A piece of history, almost lost to demolition, is now being preserved at Melbourne High School.

  • Melbourne High School mural painted in the 1980s
  • Lunchroom being renovated, mural in danger
  • Hamilton Masonry volunteered to take it down, preserve it

It's a mural, painted some 40 years ago on a lunchroom wall.

"It was going to be demolished. The budget wasn't there to save it," says Tami Hamilton of Hamilton Masonry.

The 6x30 foot painting depicts school staff and students at Mel High in the early 80's.

Thousands of students since have sat and eaten lunch near it. But the cafeteria is set for renovation, and the mural was set to be demolished.

"I saw the design, and that the wall was coming down. And I said 'what are you going to do about the mural?'" said Jim Meegan, Melbourne High assistant principal.

That sparked a conversation with Hamilton, a Mel High graduate who runs a masonry business with her husband, also a Mel High grad. They also have three kids at the high school.

Hamilton volunteered to take the mural down at no cost to the school during renovations.

She wasn't going to see this piece of art history fade away.

"I don't think anyone pays attention to something like this until it's ready to go away," said Hamilton.

And soon the mural will don a new wall for more generations of school kids to see.

The mural was painted by alumnus Phil Roberts, a renowned surf artist who lives in California now.

He's expected back in a couple weeks to touch up the mural before it's put back up as the cafeteria renovation wraps up.