The Silo Trail

What began as a roadtrip searching for the remains of my g-g-grandparent’s Union Flour Mill near Dunolly has become a project to record and document all the 1000+ silos across Australia. So far it’s a treasure hunt through the heartland and across the plains of Victoria and NSW, following the decommissioned rail lines, through small towns where the grain silo was often a centre of local seasonal life, where millions of tonnes of blood, sweat and soil came to be delivered, crops compared, stories told, lives lived. Fundamental changes to farming practices, on farm and bulk storage and high capacity headers have led to the closure of many concrete and steel silos. The Silo Trail is all about creating an historical record and celebration of these unique regional architectural forms.

Information regarding capacities is often guesswork, the subtle variations in the diameters of silos is hard to judge when you’re being dazzled by the ferocious Australian sun. If you have information about specific silo sites, please be in touch.