Croydon could be home to Melbourne’s most tech-savvy street art piece with the arrival of The Fruit Thief

FORGET Red Bull, an innovative new street art piece in Croydon is here to give you wings — and if you’ve got a smartphone, a history lesson.

Croydon Main Street Traders Association’s Marta Makkai and artists Roger Archbold and Andy Drewitt with their innovative new street piece, The Fruit Thief, in Croydon’s Main St. Picture: DANIEL POCKETT.

FORGET Red Bull, an innovative new street art piece in Croydon’s Main St is here to give you wings.

The Fruit Thief, created by Andy Drewitt and Roger Archbold, was recently unveiled in a laneway on the popular shopping strip.

The unique white-winged artwork is perfect for selfies and pays tribute to Croydon’s fruit orchard heritage.

It also includes a QR code, which visitors can scan on their smartphone to find details about the artwork and Croydon’s history.

Mr Archbold said he and Mr Drewitt spent about six weeks working on the project and installed it within a day.
He said they wanted to “bring the story of Croydon alive” with the artwork, and the addition of the QR code meant they had “made history accessible to everyone”.

The artwork was commissioned by the Croydon Main Street Traders Association and funded by grants from Maroondah Council.

Association president Andrew King said the artwork would be a drawcard for the area and show off the “rich historical significance of Croydon”.

The Fruit Thief is opposite the ANZ Bank on Main St, Croydon.