Arty koalas making trek from Port Macquarie to Campbelltown

The award-winning public art project Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail will tour to Campbelltown in April.

The brainchild of Port Macquarie's Margret Meagher, Hello Koalas is a series of fibreglass koala sculptures beautifully painted by Aussie artists.

Each koala is a self-contained message of conservation, and 22 of them will make their way to popular locations across Macarthur.

Campbelltown mayor George Brticevic said the touring exhibition tied in with Campbelltown Council's ongoing koalas conservation work.

"We're delighted to welcome this unique attraction, which draws thousands of visitors to the Port Macquarie region each year, to Campbelltown for the first time," he said.

"It's especially fitting that this exhibition would visit our city in the lead-up to the first anniversary of our Koalatown program that combines all the work we are doing as a community to conserve and protect our health and increasing koala population.

"We are honoured to host these pieces of art in our city and celebrate our community's shared passion for koalas in a unique way."

Ms Meagher said the 22 travelling koalas were specifically chosen for the visit from the 80 sculptures in the Hello Koalas collection.

For example, the Mayor of the Koalatown Republic (artist Pauline Roods) will be stationed oustide Campbelltown Council, and Komorebi the Japanese-inspired koala (artist Fiona Morgan) will be found near the Japanese Tea Garden and Campbelltown Arts Centre.

Koalas will also be located at the Campbelltown Visitor Information Centre and Ingleburn Library, while 16 other environment-related koalas will be housed at the Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan.

Ms Meagher came up with Hello Koalas a decade ago and the trail started in 2014. She is thrilled to see the koalas come to Campbelltown and can't wait for the launch.

The Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail will be on exhibition in Campbelltown from April 1-30.

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