The pieces are due to be installed before the town’s Anzac Day service, and unveiled on the day. Between them, the panels reveal a lush landscape awash in poppies dancing under a blue sky with scudding clouds. On the left panel, the landscape hosts an Australian slouch hat and he will add Aussie military regalia. The other panel has a New Zealand ‘lemon squeezer’ slouch hat with the requisite military emblems to be painted in shortly.

Lindsay is familiar around the community as the mural artist behind the painting at the Inverell National Transport Museum, a portrait painter for about 25 years and at one time, a cartoonist for The Inverell Times.

He said he began painting accidentally when his cousin asked if he might create a painting from a photo she had.

“Well, I always did a bit of drawing; been drawing for years and years, and I used to get for drawing rather than doing my arithmetic in school,” he said. 

“It actually was a pretty good effort I think, looking back it was pretty good,” he said, reflecting on that first painting. Lindsay produced some drawings for the Delungra Anzac Day committee to consider and they chose the field of poppies. The landscape evokes a feeling of monumentality, with the sweeping fields and vast sky. The images have a soft, personal quality.

“I like the impressionistic style, I like the Impressionists. All this is just an impression. The beauty of these things is when you stand back, it works,” Lindsay said

The quality of the murals has already made an impression. Delungra Anzac committee member Harry McNaughton went out to see the paintings a few weeks ago, and felt it was marvellous Lindsay was painting in the paddock in the natural light.

“They looked exceptionally good when I saw them. I’ve always liked his work,” he said.