New Melbourne mega-portrait needs facelift just days after unveiling

A 30-storey portrait celebrating the life of indigenous leader William Barak will undergo a facelift just days after being unveiled.

Mr Barak is believed to have attended the signing of the first treaty between white settlers and Aboriginals in 1835 with Melbourne's founder, John Batman.

The portrait is so big the face is distorted, so works to alter the image on the façade of the former Carlton Brewery Site on Swanston Street will begin soon, developer Grocon says.

"Over the next few months we will be working closely with Wurundjeri elders to ensure that the resemblance is perfected," Grocon said in a statement.

Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Wandin-Murphy said the final result would mean his legacy lived on for generations to come.

"To think that this image is going to be there for the rest of my life, and the lives of my grandchildren, is very exciting," she said.

"It gives a strong sense of our culture and what it means."

Members of the Wurundjeri community have agreed for works to be carried out to rectify the image and have worked closely with the artist, architects and Grocon, she said.