nsw silo art road trip

Plan a NSW silo art road trip

Barraba Silos, Barraba Credit: Destination NSW

40m-high mural artwork on Barraba Silos, Barraba by artist Fintan Magee.

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Once nondescript blips on country road trips, silos around Australia are being beautified with striking giant murals. Today, you can now admire eight sites in New South Wales that have been transformed with huge artworks. Here’s how you can see them all on a four-day getaway; consider adding a few extra nights along the way to explore in more depth the country towns you pass through.

Day 1: Tamworth–Gunnedah

Start your road trip in Australia’s country music capital of Tamworth , a five-hour drive northwest of Sydney . Get a taste for what’s ahead at the Tamworth water tank mural at the Oxley Lookout (near Tamworth Regional Botanic Garden in East Tamworth) before driving an hour northwest to your first silo at Barraba .

Pass through the historic town of Manilla before seeing the silos on your left just before you reach Barraba. Painted by Australian street artist Fintan Magee , the silos show three images of a farmer using dowsing sticks to find water, ending with his sticks crossed to show he’s found the right spot.

Grab a light lunch at the Polkadot Coffee Room before heading 75 minutes southwest to see the latest addition to the Australian Silo Art Trail in Gunnedah . Completed in early 2021 by Melbourne-based Mongolian street artist Heesco , the silos show Australian poet Dorothea Mackellar and lines from her famous poem, My Country .

In Gunnedah you can also see a mural by Jenny McCracken on the Gunnedah Water Tower Museum . When it’s time to eat, try the seasonal menu at Maverick Bistro, where dishes can include prawn fettuccine and duck spring rolls. You can also dine in and spend the night at the Harvest Lodge Motel.

Day 2: Gunnedah–Merriwa–Dunedoo–Portland

It’s two-hour drive south of Gunnedah to Merriw a in the Upper Hunter , travelling through the small town of Quirindi , where a silo art committee is working on plans to have their own mural. But with the stretch of road between Willow Tree to Merriwa under repair in 2021, you may need to add a 45-minute detour though Scone .

In Merriwa, head to Hacketts Road to view the mural created by David Lee Pereira in 2019. The huge sheep in red socks are a nod to Merriwa’s annual Festival of the Fleeces , where you can see more than 200 sheep wearing red woollen socks walk down the main street.

Travel another 80 minutes west to the Dunedoo silo to see black swans, rural landscapes and a horseracing scene on different sides. Champion Australian racehorse Winx is shown with her regular jockey Hugh Bowman, who grew up in Dunedoo, and trainer Chris Waller. The mural was painted by Peter Mortimore , whose wife Carolyn also grew up in the town.

Grab a bite for lunch in Dunedoo’s White Rose Café or save your appetite for the food and wine hub of Mudgee on the way to Portland. From Mudgee it’s an 80-minute drive to reach the silos in the old Portland Cement Works, where Guido van Helten ’s mural shows six former cement works employees. Part of The Foundations cultural hub, the Portland silos can be viewed from 9am to 5pm daily, so you may need to save this visit for the morning.

You could spend the night in Mudgee along the way or bed down in Portland, where the Coronation Hotel is a handy option.

Day 3: Portland–Grenfell–Weethalle

Your first silo stop of the day is 2.5 hours west of Portland in the gold-rush town of Grenfell , passing through Bathurst , the home of Australian motor racing, and boutique cellar doors in the Cowra wine region along the way. The Grenfell silos were also painted by Australian street artist Heesco, and show a compilation of local farming and nature scenes adapted from images by local photographer Denise Yates.

From Grenfell, keep heading west for just under two hours to see your third mega mural by Heesco on the Weethalle silo . This is not only the first silo Heesco painted, it was the first one in NSW when he completed it in July 2017. Only about 300 people live in Weethalle and you’re likely to meet some of the locals if you spend the night or have a meal at the Royal Hotel Weethalle .

Day 4: Weethalle — Harden-Murrumburrah

Next you’ll need to retrace your steps for 40 minutes to West Wyalong before heading south down another road for another two hours to the twin towns of Harden and Murrumburrah . On the Murrumburrah Mill’s silos you’ll find the latest artwork by Heesco, completed in early 2021, showing scenes from the historic mill’s past.

Continue to learn about local history over dinner at The Light Horse Hotel , which dates back to 1861, before spending the night next at the Heggaton artHouse , an 1800s former doctor’s surgery that’s been turned into self-contained apartments.

Grain Corp Silos, Merriwa, NSW Credit: Annette Green, Australian Silo Art Trail

This mural depicts an image of sheep wearing red socks in a canola field,by artist David Lee Pereira.

Grenfell Silo Art, Grenfell NSW Credit: Annette Green, Australian Silo Art Trail

This mural by artist Heesco Khosnaran, is a compilation of images which represents the contemporary farming industry and landscape of the Weddin Shire.

Rosnay Organic Wines, Canowindra Credit: Destination NSW

Couple enjoying a farm tour through the orchard with Sam Stratham at Rosnay Organic Wines, Canowindra.

Arts, Culture and Heritage
Country & Outback

Horse Riding, Jindabyne, Snowy Mountains Credit: Destination NSW

Horse riding in Jindabyne, Snowy Mountains. For media use only in Australian markets to promote NSW.

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Set course for adventure in Jindabyne, a quaint lakeside town in the foothills of New South Wales’ Snowy Mountains, and a great base camp for an energising, nature-based holiday. Delight in a range of exciting seasonal experiences, from action-packed days on the snow to summertime hikes that will leave you feeling fresh.

Pick your own adventure

There's an array of activities on your doorstep in Jindabyne – a five-hour drive southwest of Sydney. In warm weather, get your blood pumping on a mountain bike ride, or try your hand at rock climbing with K7 Adventures. Travelling when the mercury drops? Relish in the wintry scenery on one of K7’s snow-shoe expeditions. Alternatively, get a natural high on a guided horse trek at Snowy Wilderness Resort , set on more than 6,500 acres of awe-inspiring alpine high country just south of Jindabyne.

There’s also a whole lot of adventure to uncover in Kosciuszko National Park during summer. Revel in the sense of achievement hiking the summit of Mount Kosciuszko , Australia’s highest point at 2,228m elevation – it’s an 18.6km return trail from Charlotte Pass , so plan on spending a full day (six to eight hours) out in nature. If you’d prefer a shorter walk, the serene Rainbow Lake walk is a 2.4km-return trail that boasts stunning wildflowers during springtime.

Post-activity, take a deep breath and calm your mind during a hatha yoga session at Jai Yoga . Then further reward your day’s efforts with a celebratory schnapps made at Wildbrumby , which has a distillery door and restaurant overlooking a sculpture garden. Prefer a beer? Jindabyne Brewing bar and tasting room has views across Lake Jindabyne – find a scenic perch and enjoy the ultimate taste of the region as you sip. Another option for a refreshing swig of beer is Kosciuszko Brewery. Located at Jindabyne’s Banjo Patterson Inn, it’s the perfect spot to unwind after an exhilarating day of adventure activities.

Try out the local dining scene

Follow your nose to the delectable range of oven-fresh breakfast pastries on offer at Nimmitabel Bakery . The aroma of freshly brewed Axis Roasters coffee is just as difficult to resist at Birchwood , where you can also fill up before a big day in the great outdoors on cheese toasties, muesli bowls, moreish breakfast salads and more.

Self-catering? Head to The Market . At this part café, part market, you can choose between sinking your teeth into wholesome dishes or grabbing organic fruit and veggies and specialty grocery items to take away.

Cosy up at the end of the day at Bacco Italian Restaurant , which has been preparing pizzas and pastas for more than 25 years; kids are well catered for with a dedicated menu of tasty bites. Or take your palate on its own adventure at much-loved Cafe Darya , which dishes up welcoming Persian favourites including dips, pastries and stews. Pair zingy tacos with lip-smacking margaritas at Cucina Grill & Cantina , and treat your travelling companion to an intimate Japanese dinner at Takayama ; kick off a memorable meal with a serving of succulent pork gyoza with ponzu dipping sauce.

Stay in quintessential Snowies lodging

Lean into farm life at Avonside Alpine Estate , a dreamy off-grid farm stay with a vegetable garden, chickens, sheep and highland cattle. The two- and three-bedroom cottages unite Scandi style with sustainable design, and boast calming country vistas, too.

Be soothed by the snow gums surrounding Ecocrackenback, just outside of Jindabyne, as you warm up by the fire in one of its 18 self-contained cabins. Or soak up the similarly scenic setting at Moonbah Hut , which offers two charming timber cottages near Jindabyne that sleep four or five guests. With one hut set on a lake and the other by a river, you can begin or end a summer's day with an invigorating dip, while the stone fireplaces, underfloor heating and exposed beams make the cottages feel particularly snug during the winter months.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service manages a number of lodges throughout Kosciuszko National Park, including Creel Lodge. Here you can bask in serene Lake Jindabyne views from the breakfast table. As the moon rises over the lake, indulge in the nostalgic pastime of roasting marshmallows over the outdoor fireplace for dessert.

Jindabyne, Snowy Mountains Credit: Destination NSW

Hiking in Jindabyne, Snowy Mountains For media use only in Australian markets to promote NSW.

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Wildbrumby Schnapps Distillery, Crackenback Credit: Destination NSW

The Wildbrumby Distillery & Cafe is a unique, boutique schnapps distillery located on the Alpine Way in the picturesque Thredbo Valley,

Lake Crackenback, Thredbo Credit: Destination NSW

Kangaroos at Lake Crackenback, Thredbo.

Lake Jindabyne, Snowy Mountains Credit: Destination NSW

Scenic views of Lake Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains.

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NSW Silo Art Road Trip Itinerary: How and Where to See Them All

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Over the past few years a wonderful thing has been happening around Australia. Silos in big and small towns have been given a mega mural makeover, and people have been coming from far and wide to see them.

While I would one day like to do a road trip that’s big enough to see them all I started out by visiting all of the ones in NSW. I wanted to see all of the silo art along the way of course, but I also wanted to take some time to see places in my own state that I hadn’t seen before.

My NSW silo art road trip buddy was my mother, Joy, and as we live in Northern NSW we went from North to South. But if you’d prefer to start down the other end of the state you can take my suggested itinerary, flip it and reverse it.

If you’ll be flying into NSW and hiring a car , I’d suggest starting your silo art road trip in Tamworth.

As at the time of writing there are currently nine NSW silo art works, with the latest one officially added to the trail in January 2023. If you’re short on time you could see them all in three days by going from Tamworth to Quirindi on day one, Quirindi to Portland on day two, then Portland to Harden-Murrumburrah on day three.

Mum and I took it a little easier and did them all in four, and then took our time road tripping back up the state and seeing more of the places we drove through relatively quickly on the way down.

The great thing about the silos is they’re not only bringing new visitors to the towns the silos are in, they’re also taking people to some lovely places along the way.

To help you choose your own adventure I’m going to share places to eat and sleep at every silo location, as well as some stand out spots along the road.

If you can go nice and slowly you’ll be able to enjoy them all, and if you’re a little shorter on time you can adjust the recipe to suit. I’ll include the time and distance so you can figure out what works best for you.

And if you can only do some sections, you can use the table of contents below to jump ahead to any part of the trip. Ready to see some silos and a whole lot more in between? Let’s go!

Tamworth to Barraba
Barraba to Gunnedah
Gunnedah to Quirindi
Quirindi to Merriwa
Dunedoo to Portland
Portland to Grenfell
Grenfell to Weethalle
Weethalle to Harden-Murrumburrah

Tamworth to Barraba Silo Art

92km. 1hr 9mins

Get a happy snap in front of the Big Golden Guitar in Australia’s country music capital before hitting the road on your big silo art road trip.

Tamworth may not have a silo of its own yet, but you can see a smaller mural on the side of a water tank on the Oxley Lookout. Unfortunately the piece by Damon Moroney and James Moulton is the hardest one to see on this whole road trip and you need to head up a steep and uneven walking track to reach it and then take photos through the wire fencing. Don’t worry, the silos that are coming up are a whole lot easier to see.

Read: Where to go glamping on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast

Our first NSW silo art is just outside of Barraba, and along the way you’ll pass through the historic town of Manilla. You won’t need to stretch your legs yet but stop anyway so you can see some of the beautiful old buildings and do a spot of vintage shopping at The Manilla Folder .

Then keep on driving along the Fossickers Way (less romantically known as the B95) and just before you reach Barraba you’ll see it on the left. Three huge portraits of a water diviner by Australian street artist Fintan Magee .

The silos are privately owned by Simon and Amanda Koopman and there’s a spot beside the road in both directions where you can easily pull over to gaze up at them and take photos.

Read: Gorgeous dog friendly cottages in the Cotswolds

When he was chosen to paint the Barraba silos, Fintan visited the town in early 2019 to get a feel for the project ahead and speak to the locals. At the time the town was trying to cope with one of the worst droughts Australia has ever seen, and Fintan was inspired to show a water diviner searching for water.

Barraba NSW silo art, image Amanda Woods

Apparently Fintan wasn’t thinking of Prince Harry at the time, but I can definitely see Harry giving divining a go and enjoying being back in Australia with Meghan.

Unless you live nice and close to Barraba you’ll be starting your journey with a night in Tamworth. And if you’re a steak lover that means you have a chance to enjoy some local Jacks Creek Beef .

The winner of the world’s best steak producer for two years in a row and the world’s best fillet steak in 2017 raises Wagyu and Black Angus cattle on a farm at Willow Tree south of Tamworth. At the Workshop Kitchen in the Powerhouse Hotel you can tuck into a premium cut of Jacks Creek Beef with the unique smoked flavour that comes from cooking over a wood fired grill fired up with Pilliga Western Red Ironbark.

Before heading off in the morning the Humble Espresso is a sweet way to start the day in a cute cottage where the menu can include a decadent S’mores waffles with nutella, chocolate fudge and marshmallow icecream.

Or you might like to grab a loaded bagel and a coffee at Camp Grounds . Here the main espresso blend is roasted by Floozy, who support female coffee producers and only use traceable, high quality beans.

When you hit the road you can get a sugar fix at Molly May’s in Manilla where the decadent Ultimate Salted Caramel Shake comes decorated with Jersey caramels, popcorn and pretzels.

Salted Caramel Shake, Molly Mays Manilla, image Amanda Woods

Meanwhile in Barraba you can have a light lunch at the Polkadot Coffee Room or head to the Barraba Bowling club for a Chinese meal.

Start your NSW silo art road trip in style with a stay at Goonoo Goonoo Station , the 19 th century heritage listed pastoral village that has been turned into luxury accommodation outside of Tamworth.

As well as having great steaks, the Powerhouse Tamworth is a great way to stay thanks to the old ‘80s motel’s multi million dollar makeover when it joined the Rydges family. Expect soft beds, art deco touches and Tesla charging stations.

And in Barraba the Playhouse Hotel has ten rooms, all with ensuites, as well as shared lounges and a vine covered courtyard to enjoy a vino in.

Barraba to Gunnedah Silo Art

115km, 1hr 22 mins / 91km. 1hr 15min

On your drive down south to Gunnedah you can go one of two ways.

Back via Manilla will take you over a little of the same ground and is slightly longer at 115km, but it’s sealed all the way. Or if you want all new views you can take a teensy short cut driving via the tiny village of Kelvin but you’ll only shave about 7 minutes off the drive and will spend some time on dirt roads.

Whichever way you go, when you reach Gunnedah you’ll want to go straight to the big maize mill on Barber Street, next to the new bridge that links the Oxley Highway and Warrabungle Street. Here you’ll find the first of four silo artworks by Heesco that you’ll be seeing on this trip.

Gunnedah, NSW Silo art by Heesco, image Amanda Woods

The Mongolian street artist who now lives in Melbourne painted the first silo in NSW in Weethalle back in 2017, then did another one in Grenfell, and early this year put the (almost) finishing touches on this one in Gunnedah before heading down to Harden-Murrumburrah to start on his fourth.

The 29m-high, privately owned maize mill silos show Australian poet Dorothea Mackellar and lines from her famous poem My Country.

In Gunnedah you can also see two murals by Jenny McCracken on the Gunnedah Military Water Tower Museum . The scenes from the Vietnam War show Huey helicopters coming to the aid of solders on the ground, and soldiers standing at attention beside the Long Tan Cross.

Water tower art Gunnedah museum, image Amanda Woods

In front of the Civic Centre in town you can also see a different kind of street art, with the Rainbow Serpent Water Feature . It took local Kamilaroi women almost 20 years to make this mosaic dream a reality, and last year it won silver for best rural art in the 2020 Australian Street Art Awards.

The Bitter Suite Café + Wine Bar serves up delicious food with fresh local produce, including a ridiculously indulgent French toast with maple syrup, bacon and ice cream. The café has a lovely feel to it with some interesting sculptures and other creations found around the courtyard.

And after a major refurbishment in 2019 the Gunnedah Hotel has new and improved indoor and outdoor spaces including a large beer garden with a children’s play area, and an Italian restaurant called Vita with its own outdoor area.

Vita Restaurant Gunnedah, image Amanda Woods

The Harvest Lodge Motel has swimming pool and onsite restaurant while the Gunnedah Serviced Apartments have four self-contained apartments around town.

And after enjoying dinner you can also spend the night at the Gunnedah Hotel in their renovated upstairs rooms where accommodation options includes single, queen and triple rooms with private or shared bathrooms.

176km. 2hr 3mins

Gunnedah to Quirindi Silo Art

Travel from Gunnedah to Quirindi, where the latest addition to the NSW silo art trail has something no other silo in Australia has – a special show every night.

Perth based artist Peter Ryan has created a mix of a mural and a canvas where projections by Illuminart add to the stories of the Liverpool Plains’ past, present and future.

Peter’s silo art was inspired by local Aboriginal stories and plaques along the front of the silos explain the significance of the animals you can see. Then at night a show that includes a mix of animated Kamilaroi stories and videos of modern farming in the area adds a new dimension to these silos.

I share a little bit of what it’s like to see the show here…

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The show starts at 7pm Eastern Standard Time and 8.30pm during Daylight Savings with accompanying audio broadcast on 88.6FM, and then is played a second time a few minutes after the first run.

Get there early to grab one of the loungers where you can lie back in comfort and look up at the silo and the stars. If you’re visiting in winter like I was, rug up for this one and bring something to put down on the seat as they do get quite cold.

After watching the first viewing I went across the road to the RSL to watch the second show from the balcony. Between the Keno and TV screens on the balcony it wasn’t ideal viewing, but it was still nice to see it again as I warmed up with a hot chocolate.

In front of the silos an installation shows Quirindi’s annual rainfall since the silos were constructed, while around town you can see the stock brands of the Liverpool Plains on the footpaths, with a guide to the different brands and some of the pastoral history on a sign.

While you’re in town visit the Merriwa Colonial Museum to learn more about the local history in a standstone cottage that dates back to 1857, and find some new treats to take home in local stores including The Lime Door where you can find vintage and new homewares and furniture along with gourmet foods and artworks by Peter Ryan.

On the way out of town pop up to the Who’d A Thought It Lookout for 360° views of the Liverpool Plains below and a small playground for the kids.

For a pub meal head to the Terminus Hotel where you can find pizzas, pastas and pub classics, or grab a bite at the Quirindi RSL over the road from the silos before the show starts.

For breakfast, The Quirindi Coffee Pot has a nice mix of dishes on offer, including some tasty sweet corn fritters that I enjoyed with an oat milk Fish River Rosters coffee in the sun.

Plan an overnight stay in Quirindi so you can see the projections on the silos after the sun goes down.

The Best Western Quirindi RSL Motel is directly behind the RSL and just around the corner from the silos for an easy three minute walk from the silo show to your bed.

My King Bed Suite was clean, comfortable and spacious with a separate bedroom and living area including a kitchenette with a microwave and tea and coffee facilities with Tim Tams.

The office isn’t manned at all times and while there is a phone number to call when you arrive if you’re like me and have no service on Vodafone it’s best to check the day before you arrive to organise your keys.

Quirindi to Merriwa Silo Art

137km . 1hr 40mins

If you’re looking at an old map you might be thinking about taking the short cut between Willow Tree and Merriwa, but that road has been closed since January 2021 while and it’s likely to be another year or two before it reopens. So at Willow Tree you’ll join the New England Highway down to Scone before heading west on Bunnan Road towards Merriwa.

Make your way to the silo viewing area on Hacketts Road as you come into Merriwa. The road may be gravel but after looking at the silos you can keep on driving into town rather than having to turn around.

While you don’t usually see sheep wearing red socks, David Lee Pereira’s silo art is a nod to Merriwa’s annual Festival of the Fleeces, which takes places in June.

This unusual festival includes hundreds of sheep wearing red socks walking down the main street of the town. A slightly odd but fun tradition that started when a festival sponsor sent a lot of red socks to the town one year and the locals came up with an unexpected way to use them.

If you love a good steak time your lunch break for Graze at the Willow Tree Inn .

This is where Michelin starred chef Ben Davies sizzles with steaks from the best Black Angus steers from the Colly Creek Pastoral Company up the road. Here they take their beef so seriously they have their own in-house butcher and you can see through a window from the restaurant into the dry aging room where the meat is aged for anywhere between 30 days and three months.

The Thoroughbred Scone is worth a stop on a Sydney to Brisbane road trip

Down the road in Scone, The Thoroughbred is a mix of gourmet bakery, café and steakhouse in an old pub from the 1800s, with rooms to stay upstairs.

And after you’ve seen the Merriwa silos and are ready for a bite to eat, the Merriwa Bakery serves fresh sandwiches, wraps and rolls along with minted lamb hot pies and more traditional fillings. And after getting a sweet treat fix there I can now vouch for their salted caramel tarts.

At the B&B on Bettington you can spend the night in a former bank building that dates back to 1916, while right alongside it you can find the Golden Fleece Motor Inn .

Just remember that with a population of around 1,700 there aren’t a lot of accommodation options in Merriwa, so you’ll want to book ahead to make sure you don’t miss out on a room.

Merriwa to Dunedoo Silo Art

105km. 1hr 10mins.

Keep following the Golden Highway west to Dunedoo. Only around 1,200 people live in this small town in the Warrumbungles and you can learn about the area’s history with a visit to the Dunedoo Historical Society before doing a little shopping at Gateway Gifts .

There’s no way you’ll miss the Dunedoo silo art, which wraps around the silos right there on the main street.

Artist Peter Mortimore ’s wife, Carolyn grew up in Dunedoo and joined him as he covered the silos with two of his passions – equine art and Australian landscapes.

On one side of the silo you can see Dunedoo jockey Hugh Bowman on the champion Australian racehorse Winx alongside her trainer Chris Waller. On the other the black swans that Dunedoo was named after fly above a local countryside scene.

The Lions Park beside the silos has lovely metal sculptures of local birds to see including barn owls and eagles, and you can also see a model of Neptune, 38 million times smaller than it is in space, as part of the Solar System Drive .

Grab a bite for lunch in Dunedoo’s White Rose Café or pick up some treats from the bakery and have a picnic on one of the tables beside the silo with a cold drink from a growler by Stonex .

As Dunedoo is another small town there aren’t a lot of options, though you could find a bed at The Royal Hotel or the Swan Motel .

Or you may like to continue onto the next leg of the trip and spend the night in Gulgong, which is only 40 minutes down the road, or in Mudgee, which is 1hr 11 mins from Dunedoo.

In the heart of Gulgong you could stay above a historic hotel from the 1800s in the Prince Of Wales Hotel , while the Gulgong Motel has a large swimming pool to cool off in and is just five minute’s walk from town.

Or you can continue on to Mudgee where the The Parklands Resort is surrounded by 30 acres of manicured gardens, has an indoor swimming pool, spa and sauna and a verandah for every room.

Plane lovers should book a night at Hangar House which is part holiday home, part airport hangar. If you have your own plane you can even fly in and have your plane spend the night with you.

If you’d prefer a whole place to yourself this big, light and bright Mudgee Country home sleeps up to 12 people and has a pool and outdoor entertaining area to enjoy.

Dunedoo to Portland Silo Art

186km. 2hr 15 mins.

It may only be around two hours between silos on this next leg, but you’ll want to give yourself a lot more time than that to enjoy a few stops along the way.

First up, Gulgong. The town that used to appear on the old Australian $10 note with local boy Henry Lawson has around 130 National Trust-listed buildings including what the Prince of Wales Opera House, which until Covid hit was Australia’s oldest operating opera house after opening in 1871.

Next you’ll be passing through Mudgee, one of the state’s top spots for great food and wine where you can visit cellar doors including the multi award winning Lowe Wines and the ultra modern cellar door at Logan Wines , and stroll past some lovely colonial buildings as you hop between boutique shops.

Pearsons Lookout Capertee Valley, NSW image Amanda Woods

As you continue to make your way south take a quick break to admire the view over the Capertee Valley from Pearson’s lookout. The lookout is a bit of a sudden turn to the left off the highway after you pass through the village of Capertee, and there’s not a lot of space for cars up there and no where to turn around if you’re in a motorhome.

So if you’re driving an RV you’ll want to grab a spot in the bottom carpark and walk the last bit to the top, but trust me it’s worth it to see the views over the second largest canyon in the world, and one that’s 1km wider than the Grand Canyon.

Then it’s time for your Portland silo art stop at the former Portland cement factory, now known as the cultural and tourism hub The Foundations .

Artist Guido Van Helton met with former cement factory workers and talked to people in the town before deciding on his silo artwork, which features five of the men who worked at the factory, Tommy, Bert, Ernie, Herb and Jack and one of the women, Yvonne Adams.

At first I didn’t like seeing Yvonne standing all alone on a different side of the silos to the men. But then I was told that she used to look out for all of the men and would watch the gate to make sure they all got out that night. Now her portrait still faces the gate, which I find quite beautiful.

While you can see can see most of the NSW silo art from the main road it’s much better to go into The Foundations and walk around the silos so you can see Yvonne, and also to feel the scale of the artwork as you look up at it. I was definitely feeling tiny as I stood in front of them for the road trip snap below.

Amanda Woods in front of Portland, NSW Silo Art, image Amanda Woods

And I’ll admit I got quite emotional when I heard that Jack, the man who’s looking up, has passed away since the silos were painted. His wife still lives in town and the thought of her being able to come and see his portrait got me all misty eyed.

Before travelling to Portland see if you can time your visit to coincide with one of The Foundations market days so you can step inside the incredible Powerhouse space. The latest updates on market day dates and other special events can be found on The Foundations Facebook page .

The Foundations Portland, image Amanda Woods

It’s also a great idea to join a tour so you can go and see the factory’s rare brick bottle kilns that date back to 1889, and if you like a spot of fishing bring your tackle and rods.

Over the past few years The Foundations have been stocking one of the dams on the site with more than 3000 fingerling trout that have grown into healthy fish that you can catch and release.

Along with all those tempting cellar doors in Mudgee there are some rather lovely spots to stop for lunch.

At Alby & Esthers café and wine bar you can enjoy local seasonal dishes in a stone terrace that dates back to around 1873 or its vine-covered courtyard. Over at Eltons the original 1896 Eltons Pharmacy building is now a top spot to try regionally sourced food, wine and craft beer. While if you’re more in the mood for fine dining the Pipeclay Pumphouse at the Robert Stein Vineyard includes paddock to plate salami, pork rillettes and pork terrine from local free-range pigs.

In Portland The Coronation Hotel has started a new chapter after its new owners bought it from an ad in Gumtree when they were looking to move out of the city. Their menu continues to expand and includes a mighty good chicken schnitzel.

If you’re looking for budget friendly accommodation, The Coronation Hotel has above the pub rooms starting from $45 a night.

As the owners have kept the original structure of the rooms there are no ensuite options, and as the women’s toilets and showers are across a short open air covered walkway from your room you’ll want to have something warm to put on for a nip to the loo in those colder months.

Unfortunately there are no other accommodation options in Portland itself so you may want to spend the night before in Mudgee, or do as we did and drive 12km to the small town of Wallerawang for a night at the Black Gold Motel .

Here owners Robert and Linda Cluff have taken the Old Wallerawang School that dates back to 1881 and transformed it into a mix of suites, cabins, villas and rooms. The Black Gold Motel also has a spacious and comfortable restaurant called the Crib Room with hearty meals including gluten free and vegan options.

Or you could get a jump on the next section of the drive and head 42 minutes down the road to Bathurst.

On our road trip we spent a couple of nights in Bathurst, one in a lovely home called the Ivy Lodge , and the other in a holiday park.

It had been a while between holiday park stays for me, and apart from loving the way some of the NRMA Bathurst Panorama Holiday Park cabins looked like old miners huts I felt like a big kid as I repeatedly zipped around the water slide into the pool. They also have a huge bouncing pillow and mini golf to keep big and small kids entertained.

Bathurst NRMA Holiday park, image Amanda Woods

In the past I’ve also loved staying at the beautiful Bishops Court Estate , an award winning boutique hotel in a two story Victorian mansion.

And after taking a tour around the recently renovated and reopened Victoria Hotel Bathurst I’m looking forward to spending a night in their light and lovely pub accommodation on a future visit. And hopefully being there for one of their Pawchella dog friendly festivals in the backyard.

Portland to Grenfell Silo Art

210km. 2hr 30 mins

Watch the countryside change as you go from driving up and down mountains to the landscape flattening out around you.

As you pass through Bathurst motor racing fans should indulge in a lap of Mount Panorama, while sticking to the speed limit of course, before paying a visit to the National Motor Racing Museum . And if you’re like me and a sucker for pretty crystals then a visit to the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum is a must to see a stunning display of crystals as well as a T.rex skeleton and other fossils.

At Abercrombie House you can explore a Tudor Gothic mansion from the 1870s with 52 rooms, seven staircases, 29 fireplaces and a beautiful ballroom where they host high teas on Sunday afternoons. Check their website for upcoming events including night tours in case you can time your visit right.

Abercrombie House, Bathurst, image Amanda Woods

As you continue down the Mid-Western Highway keep an eye out for the sign to Carcoar, around 40 minutes outside of Bathurst. One of the most beautifully preserved and restored historic villages in Australia, Carcoar has Georgian style terraces and convict built stone stables to admire, and in winter you can often look up at a snow capped Mount Lachlan, which is 1,220m higher than the Blue Mountains.

From Carcoar it’s another 40 minutes to Cowra, where you can see the multi award winning Cowra Japanese Gardens and take a stroll around five hectares of gardens designed to reflect the Japanese landscape by designer Ken Nakajima.

Then it’s 40 minutes more to the west to reach the town of Grenfell.

While there are some signs pointing you towards the silo art in Grenfell they’re very small blue ones so not easy to spot. To make things easier follow the larger signs to the historic railway station, then make your way along West Street to the silos.

Another NSW silo artwork by Heesco, the Grenfell silos show farming and nature scenes from the surrounding Weddin Shire, adapted from images by local photographer Denise Yates.

Grenfell NSW Silo art by Heesco, image Amanda Woods

The grain silos that date back to 1926 are owned by Grenfell Commodities who commissioned the artwork after seeing what Heesco created on the Weethalle silos (where we’ll be going next).

While we arrived in the afternoon and thought the silos were beautiful, according to the locals we chatted to it’s even better in the early morning when the sunrise hits it and makes those colours shine even brighter.

As well as being able to walk right up to these silos, they had something we hadn’t seen before. Something I think would be a great thing to have at all of the NSW silo art stops. A visitors’ book.

Grenfell silo art Visitors book, image Amanda Woods

The book we added our names to had only been started four months before and already had 72 pages filled with comments, with 12 entries to most pages (so that’s 864 comments to save you trying to do that one in your head). I don’t know how many books have been filled since Heesco completed the artwork in March 2019, but I love the idea of silo art road trippers being able to share some thoughts and leave their own mark before travelling on.

Grab a seat in the garden courtyard, or inside by the fire in those colder months at The Hub in Bathurst, where you can tuck into a healthy Big Buddha Bowl or indulge in a Sweet Potato Rosti with a mug of their own Hub blend coffee from local Fish River Roasters.

And if you’re spending the night in Bathurst book a table at Dogwood . We didn’t have anything like Dogwood when I went to uni in Bathurst and that makes me sad. Because it’s awesome.

Dogwood Bathurst food, image Amanda Woods

Created by Evan Stanley who has worked at some of Australia’s best cocktail bars and was named ALIA Australian Bartender of the Year before moving to Bathurst, it’s where you can tuck into classic American dishes including crispy Southern style chicken and smoky North Carolina style BBQ pork while sipping some of those mighty fine cocktails.

Down the road in Carcoar a fine dining treat awaits at Antica Australis .

Awarded a Chef Hat for 2021 by the Australian Good Food Guide in its first year of business, this slow food locanda is only open on weekends and doesn’t accept walk-ins so you’ll need to time your trip right and book ahead to secure a spot at this table.

Meanwhile in Grenfell, Unwind has you covered for lunch with pies and sausage rolls, homemade cakes and slices, while their Friday night dinners are inspired by different corners of the globe. Check the Unwind Facebook page to see if you could be eating Indian, Mexican, Vietnamese or another tasty dish.

Or if you’re more in the mood for classic pub fare in Grenfell head on down to the Criterion or the Albion Hotel.

While I’ve already shared some Bathurst suggestions there are a couple of lovely options along the way in the village of Carcoar.

Hargans Cottage is the creation of Belinda Satterthwaite, the woman behind the gorgeous Tomolly store that used to be found in Millthorpe and now has a new home in Carcoar. Once a local mechanic’s house the cottage is now a lovely light filled getaway with luxury linens, handmade ceramics and other Tomolly style touches.

Meanwhile the Stoke House Carcoar was built back in 1846 and while some original elements remain, some more modern touches were introduced in 2014 when the latest refurbishment took place.

And when you make it to Grenfell, the heritage listed Grenfell Hall is now an elegant B&B with three rooms with queen beds, including this rather dramatic number.

Grenfell to Weethalle Silo Art

162km. 1hr 45mins

As you keep on heading west those long, flat stretches of road get longer and flatter.

This is cruise control country. And sometimes wild emu country. So keep an eye out for both sides of the Australian coat of arms as you drive along these roads.

Along the way you’ll pass through West Wyalong where you can learn about the town’s gold mining heritage at the Wyalong Museum in the old courthouse, and pick up a brochure from the Visitor Information Centre to do a self guided tour of the heritage buildings along the streets.

When you reach the tiny village of Weethalle (that’s pronounced with-alley) you’ll see the silo that started them all in NSW.

The ninth to be painted in Australia, the Weethalle silos were the first in NSW and they were also Heesco’s first silos when he completed them in July 2017.

You can’t miss the silos as they’re right there on the main street and when you get out of the car you can walk up to these ones as well. As they’re still being used to this day you may even see them at work when you visit.

Weethalle silo sheep, image Amanda Woods

The silos were painted in memory of the late Bob Fisher, a local man who gave a lot to the Weethalle community, and are a tribute to the area’s wool and wheat industries. As well as showing the shearer and the farmer with his wheat, I love the way Heesco turned that tiny balcony section into a holding pen for the sheep.

The Weethalle silo art also featured in a stamp series I wish I’d known about and snapped up at the time. In fact the stamps were so popular they were named Australia Post’s favourite stamp series for 2018.

Australia Post Silo Art Stamps, image Amanda Woods

No stop to Weethalle is complete without a visit to the Road Kill Grillz where you can find yourself chatting with locals as you tuck into a burger named after them.

Owned and operated by Linda and Danny, the Road Kill Grillz has your classic road house options as well as a selection of specials named after the locals who love them including the hot chilli kransky known as the Flaming Lloyd.

Road Kill Grillz Weethalle sign, image Amanda Woods

And as some of the truck drivers who know this route well will tell you they also serve fresh vegetables including real mashed potato rather than those frozen veggies a lot of other places serve up.

Across the road at the old railway station you can find The Whistle Stop Arts and Crafts and have a bite to eat in their tearoom. Even if you’ve filled up at the Road Kill Grillz it’s worth popping over to meet the volunteers and to pick up a Weethalle tea towel and other souvenirs.

Whistle Stop Weethalle, image Amanda Woods

Weethalle is a tiny dot of a place with a population of just 284, so if you want to spend the night you’ll need to book ahead to make sure you get one of only four rooms above the pub at the Royal Hotel.

The rooms have a communal bathroom and a shared kitchenette with a kettle, toaster, fridge and microwave. You won’t find the Royal Hotel online, so you’ll need to go old school and call them direct on 02 6975 6291.

If you’re road tripping in an RV or going #vanlife style you can get a powered site at the showground with views of the top of the silos in the distance for $10 a night.

Or you could simply spend the night in front of the silos themselves as there’s plenty of room for caravans and vans.

Weethalle to Harden – Murrumburrah Silo Art

216km. 2hr 33min

And now we make it to the final leg of our NSW silo art road trip and you have two ways to travel over to the twin towns of Harden and Murrumburrah.

If you want to stick to main roads you can head back to West Wyalong and then start making your way down. Or you can do what we did and take the secondary road option down to Barellan and then across, which only adds around ten minutes to your journey.

By going this way you’ll get to see one of Australia’s Big Things , the Big Tennis Racket the town of Barellan which pays tribute to their local tennis star Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

Big Tennis Racquet, Barellan NSW, image Amanda Woods

You’ll also get to visit the tiny town of Ardlethan, which lays claim to being the home of the kelpie and has some sweet shops to visit including Ardlee Outback Gifts where you can pick up some locally made presents for friends, or just for yourself.

And both ways of travelling will take you through Temora, where you can visit the Temora Aviation Museum and see an impressive collection of military aircraft including the only flying Gloster Meteor F.8 in the world and the only Australian built Vampire flying in the country.

If you can time your visit right you’ll also be able to see these warbirds take to the skies. Check the museum’s upcoming events page as well as the Warbirds Downunder Airshow site to see when the next event will be taking place.

From Temora it’s just over an hour’s drive to Harden-Murrumburrah, the colonial gold rush twin towns that are also the birthplace of the first Australian Light Horse regiment in 1897.

Learn about the creation of the first light horse troop at the light horse memorial, and see a statue of Bill the Bastard , the legendary horse that went from being unrideable to carrying five men at a time out of the Battle of Romani in 1916.

And of course this is where you’re going to see the last great piece of NSW silo art on your road trip.

When mum and I were doing our original silo art road trip in 2021 we were lucky to see Heesco at work on the historic Murrumburrah Mills.

Heesco on cherry picker at Harden Murrumburrah Silo Art, image Amanda Woods

I’ve always been fascinated by the way street artists create mega murals, and had a great chat to Heesco about how it all works.

The mills date back to 1865 and were quite advanced for their time, introducing some new concepts to milling production and creating a thriving industry for the town.

Heesco’s work shows scenes from the mill’s past, and while I’ve yet to see the finished product myself, mum went back a month or so later and snapped the photos below so I can share just how beautifully it turned out.

Harden Murrumburrah NSW Silo Art image Amanda Woods

There’s so much that blows me away about these silos, including the way Heesco managed to work with corrugated iron as well as the shape of the silos.

Needless to say it was a very special way to end our silo art road trip and one that we’ll always remember.

Just a few doors up from the silos, the Light Horse Hotel is more than 160 years old, but thanks to a renovation in 2018 it feels fresh and clean while still retaining nods to its history.

While I’ve heard good things about their pub food, unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to eat at the Light Horse as we visited on a Monday and Tuesday, and soon discovered that pretty much everywhere to eat in town is closed on those days.

If you’re coming into town on those days too bring something you can make in your accommodation if you’ll be staying self contained, or do what we did and head to the Harden Chinese restaurant where you can find all the country town Chinese classics.

The vintage style Jackson’s Bakery and Café in Harden is a great option for brunch or lunch and has a huge courtyard where you can sit in the sun or under the shade of an umbrella.

While we stayed on the Murrumburrah side, we ate over on the Harden side and quickly spotted something a little odd. They may be twin towns but they have their own opinions on how cars should be parked. Once you’ve crossed from one into the other you’ll see cars going from being parked rear to kerb to face in so check the other cars or the sign if there are none about to know which way to park in these towns.

If you’d like to break up this last leg of the journey, plane fans can spend the night at the Temora Aviation Museum in the Skylodge , a three bedroom cottage that you can either book by room or take over the whole home for your family or friends.

Or if you’re more of a train person, you can also sleep in one of two self contained train carriages at the Country Carriage Bed and Breakfast .

A stone’s throw from the silos in Murrumburrah, the Light Horse Hotel has lovely comfortable and clean rooms above the dining room and bar, while right next door the Heggaton artHouse is a former 1800s doctors surgery that’s been turned into self-contained apartments.

There are three apartments in the Heggaton artHouse and when we stayed we were able to enjoy a glass of wine in the back garden with our neighbour and feel right at home. And even though our section was a one bedroom apartment, thanks to the sofa bed mum and I could have a bed to ourselves before starting the day with a little breakfast whipped up in our kitchen.

And then it was over. Well, sort of.

After seeing all of the NSW silo art we then took our time slowly traveling up north again, taking different routes and visiting new towns on our way home.

And as we did I just kept thinking how grateful I was for the people who had made the silo art happen. From the individual owners and town committees who raised the money to the artists that created these incredible pieces that we can all go and see.

So I’d like to end with a big thank you to everyone involved in the silo art works, and to all of the lovely people we met along the way. There’s nothing quite like an Aussie road trip and thanks to the silos we now have a very special new way to enjoy one.

Amanda Woods and mum Joy Woods on NSW silo art road trip

It’s a lovely trip you have and I am going to do it but I can’t print it out so I can follow it.

Hi Gordon, I’m glad you’re planning to do the trip, it really is a great one to do. I don’t have a print option but you can always do what I do and either screenshot an itinerary to follow when I’m travelling (I simply create a folder in my phone photos to put those ones in so I can easily find them) or cut and paste the information you need to print out. Whichever way you go I hope you have a great trip.

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Just Me Travel

Solo travel blogger, 5 of the best painted silos in new south wales.

A collage of photos of murals on grain silos - a rural landscape with sheep and cattle; a jockey and race horse; a shearer shearing a sheep; two men; and 2 ladies and a boy standing over bags of wheat

Join Me on a Road Trip as I Visit Painted Silos Around New South Wales’ Silo Art Trail in Australia

Follow me on a road trip with a purpose as I travel the Silo Art Trail in New South Wales. Learn the location of the painted silos, who are the artists, and discover what else you can do in the silo art towns.

Following Silo Art Trails provide a focus for your road trip and is a great way to see rural Australia.

See how grain silos have been transformed into amazing, towering art canvases. Each canvas is unique, with murals reflecting the people, landscape and culture of the communities in which they appear.

I need to admit, I have become somewhat addicted to silo art, having visited the Silo Art Trails in Victoria’s Wimmera Mallee region and North East Victoria .

Silo Art Projects (with the first being completed in 2015) have become a national phenomenon in Australia, appearing in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland. The silos provide a canvas for artworks that intend to boost tourism revenue in rural communities that have suffered from years of drought and other hardships. The silo murals take an average of six to eight weeks to complete.

Silo Art Locations in New South Wales

At the time of writing, there are eight painted silos in New South Wales. On a recent, extensive road trip through the Central West and Riverina regions of New South Wales, I deliberately made detours to include 5 of the silo artworks – at Murrumburrah, Grenfell, Portland, Dunedoo, and Weethalle.

The Central West region is west of the Blue Mountains, which are west of Sydney, while the Riverina is a region of south-western New South Wales. The painted silos in Murrumburrah, Grenfell, Portland, and Dunedoo are located in Central West New South Wales. The Riverina region is home to Weethalle’s silo art.

A map of a portion of New South Wales showing a route with the locations of 5 painted silos

Map of the painted silos locations I visited on my NSW road trip

Why You Should See the Painted Silos

This is street art at its best.
The murals are painted on an unusual ‘canvas’.
The painted silos are in a public space; in open-air galleries, open 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. And they are free to visit.
It is artwork on a massive scale. How many paintings do you know that require an extended cherry picker to complete?
The murals painted on the silos depict local history and landscapes, giving an insight into the community.
The silos themselves have ‘painted’ Australia’s rural landscape since the 1920s.

Jump straight to a silo art location, including learning about the artist and what else you can do in the silo art town:

While in Murrumburrah

While in grenfell, while in portland, while in dunedoo, while in weethalle, murrumburrah silo art by heesco khosnaran.

Murrumburrah and its twin town, Harden are on Burley Griffin Way. The closest capital city is Canberra. Murrumburrah is approximately equidistant from Canberra, Goulburn, and Wagga Wagga.

I specifically detoured to Murrumburra to see the silo art on my way from Wagga Wagga to Cowra. Wagga Wagga to Murrumburrah Silo Art is 127 kilometres, while Murrumburrah to Cowra is 102 kilometres.

Google maps show the painted silos on Albury Street, Murrumburrah, but the murals face Lyons Street. It is from Lyons Street that you will get the best view of the artworks.

Street parking is available for cars. However, the trees that line Lyons Street make parking difficult for travellers with caravans. So, too, does the 45-degree angle parking on the town’s main street. But Roberts Park on the corner of Neill and Iris Streets may provide a better option for caravaners.

A fenced-off private property stands between the murals and the public, creating a barrier to getting up close to the silos. However, the private property does not impede your view of Murrumburrah’s silo art. There is a short steep incline between the private property’s fencing and the road. To view the silo art, you do need to get to the top of the slope. At times I had to hang onto the fence to keep myself on the incline.

A painting on grain silos of a boy, two ladies and a man holding bags of wheat, and a man ploughing a paddock with 2 horses

Murrumburra Silo Art by Heesco

The murals, completed in February 2021, depict people at work on a farm, reflecting the profound historical significance of the mills to the Harden-Murrumburrah community.

Who is Heesco Khosnaran?

Heesco Khosnaran, originally from Mongolia, is a Melbourne-based professional artist. Although his background is in fine art, illustration, graphic design, and print media, he has extensive experience in large-scale public murals. Heesco has an ever-growing national and international presence.

Heesco painted three of the five silo artworks I visited on my road trip through the Central West and Riverina regions of New South Wales – at Murrumburrah, Grenfell, and Weethalle. By the end of my road trip, I had become quite familiar with his style.

Call into the Visitor Information Centre for the story behind creating the Murrumburrah Silo Art – from the community’s involvement in the design to Heesco’s integration with the townspeople.

Murrumburrah is proud of its history as the birthplace of the Australian Light Horse. Staff at the Visitor Information Centre willingly chat with you about the significance of the town’s Light Horse Memorial, the bronze sculptures, and a horse named ‘Bill the Bastard’.

Murrumburrah is not short on choices for cafes. I had brunch at Barnesstore Emporium and Café at 356 Albury Street. Walking into the café, I thought it was pokey, with minimal seating. However, an opening to the left leads you into a substantial barn-like dining area with a warm ambience. Service was quick and friendly, and the food (poached eggs, bacon and tomato on toast) was excellent. I finished my meal with a coke spider – coca cola with ice cream in it. When I saw the coke spider on the menu, I happily forewent the coffee I thought I needed for the childhood memories this drink brought back for me.

From Murrumburrah, I took Wombat Road to get back on the Olympic Highway for Cowra.

Grenfell Silo Art by Heesco Khosnaran

From Murrumburrah, Grenfell is 83 kilometres. The closest town of note to Grenfell, at a distance of 56 kilometres, is Cowra. Cowra is on the Mid Western Highway, 160 kilometres from Canberra, the closest capital city.

I was staying in Cowra when I took a day trip to see the silo art at Grenfell.

Grenfell’s painted silos are located at 42 West Street, on the corner of South and West Streets. The silos, owned by Grenfell Commodities (a local grain trading business), commissioned Heesco to transform the silos into an impressive outdoor gallery. The artwork was completed in March 2019.

A landscape painting on grain silos of sheep, cattle and native birds. The painting has a mountain range in the background. A truck is receiving grain.

Grenfell Silo Art by Heesco

Painted on a continuous mural, the four concrete silos at Grenfell depict the local farming landscape. The artwork is a compilation of images taken by a local photographer. The Weddin Mountains National Park is shown in the background of the mural.

Parking is not an issue at the Grenfell painted silos, no matter what size your vehicle or caravan. There is space for many visitors at the same time.

Heesco Khosnaran is a Mongolian-born, Melbourne-based artist who also painted the silos at Murrumburrah (above) and Weethalle (below).

A large white obelisk. A tall gum tree, a wooden seat and plaques.

The Henry Lawson Monument in Grenfell shaded by the sugar gum tree planted by Henry’s daughter

Grenfell is proud of its heritage as the birthplace of Henry Lawson, the famous Australian poet and writer of short stories, noted for his realistic portrayals of Australian bush life. Born on the goldfields at Grenfell, Henry Lawson can be seen around town. There is an interactive bust of Henry on Main Street, next to the ambulance station. Push the button and listen to some of Henry’s most famous poems. You can sit next to Henry (bronze statue) on a bench on the corner of Main and Forbes Street. There is a monument, the Henry Lawson Monument, marking the site of his birthplace, just a 2-minute drive from the town centre. A sugar gum tree, planted by Henry’s daughter Bertha in 1924, shades the area.

When I first drove up to the Henry Lawson Monument on Lawson Drive, Grenfell, I wondered why I had bothered because all I could see was a white obelisk. But I am glad I got out of the car for a closer look because the 12 interpretive plaques around the Monument tell the story of Henry’s life, his challenges and achievements, was very interesting. I did not know Henry was deaf!

I would have like to visit Wallangreen Sculpture Garden while in Grenfell, but, unfortunately, it was closed at the time.

Portland Silo Art by Guido van Helten

Portland is located just west of the Blue Mountains, with Lithgow being 25 kilometres to the east. The closest capital city is Sydney, at a distance of 163 kilometres.

I detoured to Portland on my drive from Bathurst to Mudgee. Bathurst to Portland is 49 kilometres, then the drive from Portland to Mudgee was 111 kilometres.

Officially named ‘The Foundations’, Portland’s painted silos are located in the centre of town on Williwa Street, where there is plenty of off-street parking available. The silos are accessible seven days a week, 10.00am to 5.00pm. During these hours, you can walk right up to the silos. When The Foundation’s gates are closed, you can still get a good view of the silos but cannot walk right up to them.

The Portland silos were painted by Guido van Helten, with completion in May 2018.

The Foundations – Portland Silo Art painted by Guido

Portland was the site of Australia’s first cement works and became known as “the Town that built Sydney”. The Cement Works closed in 1991. The figures painted on the silos, five men and one woman, are former workers of Portland Cement Works. Guido immersed himself in the town, the people, their histories, and connections to the Cement Works. Guido’s visits with Portland’s residents and tapping into their memories influenced the design and resulting artwork.

Painting of a the face of an elderly man

Jack Abbot – the face on the Portland silo

Who is Guido van Helten?

Guido is a world-renown Australian street artist. Celebrating everyday characters in forgotten places, Guido’s monochromatic, photorealistic style offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of others. His large-scale portraiture murals are found across the globe throughout Europe, Scandinavia, the United States, and Australia. They tell stories of culture, history, and identity to capture the soul of people and place.

There is no denying the brightly coloured silo artworks have the wow factor. But there is something about Guido’s artwork that draws me in; that makes me stop taking photos to contemplate what I am seeing. For me, he captures the heart and soul of the people he paints. Now, in my opinion, that takes real talent when painting on such a massive scale. You be the judge! I felt the same way about the silos he painted in Brim on the Victorian Silo Art Trail.

Painting on a brick wall of a parrot eating a biscuit, and painting of a dog and a gramophone.

Signs of Yesteryear murals on a building in Portland

Take a walk down memory lane. To be specific, see the Signs of Yesteryear – murals of past advertising signs from historic brand names on the walls along Wolgan Street.

I recommend timing your visit to Portland on the weekend. I drove to Portland on a Wednesday and planned to have brunch in town. The only place open was The Corner Takeaway, where the coffee was undrinkable. The pub has a café, but the pub is only open from Thursday to Sunday. The museum was also closed.

In the yard of The Foundations, next to the painted silos, I could see some rusty iron sculptures. A Google search tells me these are the works of Harrie Fasher, the permanent Artist in Residence. I would have loved a closer look but was told at the café that the yard is only open to the public on the weekend.

From Portland, I continued my drive to Mudgee, where I stayed for six nights.

Dunedoo Silo Art by Peter Mortimore

Dunedoo, in Central West New South Wales, is 77 kilometres north of Mudgee and 97 kilometres northeast of Dubbo. From Mudgee, I was staying the night in Dubbo at Zoofari Lodge, Taronga Western Plains Zoo. My detour to see the painted silos at Dunedoo only added 41 kilometres to my trip, as Mudgee to Dubbo, without the detour, is 133 kilometres.

Dunedoo’s painted silos are in the centre of town, on the Castlereagh Highway, shown locally as Bolaro Street. There is generous off-street parking at the silo art. Toilets are available in the parking area.

Painting on silos of a jockey on a horse with the training standing next to the horse

The primary silo artwork honours local hero, champion jockey Hugh Bowman sitting on Winx, the Australian world record winning racehorse Hugh rode to fame. Hugh is shown with his winning, ‘she’s apples’ gesture – thumb and forefinger forming an ‘O’. Also featured in the mural is Winx’s trainer, Chris Waller.

Hugh Bowman was born and grew up in Dunedoo. Chatting to a Dunedoo resident while photographing the painted silos, it was evident she was proud of Hugh and what he has achieved in the world of horseracing. She told me how she remembers Hugh as a 3-year-old learning to ride in the local pony club.

The silo artwork also includes a mural of Dunedoo’s rural landscape, including black swans. The name ‘Dunedoo’ is derived from the Aboriginal Wiradjuri language for ‘black swan’.

What you see today was painted in July and August 2020. The artwork is yet to be completed.

Who is Peter Mortimore?

Peter is a self-taught Australian artist known for his Equine Art and ‘rural realism’ style. He has held successful exhibitions in Australia and overseas.

The painting of the murals on the Dunedoo silos was Peter’s first Silo Art Project, the first time he had painted anything on such a massive scale. Unlike established street artists, Peter used brushes and rollers rather than spray cans to paint the silo artworks.

Dunedoo’s main street is lined by shops on one side and a narrow parkland, OL Milling Lions Park, on the other side, with the painted silos off to the side of the park. Displayed in Milling Park are several sculptures of local birdlife created from recycled metal and farm machinery parts. According to my local lady, “Sculptures in the Park”, which predates the silo artwork, was designed to get people to stop in the town. The sculpture of the Wedge-Tail Eagle in the photo below against the backdrop of the painted silos was created by Dunedoo Central School’s design and technology students.

A sculpture of a bird made from recycled metal. A painting on grain silos of flying black swans is behind the sculpture.

Sculpture of Wedge-Tailed Eagle in OL Milling Lions Park, Dunedoo with the painted silos a backdrop

A sculpture in a park of a black swan made from recycled metal

Sculptures in the Park: “The Swan” designed and constructed by David Sherlock

After viewing the sculptures, I suggest you grab something to eat from one of the cafés in town and eat at one of the picnic tables in the park.

Weethalle Silo Art by Heesco Khosnaran

I made a deliberate overnight stop in West Wyalong on my way from Forbes to Lockhart to give me time to view the painted silos at Weethalle.

Weethalle is a small farming town in the Riverina Region of New South Wales. It is a 59-kilometre drive from West Wyalong – a round trip of 118 kilometres as I had to return to West Wyalong to continue my journey to Lockhart. However, returning to West Wyalong allowed me to wander around the town; to check out its cafés and historic buildings.

The closest capital city to Weethalle is Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory, approximately 337 kilometres to the southeast.

Weethalle painted silos are on the main road through town, on Railway Street, along the Mid Western Highway. There is plenty of off-street parking at the silo, no matter the size of your vehicle or what you are towing.

Paintings on grain silos of a shearer shearing a sheep and of a farmer looking at his wheat

Weethalle Silo Art by Heesco

Completed in June 2017, the Weethalle silos were the first to be painted in NSW. The mural portrays a shearer, a grain farmer, and sheep up on the balcony. It is a tribute to the rich agricultural heritage of the small community of Weethalle and the surrounding communities.

Weethalle Silo Art – sheep on the balcony

Who is Heesco Khosnaran

The Weethalle Silo Art was the third silos painted by Heesco Khosnaran that I visited on my road trip around New South Wales’ Central West and Riverina regions. I was, by now, familiar with his work.

Back in 2017, the Weethalle silos were the tallest ‘canvases’ Heesco had ever painted. He had previously painted on canvases four or five stories tall, but, at 21 metres high, the silos are close to eight stories. Using 200 litres of paint and 300 spray cans (for the finer details), Hessco took two weeks to complete the mural.

Have a meal at the roadhouse Road Kill Grillz at 13-15 Railway Street, Weethalle. I had the Hanky Panky hamburger with beetroot, tomato, onion, lettuce, and sauce. Delicious! Perhaps the best hamburger I have ever had! The coffee was also excellent. Friendly, helpful staff topped off my experience.

Someone at Road Kill Grillz is into boxing as there are posters all around the interior walls.

Painting on a brick wall of a truck with writing around it saying, "Road Kill Grillz Weethalle NSW"

After a drive of 272 kilometres from Weethalle and one more overnight stop, I arrived home safe and sound. And so, my road trip came to an end. I had travelled 2,614 kilometres – through sun, wind and rain, on highways, country roads and dirt roads. I drove through a locust plague, slept in a mouse plague, and navigated flooded roads. I had lunch with a stranger, chatted to locals, slept in a zoo, and visited five incredible painted silos. It was all a great adventure and experience that I will be talking about for a long time to come. One that I encourage you to experience for yourself.

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel 2021.

Comment below to share your thoughts on this blog post. Tell me which silo artwork featured in this post is your favourite. While the brightly coloured murals have that WOW factor, my favourite is the Portland painted silos. The muted tones used by Guido van Helten capture the heart and soul of the people he paints. Do you agree?

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Three silo artworks: one of sheep and cattle in a paddock, another of tow men, and a third of a farmer in a paddock looking at his wheat

To read my other posts on silo art in Australia, open the links below:

UNIQUE SILO ART CELEBRATES LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND FAUNA

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO ROAD TRIPPING VICTORIA’S SILO ART TRAIL

3 OF THE BEST THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN ROCHESTER

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip, and always follow government advice.

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The ultimate guide to 6 safe swimming holes in the kimberley, australia, the complete guide to road tripping victoria's silo art trail [2021 updated].

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THE STUNNING AUSTRALIAN SILO ART TRAIL GUIDE [+MAPS]

The Australian Silo Art trail features more than 40 silos that have been turned into works of art. If you’re looking for a unique way to explore the country, consider taking a trip to see some of these artistic masterpieces on the Australian Silo Art Trail!

Where was the first Australia Silo painted?

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This post contains affiliate links. Our full disclosure policy is here .

Silo Art is all about turning dull grey silos into beautiful pieces of artwork. Today we will share everything you need to know about it, from where to find the silos to who created them, how many there are and most importantly, perhaps, things to do nearby.

Since the first mural was painted on a Western Australian silo in 2015, silo art has become a surefire way to draw visitors to small communities across the country. Many people now travel to towns they would otherwise have never heard of to see these beautifully decorated silos. Hopefully spending some time and money in the community in the process.

The large canvases these artworks provide street artists have opened up a movement and given us Australia’s largest outdoor gallery.

We have included some water towers as the murals on these are just as impressive. As we have not yet seen all the silo’s ourselves, we asked a few friends to contribute and have noted this below.

Life on the lap, read our interviews with full-time travellers about lap their lap about Australia

Australian Silo Art Trail FAQ

The first official silo artwork appeared in Western Australia in 2015 when Phlegm and HENSE painted a silo in Northam. However, the Silo Trail concept was started by the Yarriambiack Shire Council in 2016. Since then, artists from Australia and around the world have been invited to paint silos with their own artistic expression.

There are approximately 45 painted silos in the Australia Silo Trail, although that number is constantly changing with new silos going up and, sadly, at least one coming down.

There are approximately 80 painted water towers in Australia, they are more common than silos in NSW, and there are more on the way.

Victoria has 20 * 19 silos making it the state with the most silo art in Australia. It is also our most compact state, so the best place to see a number of murals quickly. *One of Victoria’s original silos has been demolished.

If you are keen to explore beyond Australia’s coastline, hunting down silo art is a good way to get started.

While it is generally a collaborative process, artists take their inspiration from residents of the local community, the environment or the history of a place.

In NSW, we have more water towers than silos. There are seven silos on the NSW Silo trail; in comparison, there are 23 water towers, and I have included the ones we have seen too! Three of the NSW silos were painted by Melbourne based artist Heesco. We managed to visit most of them last year as part of our NSW road trip.

We have featured the silos and water towers marked on this map.

Barraba (2019) – Fintan Magee

The 40m high grain silos at Barraba were Brisbane artist Fintan Magee’s second silo work after completing a mural at Patchewollock in 2016. He chose to paint the “Water Diviner”, which illustrates the old practice of looking for groundwater using metal rods or sticks, although, in this work, he has shown the farmer with sticks. The silos took a little over 3 weeks to complete.

If you have any interest in antiques or generally enjoy quirky things, be sure to check out the Shed of Knowledge museum, it’s opening hours are a bit hit and miss, so ask at the visitors centre when you get into town. Nearby Sawn Rocks in Mount Kaputar National Park is a great place to do some bushwalking. Another gem is Horton Falls, 45 mins drive from Barraba; there are two lookouts over the 83-metre drop; however, the falls best viewed after rain and the view not so impressive much of the year.

Where: Located 90km north of Tamworth along the Fossickers Way, Barraba is known as a bird watchers paradise with fourteen signposted bird routes.

Where to stay : We based ourselves in Tamworth and Armidale and drove past the silo on the way between the two, but there are plenty of campsites nearby. There is also a caravan park in town.

Coonamble Water Tower (2017) – John Murray, Sooty Welch and Bob Barrett

On the Castlereagh Highway, this water tower was a collaboration by Lightning Ridge local John Murray who painted the birds and Wailwan Elder Kevin “ Sooty ” Welsh, who added the Dreamtime artwork near the base. It was completed over 11 days and received a touch up in October 2020, just days after we took this photo.

Coonbamble Water Tower art NSW painted by John Murray

Galahs are common in this part of the state; we saw several on our overnight stay in Galargambone just down the road, making them a great fit for this design. The 25m tall tower is easily spotted from the road and there is plenty of parking nearby.

The town is a popular stop on the road from Dubbo to Lightning Ridge , and the drought has hit hard. We visited in September 2020, and many of the shops and even the pub were closed. They could really use your support so perhaps plan a meal stop here. There was a lovely cafe about a block from the tower heading into town. Directly across the road is a park perfect for a picnic lunch.

Wander the main street and discover the Nickname Hall of Fame , caricature of locals and how/why there were given their names. An insight into the Aussie sense of humour and some interesting background on how many nicknames were bestowed on the local settlers by the Aboriginal inhabitants based on their physical appearance or character.

Where to stay: There is a free camp at Nakadoo , on a farm just north of town. Take the optional shed tour for $10 to support the farm and learn more about the property’s history.

Galargambone Water Tower (2018) – Jenny McCraken – Lucky Dip

Just 50 minutes or so south of Coonamble is Galargambone’s water tower. The tower was painted as part of a local festival, ‘Pave the Way to Gular’, which saw artists including Kaff-Eine, Goodie, Sam Brooks, Peter Brown, Claire Foxton, Rudy Kistler, John Murray and DNart head to town to bring it to life with dozens of murals.

Galargambone Water Tower painted by Jenny McCraken

Once you have visited the tower, spend some time hunting down the rest of the towns artworks. Pop into the local cafe for a coffee and a chat. The small town of 500 has worked hard to create their cafe, and it has a fascinating back story which I am sure they will be happy to share.

Australia Post released the kingfisher’s image on a stamp in 2020 as part of their commemorative Water Tower Art series.

Galargambone is about 1 hour from Warrambungle National Park and Siding Spring Observatory. Emu Logic Farm , just 35 minutes away, is also a fun place to visit ($15) and learn more about emus and maybe even find an emu egg. The farm is wheelchair accessible.

Where to stay: You can’t go past the Galargambone Caravan Park, one of the friendliest of our five-week NSW road trip. It’s dog friendly and has its own little farm on site. This is a lovely little town to stop and rest for a while.

Grenfell Silo (2019) – Heesco Khosnaran

Heesco painted his first silo in Weethalle in 2017 and it was that artwork that caught the eye of the owner of this silo at Grenfell Commodities who then commissioned the work.

Painted over five weeks, the mural depicts the local farming community and talking to locals; it’s clear the artist is much loved.

Grenfell is best known as the birthplace of the Australian poet Henry Lawson, and you will find the statue of him on a seat – pop in next to him for a selfie! It’s also worth stopping in at the old train station where you will also find another of Australia’s Big Things, the Big Gold Pick and Pan.

A visit in September will reward you with stunning canola fields on the roads near the town. In June, the town holds the Henry Lawson Festival .

Where to stay : There is a free camp near the railway station with BBQs and new bathrooms with hot showers. You will find them a 3-minute drive from the silo. You can find more details on camping nearby here .

Merriwa is a small, quiet, rural town located in the west of the Hunter Region of NSW. An agricultural town, it is best known for its cropping and sheep producing endeavours. Each year the Festival of the Fleeces is held in Merriwa, which features the famous ‘ Running of the Sheep ’, an event where hundreds of sheep run down the main road, all wearing red socks!

This iconic event is now depicted in the stunning silos painted by artist David Lee Pereira and completed in April 2019. The silos also feature the yellow canola flowers, which you can see growing in paddocks everywhere in spring.

Where to stay : If you are a caravanner and like the occasional free camp, then the ideal spot to stay is behind the Merriwa Services Club, don’t forget to drop into the club for some friendly country hospitality and a great meal.

Contributed by Mel from All Around Oz

Narrandera is a small rural town located in the Riverina district of NSW, right on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. A once important stop for paddle steamers, who plied their trade up and down the river, the remains of the Wagga Wagga steamer can still be seen in the river today.

During World War II a RAAF training base was established in town. A small museum in the town is now home to a DH82 Tiger Moth, together with other memorabilia, from the days of the training school. The museum is open seven days a week and entry is by a gold coin donation.

Narrandera is also home to a colony of some 200 koalas. If you take a walk through the Flora and Fauna Reserve, you may just be lucky enough to spot one or two. These koalas are an important part of keeping our koala population flourishing and healthy.

A community project in 2019, saw the two water towers overlooking the town, painted by the team from Apparition Media. The first tower depicts a koala and life on the river, whilst the second pays homage to the area’s strong Indigenous history.

Where to stay : If you are looking for somewhere to stay, then Lake Talbot Tourist Park is the ideal spot to base yourself for a few days.

Portland Silo (2018) – Guido Van Helten

Enhancing the industrial patrimony of rural towns can be a challenge. But one that some mural artists are certainly keen on. Old cement silos can be seriously ugly and often dominate the landscape of small towns in New South Wales .

In the upper Blue Mountains, Portland is now a fairly run-down little town but was once known as the “town that built Sydney” due to its quarries, kilns and cement processing. The area around Lithgow, north of Katoomba, is fairly industrial, with power stations and collieries. The cement works of Portland were built in 1902 and became a significant employer. For a while, Portland thrived and even built an Olympic swimming pool. The cement works buildings are still fairly run down; however, they now house artists’ studios and events. The Foundations Portland, as the site is known, has yet to be fully renovated and repurposed, but the Coronation Hotel is an old pub open for business. The silos have been adorned by a mural composed by Australian artist Guido Van Helten. It consists of six local characters, long term employees of the cement works, who shared their stories and memories of working for the company to chronicle the life and legacy of Portland’s industrial past. Dressed in their everyday clothes and portrayed under different angles, the characters seem alive, and there is a touching, photographic element hidden in the folds of their clothing.

Visit Hassans Walls Lookout, just 30 mins from the silo. Where : Portland is 164 km west of Sydney and about 30 minutes from Lithgow.

Where to stay : You can make a day trip from the Blue Mountains or stay in nearby Lithgow, we stayed at the Workers Club on our last visit.

Contributed by Delphine from Lester Lost

Weethalle Silo (2017) – Heesco

This was Heescos’s first mural silo mural in NSW; he has now painted three, making him the state’s most prolific silo artist. You will find the 21m high silos on the main street of the tiny town 60km West of West Wyalong.

1024px Mural Painted Silos NSW 25460170988 1

One of my favourites for the cheeky sheep watching out from the middle silo, the silo also features a sheerer and a grain farmer.

Pop into the Road Kill Grillz for a snack.

Where to stay : Weethalle Showground offers basic camping for $10 per night.

The Victorian trail is the best known and most established, with twenty silos. It is also the easiest to visit with many of the silos quite close together. In fact, a single 200km road trip that starts 300km from Melbourne can help you tick off ten along a trail stretching from Rupanyup to Patchewollock .

Many of the Victorian murals are in the Wimmera Mallee region, with a few others closer to the South Australian border. You can also tour at least 4 in a day’s drive of Benalla. There are eleven water towers in Victoria.

Rupanyup (2017) – Julia Volchkova

This smaller double silo structure, features two local kids in their sporting uniforms, a netballer and a rugby league player. Sport is a huge part of life in rural communities.

Painted by Russian Artist Julia Volchkova, who was the first woman to paint an Australian silo. The monochrome design is beautiful in its simplicity. The mural features two local children Emily Baker, a netballer and Jordan Weidemann, in his AFL uniform.

Head into town to find the two murals of local firefighters created by Melbourne artist Georgia Goodie.

Where to stay: There are rooms at the Commerical Hotel in town, or you can camp Rupanyup Memorial Park for $10 per night.

It’s just 35km down the road to your next silo

Sheep Hills (2016) – Adnate

Known for his work portraying indigenous people, Melbourne artist Adnate’s mural includes portraits of Wergaia Elder Uncle Ron Marks and Wotjobaluk Elder Aunty Regina Hood and two local children. The mural took 4 weeks to complete

There is not much to see or do in Sheep Hills however nearby is the town of Minyip where the much loved Aussie TV show Flying Doctors was set. In Warracknabeal you will find The Creekside Hotel , the only one in the region with “water views”

Where is it: 325 km north-west of Melbourne

Just 45km along and you will reach Brim

Brim Silos (2015) – Guido Van Helton

The first silo in Victoria portrays a family of local farmers aka the ‘Farmer Quartet’ Van Helton painted these four 30m high silos over a three week period.

Rupanyup, VIC, Australia - November 08, 2017: Painted silos from artist Guido Van Helten, tourist attraction on Hume highway

Things have changed a lot since the completion of the mural for this little town of 100 residents with visitors now stopping by daily to take them in.

There is not a lot to do in the area; the Brim pub is a great place to grab a meal and support the community. You may even get to learn more about the faces on the silo from the friendly locals.

Where to stay : There is a campsite two minutes away from the silo. It costs approx $10 per night with or without power, and there are hot showers.

Next up 27km along the road, you will find Kaff-eine’s silo in Rosebery

Rosebery (2017) – Kaff-eine

Kaff-eine discovered the silo trail while her friend Rone was painting the silo at Lascelles and before long had one of her own to work on

Mural by artist Kaff-eine of farmers at Rosebery

There is not much around this silo, but Horsham, a major centre for the region, is only a few km away

So far only five silo’s on the trail have been painted by women!

45 minutes in the car and you will reach Fintan’s impressive work at Patchewollock.

Patchewollock (2016) – Finan Magee

The 35m tall portrait of local grain farmer Nick ‘Noodle’ Hulland is one of the most popular along the trail. We are scheduled to see this one later in the year but thankfully our good friend Deborah Williams has come to the party and given us her shot to use (Thanks Deb!).

Check out Phil Riggs’s Mallee Hen Sculptures . A visit in spring rewards with beautiful canola crops. October usually sees the Patchewollock Music Festival.

Melbourne artist Rone painted 4th generation farmers Geoff and Merrilyn Horman over a two week period. Stay tuned for this one when we visit in May. We also hope to visit nearby Lake Lascelles, where there is a free camp.

If you want more silos you can head 33km to Sea Lake where you will find a huge new mural by Joel Fergie & Travis Vinson.

The next four silos are located within 30km of each other and you can string them with three more located to the west to cover seven silos in 220km and a great short getaway.

This silo complex was completed in two stages, the first two parts with the first two scenes, a barking owl and a country scene, these working Cylsdales were added a year later.

Just 10km away in Devenish, you will find the next silo

This work commemorates those from the region who have served Australia during the war and includes a WW1 nurse and modern combat medic and a member of the Lighthorse Brigade.

There are two more silos along this part of the trail that we have yet to discover in St James and Tungamah. From here you can head up to the Picola silo before backtracking down to Rochester.

Rochester (2018) – Jimmy D’Vate

The Victorian town of Rochester sits on the banks of the Campaspe River 200km north of Melbourne. The town’s twin silos were painted by Jimmy D’Vate in 2018 and feature images of threatened local wildlife – a squirrel glider and an azure kingfisher.

The silos are on Ramsey Street in the middle of town; there is plenty of parking for people visiting with a van in tow. Rochester is a lovely looking town with plenty of parklands surrounded by heritage buildings. From the silos, you can’t miss the imposing Shamrock Hotel; it’s a great place for lunch and they also have accommodation.

Echuca is less than 30 minutes from Rochester, and there is a lot to do there. Explore the historic wharf area, go on a paddleboat ride or check out the National Holden Motor Museum. There are some great little towns around Rochester too. If you like the idea of a retro ice-cream bar visit Ciurleo’s in nearby Lockington.

The Gunbower National Park is less than one hour from Rochester. We spent half a day driving and walking around the wetlands and it is at the top of the list to go back with kayaks and camp there for a while. The scenery and wildlife in the park are wonderful.

Where to stay : There are plenty of caravan parks and Airbnb options around Echuca. We stayed at the Moama Riverside Holiday Park and had a relaxing time there. There are sites right on the river; it’s a beautiful spot.

Contributed by Natalie of Curious Campers

You will find the final silo in this section at Colbinabbin, a two-hour drive from Melbourne.

As of Feb 2021, there are nine silos in South Australia. The first was painted in 2017 by Guido Van Helton and can be found in Coonalpyn. The most recent was unveiled at Farrell Flat in October 2020. There are five water towers that you will find more about here . We have not seen any of the SA silos but have a trip planned for later this year.

Coonalpyn (2017) – Guido van Helten

Guido painted 5 local children over a one month period on these operational 30m high grain silos. The result – three new businesses and a steady supply of tourists.

Take a walk through town to explore more that has been installed since the Silo success. Get something to munch on from Waffles and Jaffles .

Where to stay : The pub in town is your best option if you want to stay the night

Wirrabara (2018) – Smug

The sleepy little town of Wirrabara in South Australia’s mid-north was just another bunch of buildings on the highway before their amazing silo art appeared in October 2018.

Wirrabara Silo Art Trail South Australia

It took prolific, Australian-born street artist Smug three weeks to paint his first set of silos. The mural is 28m high and shows a woodcutter and a gorgeous little red robin. The theme and trees in the background and a tribute to the nearby Wirrabara Forest. Unlike other silos that used a local as the model, Wirrabara chose not to use a local as the face of their artwork.

When in Wirrabara, take advantage of that nearby forest for some hiking or pack a picnic for a relaxed lunch amongst the trees. If you happen to be in Wirrabara on the third Sunday of the month, enjoy browsing through the local produces markets and pick up some local produce and crafts. Where : Wirrabara is about one hour from the Clare Valley in one direction and even closer to the Southern Flinders Ranges in the other direction.

Stay a while: While there is accommodation at the Wirrabara Hotel or the Wirrabara Caravan park, why not enjoy a little luxury at the Wander Inn Wongabirrie, a delightful tiny house in a renovated stone building in the heart of town.

Contributed by Josie from Exploring South Australia

Check out these South Australia Road trips and find the rest of the SA Silos

Western Australia is where it all began, with the very first silo being painted in Northem by Phlegm & HENSE in 2015. There are now six in the state, but it has been a few years since there were any new ones. Looking forward to seeing more in the coming years. There are four water towers in Western Australia.

Northem Silo (2015) – Phlegm & HENSE

You will find the mural that got the whole show on the road is also one of the most colourful. Located in the Avon Valley along the Central Wheatbelt there is plenty to do in the region to keep you busy making the drive a great choice for a getaway.

Silo in NorthamWestern Australia by HENSE and Phlegm

Be sure to drop into the flour mills and see the stunning artwork The Last Swans” by Amok Island and take some time to explore the visitors centre that highlights the post-war migrant history of the region. Finally, don’t miss the Bilya Koort Boodja indigenous centre , where you can learn about the area’s culture and environmental history.

Where to stay: Whitegum Farm is a great choice and only $25 for powered sites. You will find it 20 km east of York.

Just another 160km or so down the road you will find Merredin and a silo by artist Kyle Hudges-Odgers.

Newdegate Silo (2018) – Brenton See

Featuring native Western Australia wildlife, the public silos in Newdegate were painted by well-known Perth artist Brendon See in June 2018. They feature the Western Bearded Lizard, Mallee Fowl, Thigh Spotted Tree Frog, and Red-tailed Phascogale.

About an hour’s drive to the west sits Lake Grace, one of Australia’s largest salt lakes. Or an hour’s drive southwest brings you to Pingrup.

Don’t miss the famous pink salt lakes and some great walking trails. If you can time your visit with wildflower season, you will be well rewarded. About 50km from town at Lake Grace is the Walker’s Hill Vineyard.

Where to stay: The Caravan Park offers pet-friendly sites.

Contributed by Rhonda from Albom Adventures

Pingrup (2015) – Evoca1

Pingrup’s silo art was completed in 2018 by Miami-based artist Evoca1 and represent a tribute to Western Australia’s farming communities.

Pingrup photo by Rhonda Albom PB040229 1

After seeing the silos, be sure to relax with a coffee and a meal at the volunteer-managed co-op Store Cafe 6343.

From here, an hour’s drive west will bring you to Dumbleyoung, where you will find a replica of the Blue Bird, the vessel that broke the water speed record on Lake Dumbleyoung.

Where to stay: The Pingrup Caravan Park is clean and tidy and very affordable.

Contributed by Rhonda from Albom Adventures – Check out Rhonda’s WA Silo road trip to plan your trip

Ravensthorpe (2016) – AMOK Island

Taking 31 days to complete this 25m tall silo features the area’s most famous plant Banksia Baxteri. Showing all six stages of the development of the flowers.

If you can time your visit with wildflower season, you will be delighted as the region comes alive with colour between August and October. The Annual Wildflower Show is usually held in early September.

Visit Fitzgerald River National Park , a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the largest National Park in Western Australia. You might also want to hunt down the Big Lollypop .

Where to stay : Less than 2km from the silo you will find the Green Haven Tourist Park

Albany (2018) – Yok & Sheryo – Seadragon

Albany’s historic port wheat silos were transformed in March 2018 as part of the PUBLIC Silo Trail in WA. The seadragon is the 4 th installment courtesy of FORM, a not-for-profit group looking to beautify and breathe new life into industrial areas of WA’s Wheatbelt.

The eye-catching 35m high seadragon was painted by Brooklyn-based Aussie/Singaporean duo Yok & Sheryo over 17 days. The bright and contemporary design, inspired by the little-known local marine species the Ruby Seadragon has really brightened up an otherwise dull industrial area of the port town, famous for its past whaling history and the historic departure point of troops for World War I.

Throughout Albany, you will also find wonderfully painted Western Power substations as part of the same art project, which has helped to brighten up the city and make for some great drive by fun when exploring Albany on WA’s south coast.

Unlike most of the WA silo installations in quite small country towns, the Albany silos are situated only minutes away from the CBD and the National ANZAC Centre on Mount Clarence, easy to take in as part of a scenic drive around Albany’s historic and sensationally beautiful King George Sound.

Where to stay : You will find plentiful accommodation options in town and in holiday parks spotted along the coast.

Contributed by Keri from Our Globetrotters

While you are in Western Australia don’t miss the street art in Bunbury , south of Perth

There are currently three painted silos in Queensland. The first was completed in 2017 and can be found in Thallon, and the most recent at Three Moon, Monto, in July 2020. Queensland is home to 38 water towers.

Yelarbon (2019) – Brightsiders

Complete your next installment on the Silo art trail and venture into Southern Outback Queensland . You will find the Yelarbon silo, 35 minutes from Goondiwindi, near the NSW border.

This was the 31st Art piece to be entered into the Silo Trail and was created by Jordache Castillejos and Jordon Bruce of Brightsiders, and Steve Falco from Procreative. At 24 metres high, it is a unique construction with two tall and six small silos that were bought to live with 1000 litres of paint in 2019.

The Silo titled “When the rain comes” depicts a young boy cooling off in the nearby Yelarbon Lagoon, with his paper boat set to float across the water. The paper boat was painted from remnants of historical new papers, symbolising the history of the region.

If you have some time, I suggest checking out the Yelarbon Lagoon. With picnic tables and barbecues available, this could be a great “bring your own” lunch stop with a lake view.

Where to stay : The Yelarbon community consists of less than 500 people, and you’ll be able to access some accommodation that suits your budget from camping, motels, and pubs. Alternatively, Goondiwindi is 30 mins to the west and Stanthorpe 1.5 hours towards the east. The silos are on the Highway, and an easy 15 mins stop when passing through.

Contributed by Chris Fry from Aquarius Traveller.

As we continue to explore, we will add to this page so bookmark it and head back before your next trip!

Got a question? Head over to our Australia Travel Tips Facebook Group and ask a local.

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+61 1300 763 188 or 0417 244 600

NSW SILO ART TRAIL TOURS

Our NSW Silo Art Trail tours are small group adventures for people who love to connect with regional Australia and particularly regional and outback New South Wales. Our small group tours travel in Land Cruiser vehicles or we do have a comfortable minibus for up to 10 people

The Silo At Trail is transforming Australian regional towns. Join us on an adventure through rural Australia to witness these great masterpieces and the local hospitality.

Here is our 6 day tour Sydney to Broken Hill (or reverse option please ask)

Highlights – NSW Silo Art Trail Tours – 5, 6 or 12 day options

6 Day Tour content …

Sydney to Broken Hill and return to Sydney
Portland Silo Art
Parkes Radio Telescope – The Dish
Canowindra – Age of Fishes Fossil Museum
Grenfell Silo Art
Weethalle Silo Art
Hay – Shear Outback Centre
Wentworth – Junction of the Darling & Murray Rivers + Megafauna Museum
Mungo National Park & China Walls sunset tour
Menindee – Lakes & Burke & Wills Camp
Broken Hill & Silverton – Pro Hart Gallery, mine tour, history, Mining & railway museums
Return optional tours or meets rail to Sydney or Adelaide

12 day tour includes 6 days above PLUS 6 more days of adventure …

Packsaddle & Milparinka historic site
Depot Glen & Pooles Grave
Tibooburra granites, pastoral, art and mining history
Dog Fence & NSW State border
White Cliffs Opal fields (sleep underground)
Darling River Run via Pooncarie, Menindee Lakes, Wilcannia Tilpa & Louth
Gundabooka National Park & Aboriginal rock art
Bourke – river cruise and history
Brewarrinna – ancient fish traps 40,000 years old
Macquarie Marshes – great bird spotting
Warrmbungles ranges
Siding Springs Observatory
Gulgong – $10 note, Gold and pioneer history
Mudgee wine tasting
Blue Mountains

Following is a 6 day Silo Art Trail Tours description in outback regional New South Wales Sydney to Broken Hill – (reverse available) supporting regional communities and those that have been suffering through recent droughts and the bushfires – hope you can join us

NSW Silo Art Trail Tours Details

Day 1 – NSW Silo Art Trail tours take us through some lovely country towns and regional areas, and our 6 day tour from Sydney to Broken Hill includes the Portland silos at the old Cement Factory – beautiful artwork there on the cement works and symbolic of the restoration of the community in Portland exemplified by their site work and the wonderful annual art exhibition.

Moving on beyond Bathurst and the fascinating history of the gold rush and Cobb & Co coaches, then The Dish Exhibition centre at the giant CSIRO operated radiotelescope that brought the 1st moon landing images to Earth. Overnight Parkes

Day 2 – We visi Canowindra and the Museum of Fishes – ancient fish fossils from this area that was once an inland sea. Then Cowra (and railway roundhouse for the keen). Onwards to the popular Grenfell Wheat silos completed in 2019 and then moving to the well-known Weetalle Silos and overnight here for some sunset and early moring light phot shoots

Day 3 – We travel via Weddin Mountains National Park, West Wyalong, Rankin Springs, Balranald to Wentworth for overnight

Day 4 – Wentworth view visit the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers , Australia’s biggest river system and also visit Wentworth Pioneer Museum with life-size megafauna replicas from the local area including the cuddly 2-metre high Diprotodons. Into the desert and Mungo National Park to explore this ancient lake bed environment. Here the stories of the regions from local Aboriginal guide, and learn of the oldest known ritual burial in the world. Discover the Walls of China and megafauna history of the area, explore the ancient Willandra Lakes and the historic sheep station and large and impressive shearing shed that served the area for around 100 years. Overnight Mungo Lodge, Mungo National Park.

Days 5 – Travel the Darling River via Pooncarie, Menindee and Kinchega National Park . Explore the memorial to Burke & Wills camp on the lake shore, and haven for wetland birds. Into Broken Hill and dinner at famous & delicious Mario’s Palace Hotel (full of murals from Priscilla Queen of the Desert fame) Overnight Broken Hill .

Day 6 – Explore Broken Hill highlights (your choice) including Pro Hart Gallery, The Line of Lode Lookout and Miners Memorial plus Desert Sculptures or Mutawintji National Park for exceptional rock art rich in Aboriginal history.

Day 7 options – Explore Broken Hill in morning then travel to Adelaide via Peterborough (railway history) Burra (old Copper mine tour)and tour completion

Sydney to Broken Hill NSW Silo Art Trail tours 6 days

All tours require a minimum of 2 passengers for departure. Should you require a booking for 1 person please call us direct to confirm minimum numbers have been met prior to booking online.

Inclusions –

6 (or 12) days with 5 or 11 nights Hotel Motel Accommodation – twin share or single supplement available – see booking link
Genuine small group tour vehicle – usually 4WD Landcruisers
Professional Driver Guide
Wild wildlife!!
National Parks entry fees.
Tour price supports Outback Kids & Nature Care projects.

BOOK HERE Or Call 0417 244 600 or 1300 763 188

The Silo Art Movement is encouraging people from all walks of life to travel along part or all of what is now one of Australia’s great road trips.

Silo Art means more to many small communities than pure aesthetics, because, for many of them, it’s a beacon of hope and economic revival.

Silo Art plays a pivotal role in elevating tourism throughout regional Australia, by encouraging visitors to venture off the beaten track. If we all did that, the transformation of regional towns and communities would be nothing short of remarkable.

By undertaking part or all of the Australian Silo Art Trail visitors contribute to the economy of these locations.

The roots of the Australian Silo Art movement began in Northam, Western Australia, in 2015. What began as a single brushstroke of creativity has flourished into a nationwide canvas, capturing the essence of diverse communities.

Currently, the Australian Silo Art Trail links an array of 61 locations, where artistic expression graces utilitarian structures. Fortunately, the story is far from over, because many more silos and other structures are slated to transform, broadening the tapestry of this vibrant movement.

In each stroke and hue, a narrative unfolds – one of resilience, reinvention, and the symbiotic relationship between art and life. As we traverse the Australian Silo Art Trail, we traverse not just roads, but stories: narratives pictured through artistic mastery and community spirit.

As at 2023, the Australian Silo Art Trail stretched over 8500km, from Northam, WA, as far as Three Moon, in Queensland. All the states are included, with Queensland having an impressive 45 in the collection.

Artist Heesco Khosnaran has painted six: Weethalle, Grenfell, Karoonda, Gunnedah and Murrumburrah-Harden twice. Artist Jimmy Dvate has painted six: Goorambat twice, Rochester twice, Waikerie and Picola. Artist Sam Bates has painted five: Wirrabara, Nullwil, Arkona, Horsham and Murtoa. Artist Guido van Helten has painted three: Brim, Coonalpyn and Portland. Artist duo The Zookeeper and DRAPL have painted four: Thallon, Sea Lake, Three Moon and Biloela. Artist Tim Bowtell has painted three: St James, Colbinabbin and Katamatite.

Five silos have been painted by women: Rupanyup, Tungamah, Rosebery, Brunswick and Albany.

One silo has been demolished: Fyansford, by artist Rone, stood from December 2017 to April 2020.

In addition to these glorious painted silos, Australia also has more than 100 painted water towers. While not every country town has a silo, many have water towers they can enhance to entice visitors to their towns.

Silo Art calendar

The Silo Art calendar can create a positive atmosphere in a home or office. It’s also a thoughtful and practical gift that friends and family will appreciate.

You can link to the Silo Art website here.

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This Towering Mural Splashed Across Heritage-Listed Silos Is Just a Couple Hours From Sydney

Visiting one of the numerous artworks on the Australian Silo Art Trail usually means a lengthy road trip into regional NSW. But just beyond the Blue Mountains, the small town of Portland plays host to one of the newer silo artworks in New South Wales. It’s around a 2.5-hour drive from Sydney’s CBD – the next-closest silo artwork is in the upper Hunter town of Merriwa, a 3.5-hour trek away.

Portland is known as “the town that built Sydney” – for almost 90 years, industry there focused around the cement works (which closed in 1991). Its quarries and factories supplied the cement used in the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge; St James and Museum stations; and the city’s grand old department stores.

Now known as The Foundations, the heritage-listed Portland Cement Works Precinct on Williwa Street includes a powerhouse, bathhouse, boiler stack and eight cement silos, all mostly built in the early 20th century. It’s the cultural centre of the town, with an artist-in-residence program and a museum celebrating the history of Portland. There are also event spaces for weddings and pop-up art exhibitions.

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The towering silos formed the canvas for Australian artist Guido van Helten , who painted a striking large-scale mural on the lofty cylinders in early 2018.

Melbourne-raised van Helten creates large-scale murals around world. Currently he’s working on an 8000-square-metre mural on the Wellington Dam wall in Western Australia (once finished, it will be the largest dam-wall mural in the world), and his art graces silos, apartment buildings, water towers and train carriages everywhere from the South Australian outback to Canada, Poland and Mexico.

Community engagement is an important part of his work. The design process for the Portland silo project involved meeting and chatting with locals at a community barbeque, where van Helten learned about the strong relationship between the cement works and the town.

He listened to the stories of the former cement workers who became the subjects for the piece, and Portland residents watched as the artwork took shape over months, slowly revealing the identities of the subjects – five men and one woman.

An elderly man supports himself on a walking stick, peering quizzically out towards the town. Another man gazes thoughtfully down towards the ground, head bowed and eyes hidden by the brim of his hat. The lone woman – who worked in admin at the facility – stands around one side, looking skywards with clear, sharp eyes.

Walking up to and around the 20-metre-tall silos, it’s easy to marvel at the skill required to create an artwork of this size using only photographs as a guide. The mural is extraordinarily detailed – the patterning in a leather belt, the stitching on a trouser pocket, the aged and wrinkled skin of a forearm, and the fabric folds in a shirt are all carefully rendered.

The silo project has been “great for the community”, says The Foundations’ chief reactivation officer, Rich Evans. “There’s been a significant uplift in tourism traffic … people come off the beaten track off the highway.”

After seeing the silo, walk through the town to discover recreated vintage advertisements for products such as Sunlight Soap, Billy Tea and Bidwell’s Axle Grease, which were painted on local shop walls in 2001 by more than 30 visiting artists.

The Foundations silos are at 67 Williwa Street, Portland and open daily from 9am to 5pm.

thefoundations.com.au

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Itinerary – 10 Day Central West NSW Silo Art Tour 2023

We invite you to join us on our holiday of the Central West NSW encompassing the Silo Art trail. Come journey with us through the countryside, visiting some rural villages you may never heard of and take in the very unique and creative silo artworks, giving a glimpse into each town’s history from each painting.

Day 1 Friday 20th October 2023 D Muswellbrook ~ Gunnedah

Today we travel North through Tamworth on our way to Barraba to inspect their stunning Silo Art. The Silo art trail has been an economic boom for these small rural towns, inviting guests like ourselves to come into town to support local businesses and have a bite to eat, supporting cafes and boutiques. Afternoon travel will see us into Gunnedah for our overnight rest. Accom: Harvest Lodge, Gunnedah (Ph) 02 68 290 542

Day 2 Saturday 21st October 2023 BD Gunnedah ~ Lightning Ridge

This morning we continue on the Silo art trail and view Gunnedah’s Silo art display before continuing further North through Narrabri and Walget and into the Opal City of Lightning Ridge, Where we will be calling home for the next 3 nights. Accom: Wallangulla Motel Lightning Ridge (Ph) 02 68 290 542

Day 3 Sunday 22nd October 2023 BD Lightning Ridge local sights

Today’s agenda sees us visiting the most popular sights in town. Throughout the day we will visit the exquisite Chambers of the Black Hand and also relish in the opportunity to explore through Amigos Castle. The Castle was constructed by Stefanato, known locally as Amigo. Disenchanted with opal mining, he commenced building his castle from ironstone boulders he collected in the area. The castle became the subject of a legal battle as Amigo was building it illegally on his mining claim. Amigo threatened to bulldoze the castle and it was hastily heritage listed to secure it as the tourist attraction it is today. Don’t be worried when we see the signs on the way in!!

Day 4 Monday 23rd October 2023 BD Lightning Ridge ~ Grawin

Today begins with a tour beyond the town boundaries to the nearby town of Grawin and Glengarry. Enjoy a beverage at ‘The Hilton’ before heading out to the ‘Club in the Scrub’ for our lunchtime opportunity. Heading back into The Ridge, we make our way to the Cactus nursery. This afternoon enjoy a tour through the walk in mine and then at your leisure, perhaps some shopping at the local art galleries or opal shops or maybe just go for a stroll to take in this seductive area.

Day 5 Tuedsay 24th October 2023 BD Lightning Ridge ~ Brewarrina ~ Bourke

Departing Lightning Ridge today we journey South through Walgett situated near the junctions of the Barwon and Namoi Rivers. Continuing our journey further West we pass through Brewarrina and check out their silo artwork as we then continue to make our way to the Back o’ Bourke! Enjoy a visit through the back O’Bourke centre before checking into our overnight accommodation at Darling River Motel, Bourke (Ph) 02 68 722 288

Day 6 Wednesday 25th October 2023 BD Bourke ~ Cobar

Enjoy the morning with a step back in time as we paddle steam cruise along the Darling River and learn about the region’s rich river boat history. As we bid farewell to Bourke we make our way South to the gold mining town of Cobar, enjoy an afternoon at your leisure taking in the town for this is our overnight stopover. Accom: Town and Country Motor Inn (Ph) 02 6836 1244

Day 7 Thursday 26th October 2023 BD Cobar ~ Lake Cargelligo ~ Griffith

As we depart Cobar we will make a quick stop at the viewing platform of the open cut gold mine on the outskirts of town. Today’s travel sees us continuing South along the Kidman Way before detouring into ‘the seaside town’ of Lake Cargelligo. Enjoy some time exploring before we make our way down to Griffith. Griffith is in the heart of the Riverina region, famous for its wineries, great food and beautiful surrounding countryside. This our overnight stopover at the Econo Lodge Griffith Motor Inn (Ph) 02 69 621800.

Day 8 Friday 27th October 2023 BD Griffith ~ Weethalle ~ West Wyalong

This morning we enjoy in Griffith exploring some of the local produce our Riverina has on offer. After lunch we are back on the road journeying past the small country town of Weethalle. Weethalle has a magnificent silo mural with its shearer, grain farmer and small flock of sheep perched high on a balcony keeping a watchful eye over the land. This large-scale mural is a tribute to the rich agricultural heritage of the of Weethalle and the surrounding communities. Today’s destination is West Wyalong, where we are staying for the night at the Colonial Motor Inn (Ph) 02 69722 611

Day 9 Saturday 28th October 2023 BD West Wyalong ~ Bathurst

Today finds us travelling East as we almost finish our Central West loop! Making a stop at Grenfell we enjoy yet another silo art dedicated to Australian farming. Further travel today finds us in Cowra, home of Australia’s World Peace Bell. The bell was made from melted down coins donated by 106 members of countries of the United Nations. You can take the time before lunch to read the interpretive signage and even ring the bell itself. This afternoon sees us into Bathurst, a town rich with history often being referred to as the Gold Country as it was the site of the first gold discovery and where the first gold rush occurred in Australia. This is where we call home for the night at the Panorama Bathurst (Ph) 02 6331 2666

Day 10 Sunday 29th October 2023 B Bathurst ~ Home

Today is the final day of our Outback NSW tour. Inspect the Portland Silos before continuing through Mudgee and onto Merriwa for their Silo Art celebrating the ‘festival of the fleeces’ before arriving back home.

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TravelAwaits

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The Unique Art Experience That Saved Australia’s Rural Towns

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Australia’s Silo Art Trail is the ultimate road trip, stretching 4,660 miles through a series of country towns. Stops are at painted grain storage towers, or silos also known as grain elevators in the United States.

Silo art transforms these cold, unfriendly but imposing buildings into works of art in terrain where the city meets the country. Artwork is by urban street artists and attracts city folk, but the subject matter and the inspiration is pure country.

Artist Adnate, GrainCorp Silos at Sheep Hills

How To Save A Country Town

Australia is known for its extreme droughts. The one before the 2019/20 bushfires left the landscape parched and combustible. Dams were dry, crops failed, and farmers walked off the land. Rural schools were closing, and businesses had little trade. To save their towns, residents needed to attract tourists.

Paint It And They Will Come

They came up with the ultimate attraction — murals as tall as 10-story buildings that could be seen from miles away. A few painted silos in the same district provide a trail tourists can follow. People arrive in their cars, caravans, motorhomes, and by the coach-load. Previously, they had whizzed through these blink-and-you’d-miss-them towns, now they stop. They buy coffee, gas, visit the bakery, enjoy a pub meal, and sometimes stay overnight.

The first painted silos were in Northam in 2015, 62 miles northeast of Perth , in the Wheatbelt region. FORM , a cultural organization, commissioned London muralist Phlegm and Atlanta artist HENSE to paint eight 125-feet high silos. The project’s success kicked off the national trend of painted silos in five states. Collectively, these silos form the Australian Silo Art Trail . This interactive map shows how widespread they are.

On my trip, one hotel innkeeper joked, “One day, there will be a trail of unpainted silos because they will be the novelty.”

Pro Tip: Annette and Eric Green founded The Australian Silo Art Trail website, a resource outlining the trails in each state.

The GrainCorp Silos by Joel Fergie, aka The Zookeeper and Travis Vinson, aka Drapl, Victoria

How To Paint A Silo

The artist spends time in the town chatting with some of the larger-than-life inhabitants. It could be a fourth-generation farmer, a shearer, a water diviner, a local sports star (sport is the lifeblood in country towns), or an indigenous elder. The artist photographs or makes a preliminary sketch of their chosen subject. They transfer this image onto a grid which they superimpose onto the silo. The artist stands on a cherry-picker (hydraulic crane) to reach their towering canvas. Murals can take weeks to complete. Artists use gallons of house paint for the base and often hundreds of aerosol paint cans for the details. Artists often work in extreme weather conditions, harsh sun, or cold winds, but their views of the countryside from on high must be magical.

A Road Less Traveled

I wish I had a dollar for every time one of my fellow Victorians asked me, “Have you seen the Silo Art Trail yet?” But I was too busy traveling overseas. Locked inside my state in 2021 because of COVID restrictions, I started on the 125-mile silo trail from Brim, where Guido van Helten painted the first silo artwork in 2016. His work was a multi-generational quartet of female and male farmers across four silos, each exemplifying the strength and resilience of the local farming community.

As Victoria is one of the smaller states, there are 19 silos in a relatively compact area. Even so, Australia is a big country, and sometimes it was an hour’s drive between silos. The scenery was flat and unrelenting. A single tree was cause for excitement. But slowly, the wonderment of looking out at the Wimmera wheat-growing area grew on me. With little traffic on the road, I was alone with the unbroken horizon. Normally hemmed in by city buildings, it felt like a brush with infinity and a journey back to self.

Size Matters

The photos of the silos hadn’t prepared me for their gargantuan proportions. A train had pulled up underneath Sam Bates’ (Smug’s) artwork at Nullawil Silo. This photo-like realistic mural depicts a young farmer in his checked flannel shirt patting Jimmy, his faithful kelpie sheepdog. The full-size train looks like a child’s train set at their feet.

If art had not called, I would not have stopped. Nullawil has a population of 93! And I would certainly never have stopped at Sheep Hills, where my presence boosted the population to three. But I could not miss out on Adnate’s silo with its depiction of proud indigenous faces and Dreamtime sky,

Artists Joel Fergie, aka The Zookeeper and Travis Vinson, aka Drapl

Artists Of Note

All the silos were in the middle of nowhere but by prominent artists from the world stage such as Russian Julia Volchkov, Smug’s work I’d first seen in Glasgow, Scotland, little realizing his art was in my backyard. Australian street artists such as Guido van Helten , Rone, Fintan Magee, Kaff-eine , and Adnate all have international reputations.

My final stop was the Sea Lake mural by Drapl and The Zookeeper depicting an indigenous girl on a swing, tilting out from a Mallee Eucalyptus, glancing over Lake Tyrrell — Victoria’s largest salt lake. The lake’s shallow basin is renowned for its mirror-like reflective qualities that capture the Wimmera Mallee’s phenomenal sunsets. The artists had replicated this wondrous palette of colors. At twilight, the artwork blends with the sky to form one almighty canvas.

Country Stays

Pubs are where you meet the locals. At Sea Lake, I stayed at The Royal , a hotel the community banded together to reopen after it was closed for 18 months. The new influx of tourists made a community-run pub a viable proposition. Plus, the residents couldn’t bear the thought of a town with no beer! They have put much love into the hotel’s refurbishment.

Artist, Jimmy D'Vate, GrainCorp Silos at Rochester, Victoria.

How Towns Get Their Silos Painted

Locals set up Silo Art Committees to research funding options and write grants. If unsuccessful, they raise the money locally. Having a common goal strengthens their sense of cohesion. Silo art is a towering reminder to locals and tourists alike of what the power of community can achieve.

Silo Art In The United States

The Salina Kanvas Project commissioned Australian artist Guido Van Helten to paint grain elevators in Kansas. Van Helten also completed works across multiple locations in the U.S., including Nashville, Arkansas, Jacksonville, Fort Smith, Fort Dodge, Iowa, Mankato, Minnesota , and Faulkton, South Dakota . He was recently selected to paint a 110-foot grain silo along the Des Moines River in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Find out more here . Many small towns already have colorful murals as a drawcard. But silo art is more imposing. The gigantic murals stop tourists in their tire tracks and beckon them in.

Often, many destinations create unique attractions that eventually generate a lot of attention and draw many tourists. For example:

The World’s Most Incredible Car Sculptures
9 Best Outdoor Sculpture Experiences In The Midwest
Where To Find Nashville’s 5 Best Murals

Nadine Cresswell-Myatt of Red Bag Will Travel took her first plane trip at age eight. This would not be so unusual except she was flying solo and had never seen a plane before: what were her parents thinking? This adventure set her course for life. For over 25 years, she has crafted stories about her travel adventures for newspapers, magazines, and online travel sites, as well as training others how to do the same. You can follow her international travel on Instagram or read about her Australian jaunts at WeekendNotes . Yes, she’s an Aussie, but with children and grandchildren around the globe and her ability to travel with only a red carry-on bag, you might just find her popping up anywhere. And she still travels solo.

Road trip Australia: the remote Silo Art Trail

Book your individual trip , stress-free with local travel experts

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written by Anita Isalska

updated 21.09.2018

Australia's largest open-air art gallery is so vast that you'll need a car and a map to explore it. Deep in Victoria's farming country, the Silo Art Trail consists of grain silos adorned with epic portraits, spread across a distance of more than 125 miles.

Rupanyup: embarking on Australia's Silo Art Trail

Sheep Hills and Brim: portraits of a tight-knit community

Rosebery: harsh landscapes, hardy communities, lascelles and patchewollock: the end of the road.

Four hours' drive from Victoria's capital, Melbourne, these old grain silos are a fitting canvas for artwork representing the triumphs and challenges of life in the back of beyond. Standing sentinel over tiny rural communities, the painted silos offer a fascinating insight into small-town Victoria. It's a thoroughly unique Australian road trip.

Tailor-made travel itineraries for Australia, created by local experts

12 days / from 2900 USD

Explore Western Australia from Perth to Broome

Western Australia is the country's largest state, covering more than a third of Australia. This self drive itinerary allows you to explore sunny Perth, stunning national parks and waterfalls, the remote wild west outback, empty beaches and much more.

16 days / from 3300 USD

Explore South Australia and the Northern Territory

Explore South Australia and the Northern Territory on this self-drive adventure. Start in Adelaide and make your way over the Ayers Rock, Kings Canyon, and Alice Springs to the Kakadu National Park and ultimately Darwin.

23 days / from 4150 USD

Cross Western Australia to Darwin

Western Australia offers wonderfully remote outback experiences: from spectacular national parks to sandy deserts, pristine beaches to working cattle stations. This itinerary allows you to explore the way from Perth to Darwin in depth and at your own pace, in your own rental car.

Tailor-made trips for Australia

Rupanyup: embarking on Australia's Silo Art Trail

Rupanyup-siloarttrail-roadtripaustralia-NicoleReed1

The traffic begins to pick up speed as I drive out of Melbourne. Before long, a lone pie shop and gas station appear – the sum of a town. Crows pick at wallaby carcasses by the side of the road. The sky hangs heavy and velvet, like a theatre curtain.

My first stop is Rupanyup, home to the southernmost work in the Silo Art Trail . A black-and-white mural of two local sporting heroes is emblazoned across a huge grain silo. Painted by Russian artist Julia Volchkova in 2017, each figure has an enigmatic gaze.

There's not a great deal for them to gaze upon in Rupanyup, with a population of 344. Boasting ideal soil conditions in which to grow chickpeas and lentils, Rupanyup bills itself as 'A town with pulse'. When I ask a local in the general store if there's a good place in town to stay the night, he replies with a familiar Aussie refrain – "Yeah, nah" – and urges me to drive on.

Sheephills-siloarttrail-roadtripaustralia-NicoleReed

Some 30km beyond Rupanyup is Sheep Hills, a remote trading post that became a township when the railway arrived in 1886. Tucked away from the main road is the Silo Art Trail's most dazzling piece of work, a violet-flecked group portrait of generations of local indigenous people.

Forty minutes further north, past Warracknabeal (claim to fame: birthplace of Nick Cave) is Brim (claim to fame: a million-dollar bale of fine wool). The township's name comes from the aboriginal word for 'spring', and it's also the source of the trail, the place where the first artwork sprang up. A local community group had become concerned that their decommissioned silo, which dates to 1938, was becoming an eyesore, so they were seeking a way to beautify the space.

"Their thinking was a nice garden in front of it," explains Shaun Hossack, originator of the Silo Art Trail concept. "But we took that a whole lot further with the now famous Brim artwork by Guido Van Helten."

Renowned street artist Van Helten covered the silo with a sepia portrait of generations of Brim locals, which blends harmoniously with the dun-brown landscape. Thanks to solar lighting, it's also the only silo you can view at night.

"We wanted to create work about people, for the people," elaborates Shaun. "Farming is tough sometimes and we wanted to reflect the strong character of the people that engage with this form of work as a living."

Rosebery-siloarttrail-roadtripaustralia-NicoleReed

Country grit and determination also emanate from an artwork 23km north, in Rosebery, depicting a man and a woman with their livestock. The woman has a confident stance, and meets the viewer's gaze.

"I wanted to reflect what I saw happening in the area," explains the artist Kaff-eine . "Female farmers, even very young ones, were confidently and passionately taking the reins in family farms and running the enterprises on their own."

Meanwhile, the male figure is in a relaxed pose, almost nuzzling his horse.

"I wanted to paint the type of outback masculinity that I feel should be championed," he continues. "The generous, secure masculinity which allows for gentleness, genuine relationships, quiet and introspection."

There's a lot of life in this pocket-sized township (population 100), largely thanks to the multipurpose cafe, gallery and venue known as Mallee Sunsets, which occupies a timber church built in 1920. Maxine Mitchell has owned this building for almost two decades, having rescued it from dereliction. She chuckles as we discuss the impending 20-year anniversary of Mallee Sunsets.

"I'm hoping to make it to 2020," Maxine laughs. Will she be popping some champagne?

"I'll have a sausage sizzle," she replies. Spoken like a true Aussie.

Patchewollock-siloarttrail-roadtripaustralia-NicoleReed

My car's fuel gauge is dipping lower as I drive out of Rosebery, but I pay it no mind. My trusty online map has flagged up a number of fuel outposts, so I speed ahead to Lascelles and its double-barrelled silo. Melbourne street artist Rone sought out people who had lived their whole lives in Lascelles, and found inspiration in the merry-faced Geoff and Merrilyn Horman. Their faces, bleached by the sun, now smile gently down on Lascelles.

30 miles further on, Patchewollock takes its name from aboriginal word 'wallah' meaning 'porcupine grass' – something like tumbleweed, somewhat fitting for this lonely place. Standing tall in technicolour is artist Fintan McGee's mural, a portrait of a local farmer with hay-coloured hair set against a periwinkle-blue sky.

I pull up by Patchewollock's sole fuel outfit and general store, where a hand-written sign urges me to call one of two mobile phone numbers. No-one's around. As I ponder a long night in Patchewollock, a lady rushes to my aid, advising that I'll likely make it to the town of Speed, just 12 miles away.

"I'll follow you with my jerry-can," she says, eager to help a stranger whose car is at risk of clapping out on a dusty country road.

The presence of my jerry-can-toting guardian angel acts as a talisman and I reach the Speed petrol station without issue. As she pulls away, she calls out, "Watch out for the emus". The buzz of the petrol pump at my hand, I ponder at how much, in this unforgiving landscape, one is totally reliant on human kindness.

My car kicks up a flare of ochre-coloured dust as I begin the drive back south. The road slices through clusters of silver gum trees, passing a few silos that are unadorned: they seem like blank canvases. With so many stories out here in Victoria's countryside, it can't be long before they, too, are given tales to tell.

Anita is an editor and writer based in California. British by birth, Polish at heart, Aussie by marriage and French by sheer obsession, Anita writes about inspiring people, places and technology. When she isn't researching Central and Eastern Europe, interviewing wine makers or editing copy, Anita is thundering down ski slopes. Follow her @lunarsynthesis on Twitter and Instagram .

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Roe'ving Australia

Taking the scenic route, one day at a time

Silo art road trips

Followers of our Roe’ving Australia blogs may recall that we’ve previously visited several silo art towns to date on this trip (think Northam, Albany and Ravensthorpe in Western Australia, and South Australia’s Tumby Bay, Cowell and Kimba).

Well, we’re about to ratchet up the pace a bit, by exploring several Victorian silo art trails. Our previous blog about the Murray River mentioned how we’d taken a few side trips from the Murray region to check out various painted silos. This blog highlights the silo art in 13 (mostly Victorian) towns that we visited in recent weeks on these road trips, as well as a couple of NSW towns with water tower art.

According to the Australian silo art trail website , the very first Australian painted silo appeared in Northam WA just four short years ago. The movement has since burst onto the Australian art scene, with currently 33 sites and many more in the planning and development stages.

Many (although not all) of the silo art towns that are mentioned in this blog have seen better days, and it would be fair to say that they are doing it tough. But in every town, the new silo art is visibly bringing tourists, caravanners and even tour buses – most of whom would probably never have visited without the painted silo drawcard. Not only that, many of these towns are actively developing their status as RV-friendly towns and offering free or ‘by-donation’ campsites, which also helps to inject some much-needed spending in their pubs, general stores and servos.

And, what an overwhelming experience it is to witness these huge ‘canvases’ in an open air art gallery. Many of these silos can be spotted on approach from many kilometres away, as a shining beacon on an otherwise flat, brown and dusty landscape. Our personal creative talent seems to start and end with our ability to draw stick figures (🙄), so we cannot fathom how anyone has the perspective and insight needed to scope out beautiful artwork 20-30 metres high. How do they do it? All we can do is stand back in awe, marveling at and admiring the beauty before us.

This first exquisite example of silo art that we found near the Murray River was in Waikerie in South Australia. It took 16 weeks and almost 500 litres of paint to complete these silos, which are painted on all sides. The regent parrot (below) stands almost 30m tall.

North-Western Victoria Silo Art Trail

After leaving our next stop in the Murray River town of Mildura , it made sense to start the North-Western Victoria Silo Art Trail from the northern end, in the small town of Patchewollock . From there, we followed the trail to the southern end at Rupanyup , stopping at each silo along the 200kms route.

This silo art trail was conceived in 2016, with the artwork depicting the spirit, people and history of the harsh remote Wimmera-Mallee region of north-western Victoria.

This next example (below) by the artist Rone, depicts a local Lascelles farming couple, Geoff and Merrilyn Horman, on the outer edge of each silo. Their family has farmed and lived in the area for four generations.

While Rupanyup was previously considered the end of the trail, a new silo art installation recently opened in the town of Nullawil , 120kms back up in the north east. So we decided to stay overnight in the small town of Donald , in a free camp overlooking the Richardson River.

It was while walking through the Donald township that we first learned of the legacy of George Bills, a Sydney businessman who died in 1927. His will allowed for income from his estate to provide water troughs for horses and for the prevention of cruelty to animals. During 1930, more than 500 ‘Bills’ horse troughs (like the one in the image below) were installed, mainly in NSW and Victoria. Now there’s an interesting little tidbit on which to reflect next time you see an old water trough in a country town.

We were keen to see this next silo in Nullawil since we first saw images of it circulating on Facebook when the artwork was completed in July this year. The image of the kelpie is stunning, and the artist has really captured that special bond and understanding between working dog and master.

We headed back up to the Murray again, this time to Echuca/Moama for the next four days, during which time we took a day trip south to Bendigo in Victoria to visit relatives. En route we passed through Rochester and, naturally, stopped to check out the painted silos.

We also took another short day trip to the north to Deniliquin in New South Wales, to check out the town’s painted water tower. Unfortunately, the sun was high and directly behind the tower, making it a little tricky to photograph the best angles.

Other public art in Deiniliquin draws on its self-proclaimed status as the ‘Ute capital of the world’ and long history of holding the popular annual ‘Deni Ute Muster’ (images below).

The road trip to Deniliquin took us through the small town of Mathoura , where we couldn’t help but notice a long fence adorned with bras, right on the highway in the middle of town. The bra fence is a community initiative to raise funds for local cancer charities, so we snapped a few pics and dropped our donation in the box before continuing on our journey.

North-East Victoria Silo Art Trail

We started our day trip through the north-east Victorian silo art trail from the north, as we were staying at the Murray town of Cobram , Victoria. Our first stop was in Tungamah , where the silo art took 60 litres of paint as well as 142 x 400ml spray cans, yet was completed in just eight days!

In addition to the above silos, Goorambat’s small Uniting Church hosts a beautiful image of Sophia, the female aspect of the Holy Spirit, depicting her wise, nurturing, comforting, inspirational and ever-present characteristics.

Back to New South Wales

We said goodbye to our base at Cobram and the Murray River, and headed north back into New South Wales, our home state.

Our first stop was in Lockhart , to check out its gorgeous water tower, painted by Scott Nagy and Krimsone (Janne Birkner). Every inch of the water tower is covered, and it took 600 sq metres of undercoat before the artwork could commence. The artwork’s theme portrays a healthy ecosystem flourishing around a thriving water source, with bright illustrations of waterfalls and native flora and fauna, including brolgas, rosella, willy wagtails, kookaburra, magpie, galahs, possum, echidna and kangaroos.

Selected details from the painted water tower in Lockhart NSW, showing willy wagtails (above), and (below) kookaburra and kangaroos (L), magpie (mid) and rosella and galahs (R).

There were also many displays of metal artworks throughout the streets of Lockhart (below).

It would be remiss to blog about out drives through the countryside without mentioning the very visible impact that the ongoing drought has on the landscapes and local communities. We witnessed hundreds of paddocks of sparse, ratty crops in Victoria and NSW – a far cry from the vibrant, healthy wheat and canola fields we saw in southern WA just a month or two earlier. Few crops beyond the Murray valley seemed to have access to irrigation.

Our next stop was Griffith , a vibrant ‘food bowl’ of vineyards and orchards in the heart of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. As it turned out, Griffith was celebrating its annual Griffith Spring Fest , with more than 70 sculptures made from oranges (and the odd grapefruit) lining the main street (a few highlights below).

Our next brief stop was the small town of Barellan (population 500), childhood home of Aussie tennis great, Evonne Goolagong (Cawley).

It has now been six months since we first set out on our big adventure and, if truth be told, we were missing home and the family. And it didn’t help that we were tantalisingly close to home, just a few hours away.

We made the decision to head home a little earlier than anticipated, briefly stopping in Canberra to catch up with the family and six months of missed hugs with the grandkids.

And then it was off for the two hour drive home to the beautiful south coast of New South Wales.

The new bridge to span the Clyde River in Batemans Bay hadn’t started when we left, but we can announce that progress is definitely being made.

Of course, now comes the unpacking, washing, cleaning etc, not to mention tending to the weeds throughout the garden beds and lawn. And what’s with all the new Spring growth on the shrubs?

Hhhmmm, maybe we should lock up the place and head back on the road again?

… And definitely start planning the next big trip, not to mention lots of shorter jaunts.

Sigh, so much of Australia to see. And we need to make the time to go out and explore our stunning land of contrasts, beauty and weird and wonderful sights and experiences.

In the meantime, we have a couple of blogs planned on our six months away, including all the stats (e.g. did we really clock up 30,000 kms?), plus all the highlights and ‘best of’ categories (e.g. fave free camp, unexpected experiences, etc), and maybe even a few others (e.g. the most mind-numbingly boring drive, or ‘could only happen in Oz’ moments, etc).

Stay tuned!

This Unique Road Trip Of Australia's Largest Gallery Shows Silos Transformed Into Art

Humans have been painting on walls since we were living in caves and dodging Saber-toothed tigers, but it only started gaining wider recognition as a legitimate art form in the 1960s and 1970s. In the decades since, superstars of the street art scene like Jean Michel Basquiat, Shepard Fairey, and Banksy have further propelled it into the cultural mainstream. Nowadays, taking a street murals walk has become a hip tourist activity and many cities around the world boast a vibrant scene. Yet, while we usually think of street art as an urban phenomenon, artists in Australia have taken their spray cans out of the city and started working on a grander scale across the Outback. Welcome to the country-wide Silo Art Trail, and you'll definitely need a car for this one.

Like a lot of street art, the Silo Art Trail is motivated by social concerns, albeit ones that affect residents in rural communities rather than the traditional urban backdrop. By 2015 when the project began, many small towns in the Australian Outback were at risk of dying out due to drought and people leaving for a life elsewhere. The goal is ambitious but simple: to get people into their cars to enjoy some art, driving much-needed tourist dollars into ailing communities in the process. Since British muralist Phlegm teamed up with American artist Hense to paint four huge grain silos in Northam, Western Australia, the vast outdoor gallery has spread across four other states, covering around 5,000 miles.

Where to begin with the Silo Art Trail

Promoted as "Australia's Ultimate Road Trip," completing the full Silo Art Trail is a daunting prospect. Should you decide to go the whole hog, the natural starting point is Northam, Western Australia, since it was the town that helped kick off the entire project. It's also one of the less remote destinations on the trail, situated just over an hour's drive from Perth. The end of the trail is in Three Moon, Queensland, some 2,693 miles away on the other side of the nation-continent, where artists The Zookeeper and DRAPL have paid homage to the local indigenous legend that gave the town its name.

That's a lot of driving, so, understandably, many visitors choose to concentrate on one particular section of the Silo Art Trail. One of the most popular is located in the Wimmera Mallee region in northwest Victoria with 23 huge murals to seek out and enjoy in small towns that otherwise might never have crossed your radar. The general consensus is that the best place to start your road trip is in Rupanyup, a little over a three-hour drive from central Melbourne. There you will find portraits of two young local sports stars painted by Russian artist Julia Volchkova and takeaway eats at Boydy's Cafe if you want to put a little cash into the community.

Other highlights on Victoria's Silo Art Trail

With so many murals to visit on the Victoria leg of the Silo Art Trail, it is worth highlighting a few in particular. The tiny town of Brim has lost hotels and its school since the turn of the century but now attracts visitors thanks to Brisbane artist Guido van Helten's tribute to the local farming community. In Walpeup, Julian Clavijo and Camilo Delgado beautifully commemorate local lad Harold Thomas Bell who lied about his age to join the Light Horse Regiment in WWI and was killed in action. Sheep Hills, which only has a population of 27, features stunning artwork by Adnate depicting the faces of young and old Indigenous people set against starry skies.

Which silos you choose to visit depends very much on your personal preferences and itinerary. If you are having trouble deciding on individual artworks, you can download a helpful map that provides a route to take in all the silos on the Victoria trail. The entire trip covers around 120 miles and can be comfortably achieved in one day, allowing for enough time to contemplate the art, take some snaps, and get some refreshments along the way at local businesses. A visit to the Outback is a trip you should plan at least a year in advance , but if you are based in the United States and can't wait that long, a similar American Silo Art movement on home soil to check out.

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Victoria's Silo Art Trail: how to explore Australia’s biggest outdoor art gallery

Painted silos featuring a girl on a swing at Sea Lake in Victoria

Nicola Dowse

Posted June 05, 2023

Spanning 700-kilometers and featuring works by Rone, Adnate, and other iconic artists, discover Australia’s largest outdoor art gallery on this unique Victorian road trip.

Australia is home to plenty of big things : big prawns, big merinos, and big bananas. The location of each big thing often plays homage to the local industries or landscape. Given that, it makes perfect sense that Victoria, often referred to as the cultural heart of Australia, is home to the country’s biggest outdoor art gallery.

The Silo Art Trail has been turning heads on dusty regional roads since 2016 with its 700km-long collection of massive street artworks celebrating the people and culture of Victoria’s northwest.

Originally a region known for its agriculture industry, the project has injected new life into rural towns and encouraged tourism to the areas, along with providing economic benefits for the local communities and gifting Victoria one of the most unique road trip routes in the country.

Follow our guide on the best way to visit Victoria's Silo Art Trail.

How to visit the Silo Art Trail

There’s no hard and fast way to explore the Silo Art Trail, and the route you take can be altered depending on how long you have and what works you want to see. The one thing you will need, however, is a vehicle.

If travelling from Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat , Geelong or Victoria's east, it’s advised tourists begin with the Rupanyup silo before heading north towards Sheep Hills, Brim and Rosebery. Once you hit Hopetoun, you’ve the choice to continue north to Patchewollock, west to Albacutya, or east to Lascelles and Sea Lake.

From Melbourne, it's roughly a 3.5 hour drive to Rupanyup, where you can elect to stop at the RACV Goldfields Resor t in Creswick on your way home.

Alternatively, you can tackle the trail by flying into Mildura, hiring a vehicle, and approaching the trail from the north, beginning with Patchewollock. Those driving from Adelaide can start the trail from Kaniva.

If you don't have time to see all the silos, driving from Rupanyup through to Lascelles lets you encounter five of the main works.

Highlights of the Silo Art Trail

With more than 15 works (and growing), it’s hard to single out just a few silos. There are, however, a few key works you can't miss:

Rupanyup silo art by Julia Volchkova

The Rupanyup silo is the first many tourists will encounter. The silo was created by Russian muralist Julia Volchkova, who was inspired by the town’s youth, and their enthusiasm for team sports in particular.

Like many Victorian towns, Rupanyup has its own football and netball clubs, with Volchkova choosing to portray local sports club members Ebony Baker and Jordan Weidemann on the silos.

Brim silo art by Guido van Helten

This huge mural by photorealistic street artist Guido van Helten and Juddy Roller was the artwork that started the entire Silo Art Trail. The work was completed in 2016, and soon after brought international attention to the small town of Brim (which has a population of just 181 people).

The mural depicts four fictional farmers intended to represent the resilient farming community of the Wimmera region, and was also nominated for the 2016 Sulman Art Prize (Australia’s leading genre, subject or mural painting prize delivered alongside the Archibald Prize by the Art Gallery of NSW).

Lascelles silo art by Rone

Victorian street artist Rone, known for his large-scale installations in abandoned and decaying buildings, chose to depict two Lascelles locals in his silo artwork. Farming couple Geoff and Merrilyn Horman who have lived in the area for four generations are the subjects of the huge mural, which has been created on silos that date back to 1939.

Their portraits have been created in Rone’s signature washed-out style of realism painting that makes the works appear as if they’ve organically risen out of the silo’s concrete walls.

Like many Victorian towns, Rupanyup has its own football and netball clubs, with Volchkova choosing to portray local sports club members Ebony Baker and Jordan Weidemann on the silos.

Rosebery silo art by Kaff-eine

This Melbourne street artist actually assisted with Rone’s silo work in Lascelles, and used this time to explore and learn more about the land and people of the Wimmera-Mallee region.

She then took this knowledge and created her own silo artwork in Rosebery, painting a mural intended to portray the region’s past, present and future. On the left, Kaff-eine painted a female farmer, a nod to the many women who work the land in the region and their tenacity against nature. On the right, she painted a tender moment between a man and his horse, dressing the man in items common to the area such as an Akubra and oilskin vest.

Sheep Hills silo art by Adnate

Adnate is no stranger to painting huge murals, having created the southern hemisphere’s tallest street artwork on a Collingwood public housing tower in 2018. His silo artwork in Sheep Hills is the result of his friendship with the Barengi Gadjin Land Council, and the four weeks he spent getting to know this community.

The mural portrays Wergaia Elder, Uncle Ron Marks, and Wotjobaluk Elder, Aunty Regina Hood alongside two children, Savannah Marks and Curtly McDonald, in a work that speaks to the local dreaming as well as the passing of ancestral knowledge between generations.

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The Australian Silo Art Trail stretches over 8,500km beginning in Northam WA and ending in Three Moon Qld
The first silo to be painted in Australia was in Northam, Western Australia in March 2015
Artist Heesco Khosnaran has painted six, Weethalle, Grenfell, Karoonda, Gunnedah and Murrumburrah-Harden twice.
Artist Jimmy Dvate has painted six, Goorambat twice, Rochester twice, Waikerie and Picola
Artist Sam Bates has painted five, Wirrabara, Nullwil, Arkona and Horsham & Murtoa
Artist Guido van Helten has painted three, Brim, Coonalpyn and Portland
Artist duo The Zookeeper & Drapl have painted four, Thallon, Sea Lake, Three Moon & Biloela
Artist Tim Bowtell has painted Four, St James, Colbinabbin, Katamatite and Lake Boga.
Five silos have been painted by women. Rupanyup, Tungamah, Rosebery, Brunswick & Albany
One silo has been demolished - Fyansford by artist Rone stood from December 2017 to April 2020

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Plan a NSW silo art road trip
Barraba Silos, Barraba Credit: Destination NSW. 40m-high mural artwork on Barraba Silos, Barraba by artist Fintan Magee. Once nondescript blips on country road trips, silos around Australia are being beautified with striking giant murals. Today, you can now admire eight sites in New South Wales that have been transformed with huge artworks.
NSW Silo Art Road Trip Itinerary: How and Where to See Them All
Tamworth to Barraba Silo Art. 92km. 1hr 9mins. Get a happy snap in front of the Big Golden Guitar in Australia's country music capital before hitting the road on your big silo art road trip. Tamworth may not have a silo of its own yet, but you can see a smaller mural on the side of a water tank on the Oxley Lookout.
New South Wales Silo Art Trail
This trail includes five silo art locations, six water reservoirs and three street art towns. All up, 13 locations. If you require one of our maps to make your trip easier, just click on the map book image above and it will take you directly to our online store. As we are almost full time on the road, we took our time making this journey ...
5 OF THE BEST PAINTED SILOS IN NEW SOUTH WALES
On a recent, extensive road trip through the Central West and Riverina regions of New South Wales, I deliberately made detours to include 5 of the silo artworks - at Murrumburrah, Grenfell, Portland, Dunedoo, and Weethalle. The Central West region is west of the Blue Mountains, which are west of Sydney, while the Riverina is a region of south ...
New South Wales Silo Art Locations
Murrumburrah Mills was completed February 2021 and is the 46th silo to be included in the ASAT. Quirindi was completed December 2022 and is the 56th silo to be included in the ASAT. There are currently six silo art locations in New South Wales. Weethalle, Grenfell, Portland, Dunedoo, Barraba and Merriwa.
The Stunning Australian Silo Art Trail Guide [+Maps]
In NSW, we have more water towers than silos. There are seven silos on the NSW Silo trail; in comparison, there are 23 water towers, and I have included the ones we have seen too! Three of the NSW silos were painted by Melbourne based artist Heesco. We managed to visit most of them last year as part of our NSW road trip. NSW Silo Art Map
NSW SILO ART TRAIL TOURS NSW Silo Art Trail tours
The Silo At Trail is transforming Australian regional towns. Join us on an adventure through rural Australia to witness these great masterpieces and the local hospitality. Here is our 6 day tour Sydney to Broken Hill (or reverse option please ask) Highlights - NSW Silo Art Trail Tours - 5, 6 or 12 day options.
Australian Silo Art Trail
The Australian Silo Art Trail is a collection of painted silos and water towers across Australia. It connects rural communities through art and tourism and gives people from all walks of life the opportunity to experience Australia's number one road trip.
Australian Silo Art Trail
The Silo Art Movement is encouraging people from all walks of life to travel along part or all of what is now one of Australia's great road trips. Barraba, NSW - Peter B photo. Silo Art means more to many small communities than pure aesthetics, because, for many of them, it's a beacon of hope and economic revival.
The Australian Silo Art Trail
Paringa: Four silos honouring local legends; 260km east of Adelaide, 5km east of Renmark. Waikerie: Dual-sided art allows viewing ops from the river and on land; 180km northeast of Adelaide. If driving from Adelaide to Loxton, the main path takes in Karoonda. Its silo art is a nod to the town's farming heritage.
Silo Art Trail
The silo art trail doesn't stop here! If you want to extend your road trip, there are plenty more murals, artworks, water tanks and silo art dotted throughout Sun Country, Benalla, Shepparton and Echuca-Moama regions. All just over an hours' drive away. Pick a starting point and begin exploring! Some of our favourites include:
This Towering Mural Splashed Across Heritage-Listed Silos Is Just a
Visiting one of the numerous artworks on the Australian Silo Art Trail usually means a lengthy road trip into regional NSW. But just beyond the Blue Mountains, the small town of Portland plays host to one of the newer silo artworks in New South Wales. ... Wellington Dam wall in Western Australia (once finished, it will be the largest dam-wall ...
New South Wales Silo Art Trail
Large-scale artworks around Country NSW. Ever since the first in 2015, more than fifty large-scale artworks have been beautifying silos across the country including Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Here in Country NSW, they can all be found within six hours drive from Sydney. Barraba. Barraba silo art.
Australian Street Art & Silo Art Trail Map
Courtesy of Paul Evans. Anything with a Star in a colored background is "Proposed art" or an "Expression Of Interest". Silo art and Street Art across Australia on walls, even toilet blocks. Included are places with proposed sites for artwork (Silos etc). This free map started around 2015 made it to fruition in March 2018 and is ongoing.
Itinerary
This is where we call home for the night at the Panorama Bathurst (Ph) 02 6331 2666. Day 10 Sunday 29th October 2023 B. Bathurst ~ Home. Today is the final day of our Outback NSW tour. Inspect the Portland Silos before continuing through Mudgee and onto Merriwa for their Silo Art celebrating the 'festival of the fleeces' before arriving ...
Visiting Australia's Silo Art Trails
Nadine Cresswell-Myatt. Australia's Silo Art Trail is the ultimate road trip, stretching 4,660 miles through a series of country towns. Stops are at painted grain storage towers, or silos also known as grain elevators in the United States. Silo art transforms these cold, unfriendly but imposing buildings into works of art in terrain where the ...
Outback NSW Road Trip
Outback NSW Road Trip - Silo Art Trail, Gunnedah and Broken HillThe Feel Good Family Road Trip Travel Australia Ep 80Big Lap around Australia Series Week 6L...
Road trip Australia: the remote Silo Art Trail
Deep in Victoria's farming country, the Silo Art Trail consists of grain silos adorned with epic portraits, spread across a distance of more than 125 miles. Rupanyup: embarking on Australia's Silo Art Trail. Sheep Hills and Brim: portraits of a tight-knit community. Rosebery: harsh landscapes, hardy communities.
Silo art road trips
Bra fence, Mathoura NSW; North-East Victoria Silo Art Trail. We started our day trip through the north-east Victorian silo art trail from the north, as we were staying at the Murray town of Cobram, Victoria. Our first stop was in Tungamah, where the silo art took 60 litres of paint as well as 142 x 400ml spray cans, yet was completed in just ...
This Unique Road Trip Of Australia's Largest Gallery Shows Silos
This Unique Road Trip Of Australia's Largest Gallery Shows Silos Transformed Into Art. Leanne Irwin/Shutterstock. By Lee Adams / Feb. 4, 2024 7:00 am EST. Humans have been painting on walls since we were living in caves and dodging Saber-toothed tigers, but it only started gaining wider recognition as a legitimate art form in the 1960s and 1970s.
Quirindi Silo Art
The GrainCorp Silos in Quirindi NSW were completed in December 2022 by artist Peter Ryan, who was assisted by Keira Sloetjes and Kate Rutter. The silos art tells the storys of the past, present and future of the Liverpool Plains region, It was inspired by fascinating Aboriginals stories that have been passed down.
The Silo Art Trail: Australia's giant outdoor art gallery
Victoria's Silo Art Trail: how to explore Australia's biggest outdoor art gallery. Spanning 700-kilometers and featuring works by Rone, Adnate, and other iconic artists, discover Australia's largest outdoor art gallery on this unique Victorian road trip. Australia is home to plenty of big things : big prawns, big merinos, and big bananas.
Silo Art Trail
The Australian Silo Art Trail stretches over 8,500km beginning in Northam WA and ending in Three Moon Qld. The first silo to be painted in Australia was in Northam, Western Australia in March 2015. Artist Heesco Khosnaran has painted six, Weethalle, Grenfell, Karoonda, Gunnedah and Murrumburrah-Harden twice.