A colourful water tower mural decorating the Uranquinty skyline will ensure the village's proud military and Indigenous history lives on.
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The mural, which features Australia's only known Indigenous World War II fighter pilot Len Waters, was officially opened on Thursday to the fanfare of didgeridoos and a plane flying overhead.
Uranquinty has a proud military history. The local Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base trained more than 2000 pilots between 1941 and 1958 - including Mr Waters.
The opposite sides of the mural feature a tribute to the women who served as mechanics in the Second World War, as well as pictures of the RAAF barracks and Wirraway planes that were used to train air force pilots.
In an emotional speech at the opening ceremony, Mr Waters' daughter Julia said the mural was a beautiful tribute to an inspiring Gamilaraay man.
"Every time I come back here I feel like I'm coming home, and over the last few years I've realised why. It's because my dad loved this land," she said.
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"Eighty-one years ago today ... Dad joined in the air force as a flight mechanic. He started to study at night because his ambition was always to fly, but he was willing to do just about anything to do with planes.
"Everyone's heard the story about his assigned Kittyhawk. The plane was named Black Magic, and he was given the opportunity to rename it. But he always told my mum that he felt that it was an omen he was assigned that plane, and it would keep him safe while he was flying."
Mr Waters' record shows he flew 95 sorties but did not receive the warm welcome home given to many other service personnel.
Upon his return, he was told by black and white Australians alike his service meant nothing and was forced to return to being a "black labourer".
The Uranquinty Progress Association began the process of commissioning the water tower mural in 2021.
Association president Deb Bewick said the group wanted to do something that would tie together the unique history of the small Riverina village.
After receiving a grant for the work, it put three designs to the public, which chose the design of Wagga-born artist Damien Mitchell.
Mr Mitchell completed the mural in just 10 days in February, using a mixture of acrylic and spray paint.
"While completing the project, he learned that his great-aunt was one of the women working with the RAAF at the base," Ms Bewick said.
"During the process, I've loved hearing stories of the people who connected at the air base.
"The air base at Uranquinty has touched many lives over the years and there are many memories forever associated with Uranquinty."
Thursday's opening ceremony also featured a flypast of an air force heritage aircraft from No.100 Squadron.
The mural will join others like it around the country as part of Australia's rapidly-growing 8500km silo art trail. Ms Bewick said it could also act as a beacon for military history enthusiasts.
Executive director of Eastern Riverina Arts Tim Kurylowicz, who was involved in the early stages of the project and offered advice to the association on the grants process, said public works like the mural had an important role in building community identity, beyond their aesthetic or economic value.
"What excites me about a project like this is it's entirely community-led," Mr Kurylowicz said.
"It's produced an outcome that's unique to the village of Uranquinty. It connects the First Nations history of this place with the RAAF history.
"It's also the work of a local artist, and that's something terrifically exciting to see, and something people would be very proud of."
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