by Bonnie Collings
A mural showcasing some of Gippsland's flora and fauna was unveiled at the Drouin Men's Shed on Friday.

Covering the large exterior wall of the shed, the mural was painted by Gippsland mural artist Simon White.
Members of the Drouin Men's Shed were joined by Member for Narracan Wayne Farnham, Baw Baw Shire councillors and representatives from Community Bank Drouin at the official opening.
Drouin Men's Shed committee member Kevin Coates came up with the idea for the mural. While the inside of the shed is warm and welcoming, the plain green exterior wasn't very eye-catching.
Kevin's intention was to brighten up the space and create something that would encourage people to stop in and learn more about the Drouin Men's Shed. When Kevin fell ill, fellow men's shed member Peter Gribben helped organise the project.
"The sheds look okay, but they're very industrial, they're bland, you'd drive past it a million and one times, and you'd see nothing, you wouldn't blink," Peter said.
"Kevin came up with the idea of putting a mural up, so people would stop (and have a look). Because there's a few other murals in the town, the idea was to add to the sort of artistic content."
Kevin had an idea of the images he wanted to capture in the mural and asked artist Simon White if he'd take on the job.
"The theme was Gippsland flora and fauna, and he (Kevin) wanted a scene that represented this area, especially wildlife, just to sort of lift the place and get people to say "oh that's the men's shed, let's go have a look," Peter said
In about four and a half days, Simon transformed the blank shed into a beautiful country scene, featuring gang gang cockatoos, galahs, kangaroos, a blue wren and an old shed in the background.
"He worked absolutely flat out, one person, we couldn't believe it," Peter said.
Looking at the mural up close, your eyes are drawn to the beautiful colours and details. But when you take a step back, the full picture emerges.
The mural blends seamlessly with the scenery around it. The paint colours match those of the natural environment, and the trunk and branches of the painted eucalyptus tree match up with the canopy of a real eucalyptus tree behind the shed.
The mural has received a positive response from the men's shed members and regularly attracts attention from people driving to and from the Drouin Golf and Country Club.
Drouin Men's Shed treasurer Steve Bone thanked Community Bank Drouin for its support of the mural project.
"We probably wouldn't have been able to do it without the backing of the bank."
Mr Farnham said he was pleased to celebrate the opening of the mural.
"Men's sheds are a really important community asset," Mr Farnham said.
"They give people an opportunity to come together. They play with the tools, but they talk about their issues as well."
Peter and the shed members have plans to paint more murals around the rest of the shed.
"The idea is to put a few more pictures up to finish it off, and make it a talking point," Peter said.