Coonalpyn Silo Mural

The Coonalpyn Silo Mural is an eye-catching piece of public art that towers high above the road in the small country town of Coonalpyn. The mural sits on the side of the busy Duke’s Highway, the main motor route which connects the Australian cities of Melbourne and Adelaide. The mural was designed and painted by Australian artist Guido van Helten, a figure who has built a reputation for transforming industrial spaces into popular photorealistic murals. 

Van Helten began his transformation of the grain silos in February 2017. Six weeks later, the work was officially unveiled to the public. In an attempt to capture the local community spirit and identity, he chose to depict five children from the local Coonalpyn Primary School. The mural attracted coverage from media both locally and internationally and has given the town an economic boost as now many visitors will stop in Coonalpyn to gaze up at the impressive structure. Interestingly, the silos are still fully functional for agricultural purposes.

The Coonalpyn Silo Mural is just one part of the Australian Silo Art Trail, a collection of painted silos and water towers found across Australia. It was the first to be painted in the state of South Australia.