Dingo Flour sign, Heritage site at North Fremantle, Australia
The Dingo Flour sign is an artwork in Fremantle where a red dingo silhouette rises against the white exterior wall of the Great Southern Roller Flour Mill building, extending about five stories high. The glowing figure remains visible from Stirling Highway and commands the harbor area with its bold form.
The artwork came to life in 1940 when artist Les Nash painted the design using graph paper to transfer the image onto panels in exchange for a modest fee. During World War II, authorities covered it for security reasons, though its outline remained visible underneath the paint.
The red dingo sign serves as a navigation landmark for boats and represents the industrial heritage tied to grain production in Western Australia. It shapes how people remember the harbor and connects maritime activity with the region's economic past.
The sign sits within clear view of Stirling Highway and can be seen from both the road and the water. Regular maintenance protects it from the region's strong ocean breezes, keeping it in good condition throughout the year.
What many visitors overlook is how the dingo has become embedded in people's mental maps of the harbor, serving as an unexpected wayfinding tool. The wartime paint-over left subtle traces that still affect how light plays across the figure today.
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