Just a couple of years after he began in the signwriting trade in 1976, Merbein-based signwriter

Terry ‘Moose’ McGowan lent his brush to the now historic Cottee’s building.

His free-hand brushwork at the former cordial factory has stood the test of the time and become

a Mildura landmark, surprising even the artist himself.

“I never thought it would be so well-known,” he said. “I remember working off two extension

ladders with a long plank in between. No scaffolding, nothing.”

The building has now been developed into an office space also housing a youth service, but the

facade remains, despite some fading and rust damage in recent years.