Albacutya Silo
Albacutya is a small Victorian rural location approximately 355kms from Melbourne and close to Rainbow. It is known for its 5,850 acre lake, which fills from Lake Hindmarsh when the Wimmera River is in flood. The lake generally fills and empties on a 20 year cycle, the longest dry period on record being 27 years. Its currently almost empty, however the area is popular for four wheel driving, trail bikes, bush walking and family camping.
A new attraction is the mural being painted on the Albacutya Silo, 10km north of Rainbow.
Melbourne artist Kit Bennett was engaged for the Albacutya Silo Art project. Work began at the beginning of May 2021.
Whilst the project was delayed by the Melbourne COVID travel lock down, Kit developed themes and designs celebrating women and family on farms.
Drawing inspiration from the silo’s owner and incorporating ties back to Rainbow and the local area, the artwork will be a fun, quirky, colourful and exciting style to attract the interest of both young and old, as well as the family touring market. It will present a significant point of difference to existing Silo Art Trail artworks.3
The main point of difference between the Silo Art Trail art work and many of the community murals that have been commissioned by local communities is that the Wimmera Mallee Silo Art Trail leaves the design of the art work to the discretion of the artist, allowing for freedom of expression and artistic style of the artist.3
The artwork took three to four weeks to complete. When I chatted with the locals there were mixed views - some were not keen on the comic-like face of the young man sitting on the bike. Others, like me loved the colours which allow the silo to be quite noticeable for miles around.
Postcript:
Since visiting the Albacutya silo, it has been completed, which you can see below. Doesn't it look fabulous? Melbourne artist Kitt Bennett said:
I was inspired to create an artwork that tells a story of growing up in the country as a youth. “I have fond memories of exploring the bush and looking for yabbies^ under rocks in creeks with my parents. Reflecting on this weird and wonderful time as an adult is something that brings me a lot of happiness.4
It is certainly a colourful landmark and I am sure will bring smiles to many faces.
^ Yabbies is a colloquial term for crayfish - heavy bodied crustaceans with an enlarged, pincer-like first pair of legs. Rest easy, the Yabby depicted in the mural below is much larger than a real one!
Credits
- My own photos
- mailtimes.com.au and Researchgate.net
- hindmarsh.vic.gov.au
- australiansiloarttrail.com