Western Australia is renowned for its vast, diverse landscapes, pristine beaches and rugged outback, but there's another attraction that has been quietly capturing the attention of travellers and art enthusiasts alike: WA’s Silo Art Trail. Completed in 2018, the WA Silo Art Trail connects rural and coastal towns across Western Australia, taking visitors through the heart of WA's rural communities, where towering silos have been transformed into spectacular works of public art by internationally renowned artists.
Take to the road from Perth and travel to Northam, the first stop on your Silo Art Trail.
In April 2015, international artists Hense and Phlegm transformed 8 silos, 38 metres high, using boom lifts and brushes strapped to poles to create the first silo art on the trail.
Throughout a two week period at Northam, they worked simultaneously to create whimsical characaters and explosive blocks of colours across the silos.
*Please note CBH Northam Grain Terminal is a fully operational grain handling site, with trucks and loading equipment constantly in use. The site is not open to the public.
Merredin Silo Art Trail, AGO
From there, head on to Merredin when you can view the mural painted by one of WA’s most accomplished street artists, Kyle Hughes-Odgers.
It took him 200 litres of paint, 14 days, 168 hours, two lifts, 80 rollers and 10 brushes to complete his artwork across four 35-metre high silos outside the Wheatbelt town of Merredin in August 2017.
Enjoy the mural of seasonal wildflowers in the spring, carefully researched to tell a story about Merredin, its natural environment in the colours and its diverse community in the artwork’s abstract forms and figures
Start the road trip from Merredin to Pingrup, your next stop on the WA Silo Art Trail.
Pingrup Silo Art Trail, ASW
Miami artist Evoca1’s 25 metre-artwork is a representation of Pingrup, a Great Southern farming town. Her mural celebrates Pingrup as well as the tenacious and resourceful farming communities throughout WA.
The mural painted on Pingrup’s silos showcases the town’s iconic races, its Merino sheep, people, cattle dogs and tractor (that is inspired by the one found on the main street!). This mural took the artist 15 days and 230 litres of paint to create the mural.
Newdgate Silo Art Trail, Australian Silo Art Trail
Next we head to Newdgate where you can view the impressive mural of the area’s wildlife, the Western Bearded Lizard, Mallee Fowl, Thigh Spotted Tree Frog and a Red-tailed Phascogale across four silos.
Perth artist, Brenton See drew inspiration from the local flora and fauna and painted 4 huge murals on 4 silos to celebrate Newdgate, salt lake and wildflower country.
The final panel is a mural inspired by the region with a shape like a drop of water, half-white, half-teal. The white represents the salt lakes; and the teal represents the freshwater lakes and rain. In the background are coloured squares showing how the land appears from above: green for the bushland areas and brown, orange and red for the dirt and rocks.
Ravensthorpe Silo Art Trail, Trails WA
On Day 3, we head to Ravensthorpe to stand before the towering mural that wraps around the whole silo site. Fremantle artist Amok Island’s artwork, Six Stages of Banksia Baxteri showcases the different stages of the growth and flowering cycle of the species found predominantly between Esperance and Albany.
Over 31 days and 338 litres of paint, artist Amok Island executed the mural across 3 massive silos, celebrating the Ravensthorpe landscape when it comes alive with wildflowers in the spring.
He also included in the mural the animals who work as pollinators for this species of Banksia, the Honey Possum and New Holland Honey eater.
Lucky Bay, Esperance
You can’t take a road trip to Esperance without spending a couple days on the best beaches in the world!
Endless coastlines, pristine white beaches, and aqua blue waters that sparkle in the sun.
Stay at the conveniently located Esperance Bay Holiday Park for close proximity to Esperance beaches, fishing jetties, and fantastic cafes and restaurants!
Albany Silo Art Trail, AGO
After your restorative stay in Esperance, head south to another iconic WA town, Albany. Albany is known for is incredible coastlines and natural wonders. Brooklyn-based street art duo Yok & Sheryo’s undertook the challenge to paint the mural for Albany’s stop on the WA Silo Art Trail, and painted a magnificent ruby sea dragon in their signature style.
Katanning Silo Art Trail, PUBLIC Silo Art Trail
On the way back to Perth, drop by the Wheatbelt town of Katanning to view the murals painted across a number of electrical transformer boxes and walls in the town’s centre. The beautiful murals were painted by some of WA’s most prominent artists like Brenton See, Chris Nixon, Darren Hutchens and Mel McVee, as well as Tunisian artist Karim Jabbari, as part of the Silo Art Trail.
It took these artists 7 days and 7 transformer boxes to paint 5 murals representing WA’s agricultural background, showing how you can transform anything with colour, and art.
