Devenish Silo

In December 1943 these concrete silos were opened to receive grain. Few farmers owned trucks so much of the delivery was still by horse drawn wagons loaded with bagged grain. Fundamental changes to farming technologies such as high capacity headers and on-farm storage led to the closure of the silos in 2007. The silo art project is breathing a new chapter for this iconic piece of Devenish history. The artwork is a visual tribute to the 50 young men and women from the Devenish community who enlisted in military service in the First World War. The artist has acknowledged the historical WW1 nurse juxtaposed with the current role of women in the forces, in this case a combat medic. The concrete silos were completed first, and the steel silo depicting the Light Horse Mural was completed later in 2019. In the Middle East, the Light Horse played a vital role. Many young country men took their own horses. 180,000 horses were shipped overseas in WW1 – a significant number from the Benalla district. Light Horse men, as mounted infantry, fought dismounted when in action. Each regiment lived and fought as a 4-man section. In action, three would dismount and fight and the fourth led the horses to cover until needed. The artist, Cam Scale, started his career as an artist in early 2000, and is renowned as a fine artist and mural painter. He works primarily with aerosol, oil and acrylic paint, specializing in large scale figures and portraits. He has exhibited works in galleries across Australia and internationally. (Information provided on the story boards at the silo site).