A new piece of community art in Aspley is shining a spotlight on the world of geocaching, thanks to the efforts of locals David and Jess Warren.
As part of Brisbane City Council’s Artforce Brisbane program, the couple brought the community together to transform a traffic signal box on Murphy Road into a geocaching-inspired artwork celebrating the global outdoor treasure-hunting activity.
David said the project was developed in conjunction with Geocaching’s Maker Magic promotion, which showcases and inspires geocaching creativity.
“The traffic signal box itself has Geocaching’s mascot Signal the frog, and he is featured several times holding geocaches, helping the environment with planting trees, hiking, etc,” David said.
Community Creativity Brings Geocaching to Life
Geocachers use GPS devices or smartphone mapping applications to locate hidden containers, known as geocaches, which often contain logbooks and small items.
“Each of the small symbols or icons on the traffic signal box is a geocache type that can be found or attended, ranging from finding containers, studying geology, snapping photos via webcams, attending a clean-up event, or visiting HQ in Seattle,” David said.
“A geocache find results in a face smiling (‘smilie’), while a ‘did not find’ results in a blue frowny face.
“Inspiration from Brisbane is featured through the river background, green spaces, and an ibis.”
David coordinated the project, while Jess designed the artwork and oversaw the painting. The couple’s two young children also helped bring the artwork to life. The signal box was cleaned and painted across two community events held in April and May.
Marchant Ward Councillor Danita Parry said the project was a reminder that public art can tell all kinds of community stories.
“I love that this traffic signal box celebrates something a little bit unexpected,” she said.
“Geocaching has this wonderful community of people who enjoy exploring, solving clues and finding hidden places, and David and his family have helped bring that sense of adventure to life right here in Aspley.”
Councillor Parry said the project was also a great example of Council’s Artforce program in action.
“Artforce is such a simple but effective way to bring more colour and personality to our streets,” she said. “Instead of a plain traffic signal box, we now have something creative, fun and connected to a community of people who love getting outdoors and exploring.”
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