Exploring the quiet, often unnoticed lives of native animals that inhabit Lake Benalla, a new exhibition by Stephanie Cartledge, Shared Waters, is on display at the Benalla Visitor Information Centre until 19 July 2026.
Many people walk the lake’s edge every day without ever spotting a platypus, rakali, nankeen night heron or long-necked turtle. In some cases, without knowing these animals live here at all.
These species are elusive by nature, most active at dawn and dusk. As crepuscular animals, their lives rarely intersect with human routines, reinforcing their invisibility despite their constant presence.
While the platypus is a well known resident and acts as the visual anchor of the exhibition, the surrounding works intentionally champion species that are less recognised and perhaps underrepresented in public narratives.
By bringing these animals into focus, this exhibition asserts Lake Benalla as a shared ecosystem. The works invite viewers to slow down, look again and consider what it means to coexist with animals that quietly depend on the same waters.
Ultimately, the exhibition asks whose stories are seen, whose are overlooked, and what responsibility comes with shared space.
Stephanie Cartledge is a Ballarat-based multidisciplinary artist known for her large-scale murals and canvas works. Her practice blends an instinct for scale, colour and storytelling with a deep connection to nature and place.
In 2025, the Art Gallery of Ballarat presented Stephanie’s first solo show, Conservation Status, an exhibition that highlighted the fragility of the natural world by focusing on endangered and extinct species.
Whether painting murals in regional towns or developing works on canvas in the studio, Stephanie’s work reflects a strong resonance with the environment and community. Drawing on native flora and fauna, she explores our evolving relationship with the natural world through a distinctive visual language.
Shared Waters is presented by the Benalla Art Gallery, as part of the 2026 Benalla Street Art Festival, at the Benalla Visitor Information Centre.
Stephanie Cartledge: Shared Waters
Benalla Visitor Information Centre, 14 Mair Street, Benalla
Exhibition continues to 19 July 2026
Free entry
For more information, visit: www.benallaartgallery.com.au for details.
Image: Stephanie Cartledge with her mural as part of the Shared Waters exhibition at the Benalla Visitor Information Centre – photo by Rohan Shearn