A community meeting in 2019 laid the groundwork for what has become one of northern Victoria’s newest public artworks.
Waaia Community Plan president Sue Cleeland said the concept emerged when a community member asked whether residents would consider forming a volunteer group to raise money and carry out improvement projects around the district.
“Everyone was agreeable,” Ms Cleeland said.
“We got a committee together.
“Everyone picked something they wanted to pursue.
“Silo art came up straight away,”
The idea was popular, but securing the funding and permissions proved difficult.
Access issues related to private ownership stalled one application, and an early round of grant submissions was unsuccessful.
The group continued working on the proposal while completing other community projects, including improvements to the local recreation reserve and fencing at the cemetery.
Their persistence eventually paid off when the silo project received enough funding through the Victorian Government’s Tiny Towns program.
The committee had already nominated its preferred artist, Benalla muralist Tim Bowtell, whose large-scale rural works had made him well-known across the region.
“We had Tim lined up probably four years ago,” Ms Cleeland said.
“We knew who we wanted. We just had to wait until we got the funding.”
With funding secured, attention turned to the artwork’s content.
The committee circulated surveys throughout the community, seeking input on what should appear on the silos.
Three themes were consistently raised: the soldier-settlement dairy history, the wheat stacks that once defined harvest seasons, and the beetle train — an early petrol-powered railcar used on less-trafficked lines in the early 20th century.
The dairy scene ultimately became the centrepiece, drawn from local stories shared by Rex James, who had described the landscape of Centre Rd during the years of small family dairies.
Mr Bowtell said that unlike the beetle train or the wheat stacks, the dairy scene required a complete visual reconstruction.
“I sketched the dairy scene because it didn’t exist in any photos,” he said.
Mr Bowtell visited a nearby dairy early in the morning to photograph cows in winter light.
He combined these images digitally, adding steam, headlights and paddocks to match the descriptions.
Once the final design was approved, Mr Bowtell transferred it to the silo using a one-metre grid system.
“It’s like a big colouring book,” he said.
“You sketch the outlines with an aerosol can, then fill it in using spray cans and a spray gun.”
The painting phase took 20 full days, spread across several weeks, with Mr Bowtell staying locally throughout the project.
The community played an active role beyond planning and funding.
Volunteer Dawn Carey obtained a boom-lift ticket specifically so she could act as Mr Bowtell’s spotter each day — a requirement for working at height.
“The committee was so good to work with,” he said.
“They had clear ideas about the stories they wanted told, and the community backed it all the way.”
Since the mural’s completion, local response has been strongly positive.
“I have not had one person say it’s not right,” Ms Cleeland said.
“We’re really rapt. It’s exactly what we hoped for.”
Ms Cleeland said the committee sees the artwork as a tribute to the people and stories that shaped the region — and as a reminder of what small communities can achieve when they work together.
The Waaia Silo Art can be viewed from the car park next to the silo art on Railway St, Waaia for free.
Rex James asks the public to utilise the designated car park as the art is on working silos.