Central Melbourne just got a high voltage artwork — a new Bon Scott mural, unveiled ahead of what would have been the late AC/DC frontman’s 80th birthday.
Presented Friday, June 26, in AC/DC Lane, just minutes after Australia wrapped up its final round D match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the piece was created by Melbourne artist Era based on exclusive commemorative artwork by Mambo artist and Mental As Anything co-founder Reg Mombassa.
Born and raised in Scotland, Scott relocated to Fremantle, Western Australia with his family in 1952 when he was aged six. His Celtic roots are remembered with a lifesize statue, wielding the bagpipes, in Kirriemuir.
With a bad boy attitude, naughty grin and powerful pipes, Scott fronted several bands, most notably Fraternity and the Valentines, before he nabbed vocal duties with AC/DC.
Scott performed on the band’s first seven studio albums, including the legendary 1979 collection Highway to Hell. The album turned out to be his swansong. Just six months after its release, in February 1980, Scott died in London, at the age of 33, from what the official coroner’s report described as “acute alcohol poisoning” and attributed to “death by misadventure.”
AC/DC was one of the very first names read out for induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame, saluted at a ceremony in 1988, alongside Dame Joan Sutherland, Johnny O’Keefe, Slim Dusty, Col Joye and Vanda & Young. Later, in 2003, the Aussie act was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. At every concert, AC/DC salutes their inspirational early frontman.
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The rocker is gone, but won’t be forgotten.
“Fifty years ago, Bon Scott and AC/DC made Aussie rock history when they rolled down Swanston Street on the back of a flatbed truck – bagpipes in tow – for their iconic ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top‘ music video,” Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece told guests gathered Friday at Kinetic Cafe.
“This moment sparked a surge of cultural energy that still reverberates today. Melbourne is the undisputed home of live music in Australia, and AC/DC is part of our city’s DNA.”
The mural, he continued, is “a fitting tribute to two Antipodean cultural icons – and you couldn’t find a better home for it than here in AC/DC Lane.”
Collectors can bag their own copy on a poster, shirt, tote bag and more. Exclusive Reg Mombassa x Bon Scott 80 merch can be found at aus.bonscottofficial.com.
“The Scott family have been fans of Reg Mombassa’s artwork (and music) for many years. His visual style is an iconic piece of Australian culture. To have him create a special piece commemorating Bon’s 80th birthday is an honor and a thrill,” reads a statement from the rocker’s survivors.
Scott’s life and career was recounted in the 2022 documentary On The Brink, produced for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. A batch of the vocalist’s candid letters chronicling life on the road, and the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, recently went under the hammer as part of RR Auction’s Marvels of Modern Music sale. The lot sold for more than $48,000.
