ANZ Bank
Timaru, New Zealand
The Location
In April 2025, Matt Willey made his way to Timaru, New Zealand — making it the first New Zealand town to join The Good of the Hive phenomenon. The visit came about through a wonderfully organic chain of connection: local Timaru artisan Maeve Britnell had been developing her own bee-themed community art venture called Timaru Bee’n the Light, and upon discovering The Good of the Hive online — with no idea of Willey’s global renown — she simply reached out to share her enthusiasm.
Scroll through the photo gallery below to view images from the project.
Why Bees?
The two stayed in touch, and it came as a genuine surprise to Britnell when Willey, who was painting in Sydney at the time, suggested he could come to Timaru to scout out the town for one of his murals. Willey painted a scout bee — the bee that searches for suitable new locations for the hive — on the wall of the ANZ Bank overlooking Strathallan Corner, a single bee joining more than 11,000 others spread across 60 murals in 10 countries on five continents. The choice of subject was deeply intentional: a scout bee is a pioneer, a seeker, sent ahead of the colony to find where life can thrive — a fitting symbol for a town just beginning its relationship with the project. A site is already in mind for a full mural, and with the support of locals, organizations, and authorities, work has begun on cementing Timaru permanently in the hive in late 2026/early 2027.
