Tag:winton wetlands
Victoria’s street art scene is a lively showcase of creativity and self-expression. Urban walls have been transformed into stunning works of art, making it a highly respected art form. Street art constantly evolves, capturing the essence of culture, identity, and social commentary. Artists are continually creating new pieces, and new art may replace or cover older ones.
The Evolution of Street Art in Victoria
Victoria’s street Art had humble beginnings as an act of rebellion; however, it has transitioned into a legitimate art form.
Victoria’s street art scene emerged during the 1970s and 1980s, with graffiti artists leaving their marks on public spaces. Initially regarded as vandalism, attitudes changed in the 1990s as artists created more complex and imaginative works. Debates arose about how to distinguish between art and vandalism.
Street art festivals in Victoria during the early 2000s provided legal spaces for artists to express themselves through murals and graffiti. Notable events like the Stencil Festival and Melbourne International Street Art Festival were crucial in legitimising street art as a recognised art form. As street art gained acceptance, many councils and property owners commissioned artists for larger, socially significant murals celebrating local culture and history.
Art and Artworks
As street art gained popularity and commercial appeal, more and more artists entered the traditional art world. For example, exhibitions like Rone’s Time or Empire have showcased his creative skill, earning recognition from collectors and enthusiasts alike. This blending of street and traditional art highlights the incredible talent and versatility of Victoria’s street art scene.
Street Art with a Purpose
Street art has become a crucial part of urban development in recent years. It revitalises and activates urban areas, beautifies spaces, and promotes a sense of community. Victoria encourages street art, which increasingly incorporates cultural and social commentary. Artists use their work to raise awareness about important societal issues and engage the public in meaningful discussions.
In Victoria, street artists create visually appealing works and use their art to bring attention to social issues and promote various causes. Their murals and graffiti often convey compelling messages about environmental conservation, mental health, inclusivity, and social justice. In rural areas of Victoria, murals and silos frequently feature local wildlife. Street art, therefore, acts as a platform for activism and encourages positive change.
Inner city Hotspots
While street art can be found throughout Victoria, some areas have become well-known as important hubs for street art.
Brunswick
This suburb in Melbourne is a hub of street art. Stroll along Lygon Street and Sydney Road to uncover an array of vibrant and meaningful murals and graffiti. All highlight the artistic and cultural richness of the area.
Fitzroy and Collingwood
These urban areas are hubs for dynamic street art culture. Stroll through the streets, alleys, and laneways, and you’ll come across numerous murals, stencils, paste-ups, and graffiti pieces. Johnston Street, Brunswick Street, and Smith Street are especially abundant with street art.
Hosier Lane
A quaint cobblestoned alleyway near Flinders St. Station has become a dynamic, ever-changing outdoor gallery.
Street Art Towns
Benalla Wall to Wall Festival
Benalla is considered the street art capital of regional Victoria. Every year, they hold the Wall to Wall Festival of street art, which features incredibly talented and well-known street artists from all over the country and the world. They create breathtaking murals and street art on the walls of buildings around the town. If you’re looking to explore the 65 murals on the art-filled streets of Benalla, you can take a self-guided walk and make the most of your experience by using the Storytowns-Benalla Street Art app. Don’t forget to grab a street art walking map from the Visitor Centre!
Bendigo
Another regional centre located in Victoria has incorporated street art into its cultural landscape. The Bendigo Street Art project has brought stunning murals to various locations around the city.
Geelong
Geelong, a city in the southwest of Melbourne, has a thriving street art culture. The lively alleys and walls near Little Malop Street have become attractive outdoor galleries, giving the urban landscape character and creativity.
Rochester
Rochester is a town in the Campaspe shire that boasts impressive art installations. In this area, there are two silos that Jimmy Dvate has painted. Additionally, there is a laneway that features the artwork of Tim Bowtell on both walls. This laneway has been recently named Iddles Lane in honour of Ron Iddles OAM APM, an accomplished Australian police detective who had a remarkable conviction rate of 99%. His exceptional performance earned him the title of “Australia’s greatest detective.”
St Arnaud
St. Arnaud is a town between Avoca and Donald and was once a central place for gold mining. Kyle Torney, a skilled muralist and oil painter, is a resident of St. Arnaud and has gained recognition in the street art community for his Renaissance-style artwork. His pieces showcase local stories with great attention to detail. Coincidently, St. Arnaud is the region’s starting point of the Silo Art Trail and is a great place to stay overnight before you start the Trail the following day.
Warrnambool
Impressive murals and street art collections can be found in the coastal town of Warrnambool. The CBD and laneways feature colourful artworks that reflect the town’s beauty and local themes.
Shepparton
Shepparton has approximately ten street art spots and its award-winning Moooving Art herd. The locals have named ‘Dana Djirrungana Dunguludja Yenbena-l’ to the Aboriginal Street Art Project, which translates to ‘Proud, Strong, Aboriginal People’ in the Yorta Yorta language. The project aims to honour the area’s Aboriginal heritage and traditions while connecting the newly constructed SAM (Shepparton Art Museum) with Shepparton CBD.
Yarram
The small township of Yarram is in southeast Gippsland, 221 kilometres east of Melbourne. It’s a two-and-a-half-hour drive down the Princes Highway car.
Yarram boasts impressive artwork by Heesco, a well-known artist from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Heesco relocated to Australia in 2010 and settled in Melbourne, where he has been busy painting walls across the country, including some silos in New South Wales. Yarram has ten outdoor murals and five indoor murals to enjoy. Yarram was also the Gold winner of the 2020 Street Art Awards.
While other states also have painted silos, Victoria has the most painted silos standing at 26, as of July 2023. Only Victoria has a drivable trail with only 50-60 km between each silo. And Victoria has three separate Trails at that! The Silo Arts Trail and the Northeast Silo Trail are in regional areas. These trails are a one-of-a-kind public art project in regional Victoria, Australia, that’s truly amazing.
Silos as a canvas
This unique project aims to turn rural landscapes into an open-air art gallery. Northam, Western Australia, was the first official silo artwork in 2015, created by Phlegm and HENSE. However, the Silo Trail concept was initially launched by the Yarriambiack Shire Council in 2016. Since then, talented artists from Australia and all over the globe have been invited to paint these silos with their artistic interpretations.
The painted silo artwork is by famous street artists such as Rone, Adnate, Dvate, Guido Van Helton, Kaff-eine and others, who use these towering silos as their canvases to create impressive artworks that celebrate the local communities, culture, and history.
The Silo Art Trail
The original Silo Art Trail in Northwest Victoria started in 2016 and stretches 350km across regional Victoria, where the silos are strategically located in small towns along the trail. The artwork celebrates the people and culture of the region and adds an artistic touch to the picturesque countryside. Towns that feature painted silos (in driving order) are:- St Arnaud, Rapanyup, Murtoa, Horsham, Sheep Hills, Brim, Lascelles, Walepeup, Sea Lake and Nullawil, with more being added all the time.
North East Silo Trail
The North East Victoria Silo Art Trail began in 2018 and spans 132km. It starts just outside Benalla and takes approximately two hours to complete. Talented artists, including Guido Van Helten, Sobrane, Cam Scale, Adnate, Dvate, and Tim Bowtell, a local artist from Benalla, created the silos along this trail. The first town, Goorambat, has four works of art, including the interior wall of the Uniting Church.
From there, it goes to Devenish, St James, Katatamite and Tungamah. The CFA Water tank at Winton Wetlands is a must-see on returning to Benalla. A North East Trail map is available for download.
Winton Wetlands
The Winton Wetlands Art in the Landscape project aims to improve the visitor experience and raise awareness about the ecological significance of the wetlands by incorporating art installations and sculptures throughout the area. Among these installations are the CFA water tanks. The tank depicts the faces of three CFA firefighters on its side. While in Winton, they are still part of the North East Silo Trail.
Guido Van Helton was commissioned in 2016, as part of the Wall to Wall Street Art Festival in Benalla, to paint the water tank in the heart of the Winton Wetlands.
Echuca-Moama Silo Trail
Echuca Moama and its surrounding regions house four silo and water tank art installations. The Echuca-Moama trail can be done in a full day, but can also be split it into two half-day drives. The total driving time, without any stops, is roughly between 3.5 to 4 hours.
From Echuca, it’s a short 25-minute drive to Rochester where there are two silos painted by Jimmy Dvate. While n Rochester check out Iddles Lane featuring murals painted by Tim Bowtell celebrating Ron Iddles one of the state’s most respected detectives
It takes approximately 25 minutes to drive from Rochester to Colbinabbin. In 2020, artist Tim Bowtell painted the silos in Colbinabbin, showcasing important moments from the town’s history. These moments include the town’s connection to agriculture, community, environment, and the construction of the railway.
The final destination is Picola, which is located 35 minutes away, again painted by Jimmy Dvate. The artwork showcases the culturally significant Barmah National Park and the various wildlife that inhabits it. After visiting Picola, it will take another 30 minutes to return to Echuca.
Woomeland Field Bins
Explore Woomelang’s unique Mini Silo Art Trail, which offers a creative twist on the well-known Big Silo Art Trail. This trail features eight Mini Silos (Field Bins) scattered throughout the town, providing a fun and exciting way to discover the area. The Mini Silos celebrates the endangered species of the Mallee region.
In June 2020, a group of seven artists, including Jimmy DVate, Andrew J Bourke, and Kaff-eine, converted mini silos into a popular tourist attraction for the town. The mini silos showcase endangered species that are native to the area.
The Silo Art Trail showcases the transformative power of art in enriching communities. This painted silos project has revitalised rural Australia by using ordinary grain silos as canvases for extraordinary murals, providing an unparalleled cultural experience for both locals and visitors. As you travel along the trail, you will witness breathtaking artwork and become part of the collective effort to preserve the essence of regional Australia.
The Silo Art Trail symbolises resilience, creativity, and the indomitable spirit of the Australian outback. So, pack your bags, hit the road, and let the vibrant stories told by the silos take you on an unforgettable adventure!
Winton Wetlands is an ‘ephemeral wetlands’, meaning the wet areas rise and fall, changing with the seasons, rainfall and climate. This regular cycle allows native species to breed and thrive in the different water levels. When we visited in late April, heavy rains had come through the week before, and some shallow water areas still prevailed. Usually, the wetlands would be dry at the end of summer, but good summer rains have seen water in the wetlands again.
History
Winton Wetlands Reserve covers 8,750 hectares in northeast Victoria between Benalla and Glenrowan. The area encompasses 33 ephemeral wetlands and hosts over 30 endangered or vulnerable flora and fauna.
In the early 1800s, squatters had moved stock into the wetlands for stock grazing. However, in the 1840s, squatters Alexander Cheyne and William Gibb registered Goomalibee Station and took up 98,000 acres. The Selection Acts of 1861 encouraged families to farm the land. As a result, Goomalibee Station was subdivided into smaller farms for cropping, livestock, viticulture and timber harvesting. The industrious farmers lobbied for a school to be built plus a post office, sports ground, church and hall. In 1903 a creamery was built to process the butterfat from local dairy farms. Goomalibee Butter was even exported to the UK. However, all that came to an end in 1970, when a 7.5km long dam was built to establish the Lake Mokaon storage reservoir.
Restoring the landscape
The lake was never a true ‘success’. Constant algal blooms and high evaporation rates meant it was a costly exercise to maintain the lake in a healthy condition. Consequently, a decision was made by the state government to drain and abandon the lake. Forty years after it was flooded, Lake Mokoan was decommissioned and drained in 2010. Work then commenced restoring the landscape. A Committee of Management is tasked with constructing infrastructure, developing tourism, and repairing the landscape.
Thus far, a visitor centre and cafe have opened. Interpretive information signs, four campgrounds, picnic areas, public toilets, 60km of roads and 30 km of trails and cycling paths have also been added. Artworks in the form of ‘art in the landscape’ are also a drawcard. It is estimated it will take 100 years to restore the wetlands to the same condition they were before the area was flooded with the creation of Lake Mokoan.
Art in the landscape
Across the Wetlands are several works of art by noted artists. The most well known and easily accessible works by Guido Van Helton (the CFA water tank) and Tim Bowtell (Fish Trees)
Bird Populations
Since 2013 the Birdlife Murray Goulburn group has undertaken quarterly bird surveys at the wetlands. Over time, there has been an increase in the bird species visiting the wetlands. In their last survey, they noted 168 species across 16 sites. The most abundant species were Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos and Grey Teals. However, Red-rumped Parrots, Galahs, Magpies, Tree Martins, Welcome Swallows, White Plumed Honeyeater, Pacific Black Duck and Superb Fairy Wren were also seen. We saw plenty of Cockatoos, Pacific Black Duck, Herons, and Magpies on our visit. And one black snake that we steered well clear of.
Wildlife
Eastern Long-necked Turtles and Murray River turtles have returned to the wetlands and use the shallow edges of the wetland swamps for laying eggs. They are seen almost daily over October each year as they travel between the swamps laying eggs. Growling Grass Frogs were last recorded in the wetlands in the 1970s. The Winton Wetlands trust is now working toward reintroducing the frogs back to the swamps and hopes to have a small population by the end of 2022.
River Red Gums
The flooding of the wetlands in the 1970s also caused the death of 1500 river redgum trees. Their skeletal trunks and branches still line roads within the wetlands today. Telegraph poles also dot the landscape. They were the only means of communication for the far-flung farms in the early days. It’s an eerie, silent and still landscape. With no sound save for the occasional screeching cockatoo, its not hard to imagine the isolation of the original farmers.