In recent years, we have seen giant works of art being painted on silos and water towers all over the country. And it’s not just limited to silos either. Incredible pieces of artwork are popping up on walls in public spaces, and huge sculptures adorn roadside stops.
This is by no means a complete list of silo art around Australia. I will add to this post as often as we find and visit new silo art locations as we travel around Australia.
We have been lucky enough to see many of these amazing works of art over the last couple of years. So check out our list of where to find silo art in Australia and start exploring it for yourself.
Where Silo Art Began
The first piece of Silo Art was a Community Project in the small town of Brim, Victoria. The four murals were painted by artist Guido van Helten and were completed in 2016. From there, the idea of the Silo Art Trail was formed, and now it seems that Silo Art is more popular than ever.
Many of the locations where you can find silo art are just tiny towns, often in rural areas. They would previously never have attracted visitors, but now hundreds of people come to their towns to see these impressive artworks.
Where To Find Silo Art In Queensland
Yelarbon Silo Art
The Yelarbon silos are a most impressive site as you enter this tiny Queensland town. The artwork, called ‘When the Rain Comes’ was completed by members of the art group, The Brightsiders.
The Yelarbon Lagoon inspired the project. Artists Jordache Castillejos, Jordan Bruce, and Steven Falco created the work using 800 litres of paint and 400 spray cans.
Initially, only four of the eight silos were painted, but Goondiwindi Regional Council secured funds to complete the project, and it was finished in April 2020.
Thallon Silo Art
Another painted silo that is part of the silo art trail Qld is the Thallon Grain Silos. They were completed in July 2017. Titled ‘The Watering Hole’, they depict what local life is like in the Thallon area. The design was based on photographs taken by three locals. The artwork was designed and painted by artists Joel Fergie (The Zookeeper) and Travis Vinson (Drapl) in consultation with the local community.
Four silos in total are painted. The first silo features two pale-faced Rosellas, which are just stunning in their detail. The Moonie River features on the second silo, with sheep being the prominent feature of the third and fourth silos.
The silos are located within the local GrainCorp site so entry is not permitted onto the site, however, a raised viewing area allows you to take in the beauty of these silos. As a bonus, camping is permitted in the gravel area next to the silos. Power and water are available for $5.50 per night (at the time of writing), payable at the pub. You can stay for free if you do not require power or water. There are also showers, toilets, and a dump point.
Where To Find Silo Art NSW
Barraba Silo Art
Barraba is a small rural town in northern NSW. The silos here were painted by artist Fintan Magee and completed in 2019. The mural depicts a water diviner searching for groundwater. It represents the critical importance of water in our farming regions.
Fintan Magee was born in Lismore in NSW and is a prolific artist, having painted numerous murals and also completed the silo art at Patchewollock in Victoria.
Gunnedah Silo Art
I don’t think there are too many people in Australia who have not heard that famous line of Dorothea Mackellar’s poem….’I love a Sunburnt country’, and now it has been immortalised in a silo. Located in the northern NSW town of Gunnedah and painted by artist Heesco Khosnaran, it is a stunning tribute to the poet who spent time on her family property near Gunnedah.
The poem My Country was written in 1908 and originally called ‘Core of My Heart. It was written by Mackellar when she was 22 years old. The verse depicted in the silos is the second voice and has always been more well-known than the rest of the poem. You can read the full version of My Country HERE.
Merriwa Silo Art
Another silo that is part of the silo art trail NSW is the Merriwa silo. Merriwa is a wonderful small town in the Upper Hunter region of NSW. It is surrounded by prime grazing country and is known everywhere for the fine wool produced there. Each year, The Festival of the Fleeces is held in the town. The painted silos at Merriwa are a nod to that festival and also the agricultural activities of the area.
Completed by artist David Lee Pereira in April 2019, they are a colourful addition to the town. If you travel that way, enjoy the country hospitality for a night or two.
Grenfell Silo Art
This spectacular piece can be found in Grenfell in Central West NSW. Local grain trading business Grenfell Commodities commissioned Melbourne artist Heesco Khosnaran to complete the work in 2018.
The artwork is based on photographs taken by local photographers Denise Yates and Jenn Graham. It features the local Weddin Mountains and the rural landscape of the area. It truly is a stunning addition to this lovely small town. And yes, the sheep are looking at you!
Narrandera Water Tower Art
Narrandera, a small town on the edge of the Riverina region of NSW, has some recent additions to its water towers. High on the hill overlooking the town, the local water reservoir is now adorned with a mural. The most prominent are a koala and a bearded dragon, with the rest of the artwork depicting the areas history.
The artwork was completed by a team of artists from Apparition Media. The team of four completed the two pieces in 11 days, using over 120 litres of paint.
There are some great free camps around the river at Narrandera.
Where To Find Silo Art In Victoria
Garoke Silo Art
We visited Garoke in western Victoria on our way to South Australia after visiting Kev’s family in Bendigo.
The Garoke silos are part of the Wimmera Malle Silo Art Trail.
Geoffrey Caran painted the three silos in 2020. It took him six weeks to complete the work. Australian iconic birds are the subjects along with the typical landscape of the Wimmera Malle region.
The magpie holds a special place in Goroke, as the town’s name is derived from the Wotjobaluk word for magpie. The landscape here is a blend of lush wetlands and expansive cropping paddocks, creating an ideal habitat for local wildlife, including kookaburras and galahs, also depicted in the Goroke silo art.
Roseberry Silo Art
The Rosebery Silos were completed in late 2017 by Melbourne artist Kaff-eine. After spending time in the Mallee region, Kaff-eine used what she saw in the local area as her inspiration. Her artwork depicts a young woman farmer who she sees as the future of farming. Alongside her is an older man and his horse and the bond between the two is unmistakable.
A few kilometres down the road is the small village of Beulah, where you will find another of Kaff-eine’s artworks. This time it is a mural, again depicting horses, frequently depicted in her work.
Brim Silo Art
The silos at Brim are another stunning piece from Guido van Helten that make up the silo art trail Victoria. Brim was the first piece of silo art to appear in Victoria. The detail in this artwork is just incredible, and no photo can do them justice. The artwork depicts three males and one female of different ages and reflects the strength and resilience of the local farming community.
Sheep Hills Silo Art
This spectacular artwork by Melbourne artist Adnate has to be seen in person. No photos we had seen prepared us for the depth of expression and colour in this huge piece of art.
Featuring two local Indigenous elders and two young children, the work celebrates the richness of the area’s Indigenous culture. The mural was completed in December 2016.
Rupanyup Silo Art
Rupanyup is our final piece of silo art for now. Unlike many of the other silos, these are located right in town and are much smaller in size. They are also painted in black and white. Completed by Russian street artist Julia Volchkova, they depict two local youths both playing sports. Both pieces capture the strength and determination of these young sports stars.
While in Rupanyup, we recommend you also check out the carved wooden sculptures in the nature strip area that runs through the centre of town.
Patchewollock Silo Art
Patchewollock is just a speck on the map, but it is now known to thousands of people who visit just to see its impressive silo art. The Patche mural is by artist Fintan Magee. The mural concerns local sheep and grain farmer Nick “Noodle” Hulland. The artist met him while staying at the local pub before he started work on the mural and knew immediately that he wanted to paint him.
The mural depicts Nick standing with a branch out of a gum tree and staring into the distance. Dressed in a blue flannel shirt, he epitomises the Aussie farmer.
Lascelles Silo Art
Just 50 kilometres southeast of Patchewollock is the equally tiny village of Lascelles. The silo art here was completely different to what we had seen before. The artist, Rone, used the silo’s raw concrete colouring to create his artwork of local farmers Geoff and Merrilyn Horman. The effect is stunning, and they are truly unique pieces of artwork.
Lascelles is a great little village. It has a small
Rochester Silo Art
The silos at Rochester, a small town in rural Victoria, are just stunning. They have the most incredible detail and amazingly vivid colouring. They depict a squirrel glider and a king-fisher, both seen frequently in the local area.
The silos were completed in 2018 by the incredibly talented Jimmy Dvate.
Rochester is a great little town to visit. There is plenty of parking in front of the murals, and from there, it is a very short stroll to the main street, where you will find a couple of pubs, a cafe, and a supermarket. Rochester also holds an annual Mural Contest. The entries from the current year and some from previous years are on display in the local park and are well worth checking out.
The image below is ‘The Superb Lyrebird’s Song’ by Damian Cazaly. It was the winner of the 2018 contest.
Where To Find Silo Art in South Australia
Waikerie Silo Art
This was the first piece of Silo Art we came across on the silo art trail in South Australia, and it was quite by accident. We didn’t know it was there! We had stopped in the small town of Waikerie, South Australia, on the banks of the Murray River to have some lunch.
Waikerie is located about 80 kilometres west of Renmark. As we started to head out of town, we spotted a huge yabby painted on the side of a large white silo. We pulled over straight away so that we could admire it further. On the silo next to it there is an abstract mural as well.
We went to sign the visitor’s book, and there was a note in it that said to go around the back for the Superb Parrot. This is another incredible piece by artist Jimmy Dvate. The colours and detail in the artwork are simply amazing. It is very well worth checking out.
Wirrabara Silo Art
We were fortunate enough to be shown the Wirrabara silo art by some friends we visited in the nearby town of Crystal Brook.
Sam Bates transformed this silo with his depiction of the area featuring flora and fauna around the area. It also references the rich forestry industry.
Initially the residents of Wirrabara didn’t want a local resident painted on the silos. So Sam chose Dion Lebrun instead the organiser of a local festival.
It took Sam just three weeks to complete painting the silos in 2018.
We are looking forward to finding more silo art and murals as we continue our travels. There are so many more sites that we haven’t seen yet.
We love exploring all the little towns and villages that most of these silos are located in. Many of these small towns need our support now more than ever. So, as you pass through these little towns, stop and spend a few dollars whenever you can.
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There are also another few near Benalla on the eastern side of Victoria – Goorambat, Devenish, St James and Tungamah – all within a short distance of each other. Looking forward to seeing the ones mentioned above on our way to Broken Hill later this year
Haven’t been through that part of Victoria yet. Broken Hill is wonderful. Make sure you check out The Sculptures in the Living Desert National Park. Absolutely spectacular especially at sunset.