The GrainCorp silos at Yelarbon, Queensland, were named the nation’s Best Rural Art at the Australian Street Art Awards on 2 March.
As one of the biggest murals in Australia at 96-metres-long, When the Rain Comes also received the bronze prize in the highly coveted Best Mega Mural category with the Gold prize winner – Karoonda Silo Art, Karoonda and Silver winner – Quorn Silo Light Show, Flinders Ranges both coming from South Australia.
Goondiwindi Regional Council Mayor, the Honourable Lawrence Springborg AM said, “I am very proud to have grown up here in Yelarbon, so to see the silos win not one but two awards and take the title of Best Rural Art in Australia really is an honour
for our little town.
“This win further cements the region’s reputation on the national silo art trail and proves that small country towns really do have lots to give on the national scale.
“The Goondiwindi region’s motto is we are ‘Regional Australia at its best’, and I think Yelarbon being named as the Best Rural Art in the country proves just that.”
The eight large GrainCorp silos, two large and six smaller ones, together create a 1800 square metre canvas for the mural painted by The Brightsiders depicting Yelarbonʼs freshwater lagoon.
The judges applauded Council’s co-operative marketing initiative, joining forces with the Thallon Graincorp Silo Art, last year’s Best Rural Art winner, to create a street art trail between the regions.
Awards Director, Liz Rivers, added, “Australia has a long history of creating superlative public art that captivates visitors.
“Until these Awards were launched in 2019, though, there had never been a way of rewarding and supporting places like Yelarbon that created these art-related experiences for travellers.
“The Australian Street Art Awards remedied that shortcoming.”
