We spent a few nice days with wonderful hikes in the Grampians when we decided to continue our drive north to start the Silo Art Trail. The Silo Art Trail is an approximately 200 km drive, that takes you through small towns in rural Victoria, and showcases beautiful art on silos.

When we drove out of the Grampians, we first stopped in Horsham to replenish our supplies. Horsham has all the major supermarkets, from Aldi to Woolworth. Stock up if you don’t want to pay the higher prices from the smaller supermarkets later. From Horsham it is a 35-minute drive to the first Silo artwork in Rupanyup. On the way, there is another attraction, the Murtoa Stick Shed. The Stick Shed is a former huge barn that now serves as a museum.

The region of the Silo Art Trail is called Wimmera Mallee. It is possible to see the Silo Art Trail all in one day. However, we recommend taking your time and spending a few days on the trail. Especially at one of our favorite campsites, Lake Lascelles!

We have summarized the approximate driving times between silos so that you can better plan your trip:

• Rupanyup to Sheep Hills: 25 minutes
• Sheep Hills to Brim: 25 minutes
• Brim to Rosebery: 20 minutes
• Rosebery to Lascelles: 25 minutes
• Lascelles to Patchewollock: 35 minutes
• Patchewollock to Sea Lake: 50 minutes
• Lascelles to Sea Lake: 25 minutes
• Sea Lake to Nullawil: 35 minutes

Thanks to the easy and beautiful route of the Silo Art Trail, we saw new places and very cool art and learned more about the meaning and history behind the trail.

Rupanyup

The Silo Art Trail starts in Rupanyup. Russian artist Julia Vochkova chose local young faces of sports teams to portray strength, hope and camaraderie.

Tip: Be sure to check out the town and the artwork “Fireman” by Georgia Goodie when you’re in Rupanyup!

Sheep Hills

Sheep Hills is definitely one of our favorite works of art. The world-famous street artist Adnate is known for his work with Aboriginal communities. In his works, he shows the history of the indigenous population and their country. He highlights exactly that at the Grain Corp Silos in Sheep Hills. Four faces are depicted, which stand for the richness of the indigenous culture. The night sky represents the Dreamtime story and the exchange and transmission of wisdom from the elders to the next generation.

Brim

The artist for the Brim Silo is Guido van Helten. His work shows his tribute to the farmer society of the Wimmera Mallee region.

Roseberry

In his silo art, the artist Kaff-eine shows the past, present, and future of the Mallee region. On the left is a young farmer, and on the right a horseman with his horse. The hard-working farmer symbolizes the future. The horseman, complete with his Akubra hat and cowboy boots, shows the deep harmony and friendship between him and his horse.

Lascelles

In his work, the artist Rone shows a married couple, and their agricultural experience and deep connection to their hometown.

Patchewollock

Fintan Magee has depicted a sheep farmer and grain farmer in his silo artwork at Patchewollock. The man, with his sun-bleached hair and squinty eyes, represents a typical farmer in Wimmera Mallee, exposed to the harshness of the environment and the region.  

Tip: Only a half an hour away from Patchewollock are giant sand dunes. If you have 4WD, you will have a great time here. However, the dunes are also accessible for 2WD. Pack a boogie board and slide down the dunes.

Sea Lake

The artists Drapl & The Zookeeper have created a beautiful picture of a young girl. She sits on a swing in a Mallee eucalyptus tree, while looking over Lake Tyrrell and reflecting on her Aboriginal heritage. “Tyrrell” means “space that opens to the sky”. The Boorong people were known for their astronomical knowledge, and their stories are rich in culture and their connection to the lake.

Tip: If you’re in Sea Lake, be sure to go to Lake Tyrrell, just 8 minutes away!!! It is a saltwater lake that is pink. It is so incredibly beautiful that it really is a “must” on the Silo Art Trail!

Nullawil

The artist Sam Bates, known as Smug, has created a masterpiece in Nullawil with many incredible details. His artwork shows a kelpie with his master, a farmer. In the pendant of the dog collar, you can see a stick and a Galah. Two symbols that reflect the place name.  “Nulla” means “killing stick” in the Aboriginal language and “Will” means Galah.

We loved the Silo Art Trail. Not only because of the great art, but also because we have discovered new little towns through this route. Many of the towns have murals by the same artists who painted the silos.

Our favorite Silo artworks were in Sheep Hills, Sea Lake, and Nullawil.

Tip: You can pick up a great brochure for the Silo Art Trail at information centers, such as the Grampians or Horsham. The brochure has a map of the town directories, and pictures and information about the Silo artworks.

We took a lot of time and were able to get to know fantastic new places. Like Lake Lascelles, where we also stayed. The entire route of the Silo Art Trail leads past canola fields and lush green meadows. The campsites you will find along the way are mostly free of charge, and very clean. Another big surprise for us is that we even found hot showers and washing machines in the free campsites.

The best thing about slow travel is that we have found our next adventure while driving the Silo Art Trail. Next time we will try to make it to the Snowdrift Sand Dunes and the Little Desert National Park.