A Guide to the Best Silo Art Locations in the Outback Loop
Silo art tours are the new Outback road trips
Everyone loves a road trip. Driving along beautiful roads to some of Australia’s most remote towns is an exhilarating adventure that should be on everyone’s Aussie bucket list. In recent years, road trippers have been given even more of a reason to travel the long red roads to our remote towns; dozens of silo art locations have popped up within the last 10 years and some of them are truly outstanding.
Realistic landscapes, wildlife pieces and odes to the settlement years have been painted onto gigantic silos and can now be spotted across the country.
Why is there so much silo art in Australia?
You might be surprised to know that there are more than 50 silo art locations in the Australian Silo Art Trail and many more yet to come!
The unexpected public-art movement started in 2015 in Western Australia and quickly spread. What was initially intended as a project covering only eight silos, quickly became something much bigger. And no wonder why - they’re spectacular.
For many of the towns and communities in the Outback, silo art is more than just a beautiful addition to the landscape; it's a showcase of the incredible talent, creativity and artistry that grows in Regional Australia.
So hit the road with this list of our favourite silo art locations and turn your outback road trip into a silo art tour!
Quorn
We start with a slightly more innovative silo art display in the quaint town of Quorn.
Every night at sunset visitors can watch the Quorn silo glow with light projections of moving stories. Hear the accompanying narration by local storytellers by tuning your radio to 87.6FM and arrive early to get a good spot. and feel free to bring a chair and refreshments to enjoy during the show. Don’t miss this one, it's a stunner!
Wirrabara Silos
The artwork on Wirrabara Silos is so realistic, you might just have to blink a few times to believe it’s a painting. Painted on a 28-metre silo in Wirrabara, the artwork was created by a chap called Sam Bates (or ‘Smug’) who suspended himself in a boom lift for three weeks in order to get the job done. Definitely worth it, we think. Every single detail here is unbelievably accurate and the colours he used to portray the local landscape are right on. Add this spot onto your silo art tour for a real taste of the Outback.
Port Augusta (the Joy Buluch AM Bridge Art)
If you’re heading up to the Outback from Adelaide, you’ll pass Port Augusta and will have the chance to drop by the Joy Buluch AM Bridge Art. It might not be painted onto a silo, but it’s still worth a leg stretch and snack stop. Painted by ‘Jimmy C’ - who has completed art pieces in cities such as Paris, Berlin, Rome, Barcelona and Sao Paulo - the artwork was created to represent an Indigenous person but not necessarily an Indigenous Australian. Notice how the person looks like they’re wearing a crown? Jimmy says that represents modern civilisation weighing down on his head. What do you think?
Marree
Found near the Marree Mosque on the Oodnadatta Track, artist Lyn Hovey painted what is known as The Marree Water Tank. It’s one of the most remote art pieces in the Australian Silo Art Trail Collection. Let’s just say, once you’re here you’ll definitely know you’re in the Outback. The Marree Water Tank, right in the sticks, isn’t far from Lake Eyre and represents some local camels, kangaroos and brumbies.
Bute Silo Art
At the top of the Yorke Peninsula in SA, this silo art location will steal your heart and have you reminiscing, especially if you grew up in regional Australia. After a survey in the local community revealed that lots of colour and elements of local agriculture was the priority for the silo art, the dreamy design was accepted. This Outback silo art is an absolute treat to the eye and certainly one to add to your silo art tour if you are driving from Adelaide.
Farrell Flat Silo Art
You certainly can’t miss the silo art at Farrell Flat. Painted by Jarrod Soden and Matthew Knights, this show-stopping artwork took 140 hours to paint upon the 30-metre tall silo! We’re glad they took the time to do it, because it’s amazing! The former Roseworthy-Peterborough railway line once passed through Farrell Flat until the 1900s and this Outback silo art represents the last train to pass through the township. Located 20km east of Clare, Farrell Flat Silo Art is one to schedule into the road trip itinerary from Adelaide.
Owen Silo Art
Forget a quick toilet break, to appreciate this piece of Outback silo art just east of Port Wakefield you’ll need more than a few minutes. Also known as ‘Wheat Bags to Sand Bags’ the artwork represents a time in rural Australia when young men and women were called to service in 1914 during World War One. One part of the silo art represents harvest in Owen in 1914, with men loading wheat bags, whilst the next image shows the same man throwing sand bags into trenches at Gallipoli. ‘Wheat Bags to Sand Bags’ is certainly an emotional one and history fans won’t want to miss it.
Eudunda Silo Art
Known as the birthplace of famous author, Colin Thiele, Eudunda is found 103-kilometres northeast of Adelaide. Its striking silo art is reason enough to pay a visit during your Outback road trip. Created by Sam Brooks the six-silo project is 30-metres tall and depicts two children sharing stories about their pasts and their cultures. One young girl is shown to be stepping through a magical book and finding cattle, sheepdogs and horseback riders in a thick, golden dust storm. A Ngadjuri child is also shown to invite the young girl from the other silo to come and learn about their culture. Full marks from us for both the idea and the execution!
Kimba Silos
Kima Silos is an enchanting piece of silo art that might just take your breath away! Using 26 days and 200-litres of paint in the process of coming to life, this silo art location is situated at the hallway mark across Australia on the Eyre Highway right at the very top of the Eyre Peninsula. The young girl painted onto the silos is shown to overlook a fabulous purple sunset, surrounded by sweeping wheat fields. It’s so amazingly lifelike; you’ll have to see it to believe it!
Cowell Art Silo
The coastal town of Cowell on the eastern side of the Eyre Peninsula is home to Cowell Art Silo; a three-silo piece that won’t ever escape your attention. Stop by and admire the bright colours as well as the cheerful portrait of local celebrity - Lionel Deer. Well-known for bringing his camels to the Cowell Christmas Pageant for over 30 years, Lionel stirs up a sense of nostalgia for lots of Cowell residents. Lionel sounds like our kind of guy!
Yelarbon Art Silos
One-of-a-kind Yelarbon Art Silos has a unique shape and offers a big punch of colour to the Queensland landscape. In the grips of drought, Yerlabon suffered for two long years, and so the silo art here celebrates the rain - hence the name ‘When the rain comes’. Pull up and spend some time admiring the larger than life silos which depict a boy playing with a paper boat in Yelarbon Lagoon.
Cunnamulla Water Tower
Some silo art is vibrant and fun, some is more serious. Cunnamulla Water Tower is endearing and the attention to detail might just send a shiver down your spine. Painted by Guido van Helten in 2019, the tower represents an annual game played between Cunnamulla and Charleville (located 200km apart). The mural represents the significance of the towns’ relationship and their communities. What an incredible job they’ve done!
Windorah Water Tank
Found in the depths of Queensland’s vast Outback, Windorah Water Tank was completed in 2018 by David W Houghton. Featuring scenes of Outback mustering life and settlement days, the tanks are dressed in dusty colours which partner perfectly with the arid scenes. In the context of Outback silo art, this is an oldie but a goldie.
The Outback Loop
The Outback Loop is a vast region in the far north east of South Australia and south-west Queensland, where travellers and road trippers can experience the astonishing beauty of Australia’s desert zone. Our region is packed with the influence of different cultures, scenes of incredible natural beauty and lots of friendly faces! But although we can’t wait to see you here, we know that your journey starts from the moment you leave home…
However, you decide to get here and from whichever direction, you’ll find some world-class silo art to make your journey even more exciting. Find even more art for your journey, using this map.