Larger-than-life tribute a winner
PIMPAMA residents could be excused for doing a “double take” as they stroll past a collection of murals near the northern entrance of Rix Developments’ newly opened Pimpama City shopping centre.
Those in the know will easily recognise father-andson duo Norm and Greg Rix, who are on one of five panels specially designed for the murals.
They led the team of property industry professionals, who have been a big part of the Rix family’s sixyear journey to get the $150 million Pimpama City project off the ground and completed on time. The shopping centre, which opened in September, is home to 40 outlets and anchored by Coles and Aldi supermarkets.
As a tribute to their efforts, they have been immortalised by urban artist Heesco, who was enlisted by Norm Rix to hand-paint the murals at the centre.
Among the familiar faces are project manager Alex Briers, of Project Managers Australia; site manager Wayne “Robbo” Robinson, of ADCO Constructions; landscaper Carl Barrile of Big Q Landscapes; Cliff and Jason Caswell, of Caswell Civil and Landscape; longtime Rix property lawyer Michael Marshall, of Thomson Geer Lawyers, and his colleague Rayne Nelms.
Also represented is veteran Rix Developments employee Lee Beauglehole.
All are depicted in historic local settings that pay tribute to Pimpama’s agricultural heritage as a sugar cane region, and Pimpama City’s location on the former Pimpama railway station site along the old Brisbane-toSouthport rail line. Norm Rix enlisted Heesco to create the murals after seeing his creative works on silos during a road trip through central west NSW earlier this year.
“He’s a very good artist, so we thought it would be a wonderful tribute to the region’s history while also acknowledging all the people who have helped us bring Pimpama City to life,” Norm Rix said.
The Rix family’s roots are firmly embedded in Gold Coast history, with four generations of the clan born and bred in the city.