to have been largely forgotten.''
The mural would include Chin Fooi, a businessman who came to Dunedin in the early 1900s and opened a laundry in Rattray St.
The Chin family still owned businesses there, Mr Howard-Smith said.
''Chin Fooi was integral to the settlement of heaps of Chinese families in Dunedin. He gave them jobs and looked after them.''
Dunedin City Council policy planner heritage Glen Hazelton said the council decided to collaborate with the co-operative after seeing its Reaching for the Stars mural painted in the suburb of Caversham.
''We are 100% committed to making it happen.''
A Givealittle fundraising campaign for the ''uniquely Dunedin''mural would help pay for it, Dr Hazelton said.
''The more we can get through Givealittle the better, because we are a bit short at the moment,'' he said.
• To donate, visit www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/moredunedinstreetart by Tuesday.
