There's a new and rather large splash of colour to be seen in Tottenham, with artists just completing a makeover of the local water tower.

The concrete water tower, which was constructed in 1949 stands 36.5 metres high and when in use held 100,000 gallons (378541 litres) of water.

It became known by locals as the "thirsty white elephant" because it took nearly 20 years after construction before the tower was connected to the Forbes-Tottenham water supply pipeline. Like many water towers across Australia, once no longer in use, the monolith remained conspicuously on the local horizon.

In August last year, Lachlan Shire Council put a call out for expressions of interest to create a public art mural on the old tower. Artists Scott Nagy and Janne Birkner were successful in their application and have just transformed the tired concrete building into an colourful artwork, much to the delight of locals.

"It will be a wonderful tourist attraction," Tottenham resident, Sally Fitzalan said.

It took Mr Nagy and Ms Birkner 13 days to transform the tower into an artwork that encapsulates the town's history - from the local hotel and the railway line, to the goanna representing the town's Indigenous heritage.

It’s the latest stop on the art trail that has seen water towers transformed across the Western Plains. Most recently Lake Cargelligo's tower was painted in 2022 and Bourke's water tower transformed in four weeks in 2021.

The Tottenham water tower before its make-over.

Coonamble, Nevertire, Warren and Walgett also have towers all representing local fauna, flora, history and well known local icons such as Jimmy Little who features on the Walgett tower.

Jimmy was a celebrated and beloved Australian Aboriginal musician, actor and advocate whose career spanned six decades. A Yorta Yorta man, he was raised on the Cummerangunja Mission.

Jimmy recorded his first single in 1956 and rose to prominence as an Aboriginal entertainer throughout the 1960s, topping the charts and becoming a household name with 'Royal Telephone' in 1963.

Tottehham tower artists, Mr Nagy and Ms Birkner are experienced in large scale murals having worked on tanks, towers and large buildings in NSW and SA.

 "The majority of the murals I paint are site specific, I enjoy the process of responding to briefs by clients and travelling to paint in public spaces where my work can become part of the community," Mr Nagy said.

According to the local Facebook page, the artists have certainly achieved this at Tottenham.

"We are pretty stoked with our new water tower mural!" a spokesperson said.