Legal graffiti practice walls


Graffiti practice site

There are legal graffiti practice sites across Canberra. These are located on ACT Government assets in public places like underpasses and toilet blocks. Usually the practice sites are out of sight from residential properties.

Graffiti artists can use the sites on an ongoing basis with no permits required. The works featured at these sites change frequently and anyone can use them.

Such sites have proven effective at diverting graffiti from surrounding areas.

Want to manage a specific legal site?

There are 30 legal graffiti sites around Canberra. Each wall is signposted indicating that it is a legal site. Police, City Rangers and contracted graffiti removers know if a particular site is a legal wall.

Artists can manage a site by regularly painting their artwork, keeping the paintwork fresh and appealing to the general public.

If you would like to put forward a wall to go on the legal wall list, or put in a proposal to manage a specific site, please contact tccs.graffiticoordinator@act.gov.au

Woden drains

The Woden drains legal graffiti walls are considered the longest legal graffiti site in the Southern Hemisphere. Many international and national graffiti artists have visited this site to paint and check out the graffiti.

artist spray painting

Please visit the legal graffiti site map for detailed information, photographs, and location data on all of the sites managed by the Directorate.

Site locations

Belconnen: Lake Ginninderra, under the bridge at Ginninderra Drive

Braddon: Cooyong Street beside the skate park (back wall and 2 side walls)

Calwell: Stormwater drain under Tharwa Drive adjacent to the playing fields

Chifley: Toilet block walls at Chifley Oval near the cricket nets

Chifley: Underpass on Tuggeranong Parkway near Waldock Street and Badimara Street

Conder: Underpass on Templestowe Avenue

Curtin: Underpass on McCulloch Street, 100 metres south of Cotter Road

Curtin: Underpass on Carruthers Street (opposite Yarra Glen) between signs only

Florey: Underpass behind Florey shops (one wall only)

Forde: Underpass on Handbury Way (path side only)

Greenway: Cycle underpass on Athllon Drive between Greenway and Kambah

Gungahlin: Yerrabi Ponds spillway on Mirrabei Drive (all sections except the first pedestrian walkway)

Holder/Coombs: Cycle underpass on Cotter Road/Weston Creek (west side only)

Hawker: Hit up wall at the basketball court at Hawker College on Murranji Street

Isabella Plains: Underpass on Noorooma Street

Isabella Plains: Underpass to Richardson at Ashley Drive/Tuggeranong Creek

Kaleen: Underpass on Maribyrnong Avenue between Diamantina Crescent and Daintree Crescent

Kaleen: Underpass on Maribyrnong Avenue between Ashburton Circuit and Moruya Circuit

Kambah: Hit up wall behind Mount Neighbour Primary School on Boddington Circuit

Latham/Macgregor: Underpass on Florey Drive

Lyneham: Toilet block walls at Lyneham Primary School oval on Hall Street

Melba: Parks depot on Brownlee Place (one wall facing tennis court only)

Nicholls: Underpass on Kelleway Avenue near Gungahlin Drive

Phillip: Yarralumla Creek stormwater drain on Callum Street between Launceston Street and Surprize Place

Tuggeranong: Underpass on Tharwa Drive (parking available on James Smith Circuit)

Tuggeranong Parkway underpass (no parking on site, need to travel to Cotter Road car park and walk about 1 km)

Waramanga: Underpass on Damala Street

Weston Creek: Underpass on Streeton Drive near Hilder Street (parking available at car park off Hilder Street)

Woden: Underpass on Launceston Street bridge

a graffiti artist at work

black and white graffiti wall

The Directorate works with artists and the community to decide the location of legal graffiti sites.

All sites have to undergo a risk assessment. Residents and property owners with a direct line of vision to a proposed site have the chance to object.

All legal sites are painted with a symbol specifying the site as a legal site.

If only part of the wall is designated, a boundary sign will show where people can do artwork.

If you have any feedback or concerns, please contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81 or tccs.graffiticoordinator@act.gov.au

Guidelines for using legal graffiti sites

There are some guidelines you must follow when using legal graffiti sites. Failure to follow these rules may cause this site to be removed from the legal graffiti practice site list.

  • Respect the locals – please don’t tag surrounding properties.
  • Keep pieces on signposted walls only.
  • Artists use this site at their own risk.
  • Please respect everyone's right to use the site and respect other people's artwork.
  • Please no offensive material (this includes racism, sexism, crude language, violent or sexual images, or personal information) or advertising.
  • When looking at where to paint, it is polite to paint over older or damaged sections of the wall wherever possible.
  • Keep legal sites clean. Please take your spray cans and rubbish with you and do not litter.
  • Illegal access by vehicles driving to legal practice walls is not permitted.
  • Please do not paint while it is raining, or if there has been recent heavy rain.
  • Avoid congregating or leaving materials around cycle paths, footpaths or access points near the site.
  • Call police on Emergency Triple Zero (000) if a member of public is aggressive or threatening.
  • Contact Access Canberra 13 22 81 to report any hazardous substances or sharp/dangerous objects.

The Directorate reserves the right to change the status of legal sites or make changes to these guidelines at any time.

The Directorate may decommission the site as a legal graffiti area if artists do not follow the rules.

For example, if there is regular offensive work or illegal graffiti in surrounding areas.

More information

Please contact tccs.graffiticoordinator@act.gov.au to propose a new site or for an existing site to be decommissioned.

graffiti on the side of the Kippax library

Legal graffiti site map

View full screen map

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.

To see how we are building stronger relationships with the Traditional Custodians of the ACT view the Reconciliation Action Plan.