- Copyright 'fair use' allowances and restrictions apply.    Wagga City Councilman Clark demonstrates one of the more popular commercially available graffiti-removing chemical compounds.    See details below.

Many years ago, the township of Wagga Wagga, or just plain 'Wagga', in Australia's New South Wales very nearly became their Capitol.   That, as we well know, did not happen, but fate and fortune were not to leave them alone.   They now have become Australia's erstwhile Graffiti Capitol, at least if we look at the statistics on a per-capita basis.   This is a crown on their heads that most do not cherish - to put it mildly.

- Copyright 'fair use' allowances and restrictions apply.    Wanton, artless defacing such as this will surely raise the ire of Wagga's townsfolk.

Wagga's graffiti problem has become so severe that the very honorable politician from Wagga Wagga, Mr Daryl Maguire marched to Canberra (the real Capitol) to register his official rant against this spraycan thorn in his side.   He noted in his diatribe to the House, among other things, that in a single 3-hour fact-finding tour of the city, armed with only a camera, he photographed no fewer than 192 individual locations that had been desecrated with graffiti.   He further noted that on some of Wagga's new bridges there was so much graffiti that there was not one inch of unadulterated space remaining.   

- Copyright 'fair use' allowances and restrictions apply.    The Wagga City Fire Chief is more than a little hot under the collar at having his own station 'bombed'.

House still in session, Representative Maguire also pointed out to the Minister that he had issued stern warnings to authorities and corporations (such as the Roads and Traffic Authority, the State Rail, the Australian Rail Track Corporation and the Department of Housing) to insure they had implemented their graffiti-cleanup programs, but despaired that any significant action would be taken.   He then demanded of the Minister; how many culprits had, to date, been caught and made to clean up their mess, and has the government yet proactively banned free sales of textas (marking pens), as they have already done with spray cans?   He then warned one and all that Wagga's graffiti epidemic would very soon become Australia's graffiti pandemic.

- Copyright 'fair use' allowances and restrictions apply.    Wagga City Council is currently employing CCTV in areas frequently visited by graffiti artists.

We feel certain that honorable Mr Maguire feels a lot better, now that he has that off his chest.   However, it hasn't done the least bit of good.   Obviously spraycans and textas are still falling into the hands of Wagga's dark forces.   Spraycans don't tag walls, people do.   (Sorry, we just had to say that....).   Graffiti has become such a hot topic in Wagga that local politicians, ever hopeful of getting elected, have an anti-graffiti bit of boilerplate in their campaign platforms.   Local contractors are blossoming in the city, offering their own brand of graffiti-removal to companies, corporations and the government.   Even Facebook addicts have become enamored with the subject of local graffiti, actively registering their "Likes" - or not.

- Copyright 'fair use' allowances and restrictions apply.    Trains and other rolling stock are not safe from spraycan predators.   These graffiti, however, could have been thrown up in other cities.

And now, perhaps less than timely, Wagga's School of Communication and Creative Industries at Charles Sturt University (CSU) has invited an internationally renown graffiti artist "Moose" (Paul Curtis) to "leave a lasting legacy".   'WTF?' you say?   Well, Moose's claim to fame is "reverse graffiti".   That is not a typo; reverse graffiti.   Listen up, dummies.   Reverse graffiti is accomplished by finding a dirty wall somewhere, then, using soap and water, create clean designs, patterns, tags and other graphics (a bit like using your finger to write "Wash Me" on dirty car windows).   If you are making something clean, you are doing "good" - it can't be "bad", right?    And yet, reverse graffiti already has it's detractors, many of whom say, entirely knee-jerk, that it is all the same thing.   - And they are, at least partially, right; some 'reverse graffiti' artists are not using just soap and water, they are using Chlorox and other solutions containing sodium hypochlorite bleach, which actually bleach out the original color.   Nevertheless, Moose will be feted and wined and dined, and will even hold a 'workshop', which will include demonstrations of his art on some of Wagga's public walls (in Fitzmaurice Street, and another near the Knights Meats shop, and yet another on a wall against the levy bank on the Murrimbidgee River near the old Hampden Bridge).

- Copyright 'fair use' allowances and restrictions apply.    Wagga's most prominent example of "reverse" graffiti, employing a cleaning agent, various stencils and freehand art work. - Copyright 'fair use' allowances and restrictions apply.    Reverse graffiti lends itself to stenciling, as it often takes repeated applications for any given spot.   This is an example of a commercial application of reverse graffiti. - Copyright 'fair use' allowances and restrictions apply.    This example of reverse graffiti is not in Wagga, however illustrates the use of a stencil and bleach.

But where legislating new laws and penalties, and attempting to catch graffiti artists in the act have failed, the Wagga City Council are trying a 'third force'.   Using new chemical formulas which dissolve spraycan paint and texta scribblings, they are forming roaming teams that can be contacted by a 'hot line'.   The teams then mobilize and remove the graffiti almost as soon as it is created.   At least, that is the theory.   The idea behind this is if the artists can't show off their work to their peers and to the public, they will become discouraged, and feel they are just wasting their time.   Well..... not wanting to sound too cynical, let's just wait and see.....

Below is a description of a popular, commercially available graffiti-removing spray available in Australia.

SURE SEAL® 300 A GRAFFITI REMOVER Sure Seal® 300 A Graffiti Remover is the "next generation" of environmentally friendly Graffiti Removers.   300 A Graffiti Remover is based on a blend of low-odour solvents and emulsifying agents for removal of graffiti.   It contains a unique catalyst which dramatically reduces stripping times.   Developed specifically for the removal of graffiti from all substrates, including brickwork, concrete, metal, glass and timber surfaces.   Removes residue left from spray cans, felt pen based paints and inks.   Contents are listed below. SUBSTANCE NAME SOY/CORN ESTER BLEND (Derivative of their oils) d-LIMONENE (a clear hydrocarbon derivitave of citrus fruit - smells of 'oranges") ETHANOL (Ethyl alcohol) WATER AND OTHER NON-HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES Proportion 10 to 30% 10 to 30% 10 to 30% Up to 10 % CAS Number 67784-80-9/97-64-3 5989-27-5 64-17-5