If a bird believes it is an eagle long enough, it will eventually end up soaring like one. 

That’s what artist Stephen Jesic kept telling himself while completing his latest major artwork featuring a family of Australian native Wedge-Tailed Eagles soaring over Queensland’s Lake Moondarra. 

The piece entitled Monarchs was commissioned by customers through Morpeth Art Gallery to fill a feature wall in their home. 

It took Stephen two years to complete.   

The recently-finished artwork was then too large to fit in a ute, trailer or van, so he was forced to hire a small truck to transport the piece from Brisbane to Morpeth. 

The $250,000 artwork, that took 2,632 hours to complete, will now be on display at Morpeth art Gallery each Thursday to Sunday, for the next four weeks until Sunday 19 November.   

Measuring 2.3m in length and 1.4m in height it has the same wingspan as an adult Wedge-Tailed Eagle. 

Australia’s largest bird of prey, Warlawurru is its Aboriginal name.

Hunted to near extinction by law in the 1920s in Australia, the Wedge-Tailed Eagle gained conservation status in the 1990s. 

This Australian native iconic bird is now often used as an emblem, featuring on the ADF flag, the RAAF and  Australian Air Force Cadets  badges, Northern Territory government insignia, NSW Police, NT Correctional Services, and the West Coast Eagles AFL Club. 

The celebrated artwork has already been entered in two international art competitions – the Art Renewal Salon, USA, and the Art for Conservation Awards, Canada.   

For more stories like this:

• Restored 1870s homestead in Morpeth to change hands
• Pink Cups mean more than coffee this October
• Your guide to dog-friendly cafes in Newcastle

Get all the latest Newcastle news, sport, real estate, entertainment, lifestyle and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Newcastle Weekly Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.