Laneways in the heart of the Queanbeyan CBD have been given a bright and welcoming facelift as part of plans to improve community safety and connection. The new look of the two main intersections was officially opened at the Monaro Lanes launch today, Friday 28 October.

The history of the Queanbeyan-Palerang region is forged beautifully in the artworks showcased in Blacksmiths Lane. Queanbeyan has a long-standing connection to the blacksmith trade, however, the craft is now foreign and far removed for most. This isn’t the case for the local Fowlie family who shared their treasured heirloom tools to be used with the art installations along the pathway. The blacksmith homage has been created with Suzie Bleach and Andy Townsend’s art light wall illuminating Michael Warner’s hand-forged signs. Meanwhile, the mural on the walls, painted by Al Stark, transport you back to Monaro Street in the late 1800s.

The future of Queanbeyan is bright across the road in No Name Lane, which opened to the public in July. Works by local photographer, Hilary Wardhaugh, have been encased in backlit displays to create a unique and accessible outdoor gallery. Bright colours of the mural created by Canberra artist Yanni Pounartzis complement the photos which the council plans to rotate over time.

The renovation of the lanes that connect pedestrians to businesses and venues on Monaro Street from nearby carparks was possible due to a cash injection from the NSW Government’s Your High Street Program. The renewal project aims to refresh regional city centres with new life and create safer, more accessible, functional spaces for local communities. Queanbeyan received $505,701 for the newest upgrades which the local council hopes will help instill a sense of community pride.

“The rejuvenation of the No Name Lane and Blacksmiths Lane have been important steps to the council’s plan to improve the area’s safety, amenity, and functionality,” says Deputy Mayor of Queanbeyan-Palerang Region Council, Cr Esma Livermore.

Ms Livermore says previous data showed that the lanes across the CBD were not the most inviting places to be. She warmly welcomed the upgrades, saying both lanes now have their own distinctive identities of stories of the region’s past and future.

For more information on the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council, visit qprc.nsw.gov.au

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