A large ceramic mural was the feature of the Port Macquarie Civic Centre since 1974 and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council hope to find a new home for the piece in the new arts conference and entertainment centre.

Artist Dorothy Hope has met with architects, project managers and council representatives who were keen to learn how the mural was put together and devise a plan to remove it and house it in the new centre.

"I think it's nice that people think it's something of worth that they want to move to the new centre," said Mrs Hope.

"I'm happy with the attitude about the panel, that it's worth all this bother."

The panel measures over 3.5 metres wide and 1.2 metres high and is cemented on to the Civic Centre wall.

"The whole panel is the story of early Port Macquarie," Mrs Hope said.

"With convict buildings, the old church, Innes homestead, museum and courthouse. The countryside shows the domestic and wildlife. There's an underwater scene on the base which is the part I particularly like so if they can remove that part to use in the new centre that would be good. The sun is the big symbol because Port Macquarie was promoted as The Sunshine Town at the time."

The mural took Mrs Hope around nine months to complete.

Mrs Hope began her artistic career more than 50 years ago as a hobby while she worked at David Jones. The hobby took over and became a career.

Mrs Hope owned Thrumster Village Pottery in Port Macquarie and lived there for 25 years before relocating to Dunbogan 19 years ago.

"At the time I began potting there was a great interest in handmade crafts because of strict import laws which prevented things from overseas," Mrs Hope said.

"It was a strong movement and each piece was individual. You might make six bowls but when they're handmade they're all a little bit different. Because I used local materials, doing geological surveys to dig up the right clays, the pieces were a personal souveneir for people who were taking away a real piece of Port Macquarie, not just a souvenir that might have been made in China."

Craig Milburn, council's Community Services Director said the mural will not be able to be removed in one piece but the parts that can be removed with be incorporated in an interpretive display in the new centre.

"It has been fantastic to sit down with Dorothy and learn about her work and what the area has meant to her as an artist," Mr Milburn said.

"The work is certainly an important part of our cultural history.

"We are also preparing a profile on Dorothy for inclusion in our current 'Her Story' history project which traces the life story of remarkable local women."

Demolition of the Civic Centre is due to start in early 2006 by which time the mural will be removed.