Mural fitting for memorial church

Waimumu Memorial Church owner Lana McMillan stands beside the mural her nephew spray-painted on the front of the church earlier this year. Photo: Sandy Eggleston

The idea to create a mural to commemorate Anzacs was floated about, so Ms McMillan got in touch with her artistic nephew, Danny Owen.

Owen, known as DEOW, is a graffiti artist of Invercargill.

He created the mural using spray-paint and took two days to do so.

"I wanted to show the people of the district that although I bought their church, I was going to honour what it was. I wasn’t going to come in and rip it apart. I wanted to respect it, to honour it," Ms McMillan said.

People often drove by the mural which could be seen from Waimumu Rd or Glendhu Rd.

They stopped to look and take photos, she said.

"People just absolutely love it. They think it’s wonderful for the community."

The two memorial tablets which honoured residents who served in World Wars 1 and 2 were originally planned to move across the road  to the Waimumu Te Tipua Hall, but stayed at the church.

The church was recently made a historical heritage item by the Gore District Council, she said.

As done in the past, an Anzac Day service was held at the church, this time with the newly painted mural as the centrepiece.

A "couple of hundred" people turned up to the service, she said. The 60-year old church was sold in 2023 by the Waimumu Hall Committee.

For several decades, it was used for services, Sunday school, weddings and Anzac Day ceremonies.

"I absolutely love Waimumu, I’ve never been happier in my life."

With consent from the council Ms McMillan planned to turn the church into a three-bedroom residential dwelling.

ben.andrews@theensign.co.nz