N Fremantle Series No lV - Dingo Flour

The iconic Dingo Flour sign, featuring a stylized silhouette of a dingo in red, adorns the side of the Great Southern Roller Flour Mill, a historic and heritage-listed structure situated in North Fremantle, Western Australia. Erected in 1922, the site encompasses silos, administrative offices, a laboratory, and ancillary buildings. Recognized by the Heritage Council of Western Australia for its architectural significance, the mill boasts imposing proportions and distinctive silo structures, earning it the colloquial moniker of 'Dingo Flour Mill.' Over time, the symbol of the dingo has woven itself into local lore, perpetuating myths such as the notion that it was painted by Alan Bond, thereby embedding itself deeply within the community's identity. The site, including the sign, was officially listed as a heritage site in 2008.

Architected by J.F. Allen, the mill's office building was crafted by Powell, Cameron & Chisholm Architects. The iconic dingo emblem, created by artist Les Nash in 1940, stands approximately five and a half storeys tall. Nash first sketched the design onto graph paper and then used the silo's gridded panels to guide his large-scale transfer of the design onto the silo itself, resulting in a striking visual landmark. Despite being painted over during World War II, the faint outlines of the dingo endured, serving as a familiar sight for refugees and migrants arriving in Fremantle. Even today, the sign serves as a reliable marker for boaters and anglers navigating the area. Following a restoration in 2001 and a mill renovation in 2010, the dingo emblem undergoes monthly repainting, ensuring its vibrancy and prominence for generations to come.

Harry Hummerston is a distinguished artist and educator from Western Australia. He has left a significant mark on the international and Australian art scenes. With a career spanning three decades in art education, he has taught at primary schools since the mid-1970s and served as the Head of the Department of Art at Curtin University in Western Australia from 2003 to 2005.

His work can be found in numerous public and private collections, including those of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, the National Gallery of Thailand, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, the Australian War Memorial in the Australian Capital Territory, as well as the Kerry Stokes Collection and the Janet Holmes à Court Collection.