Katamatite silo mural looks amazing

By Gabriel Garcia

Jul 17, 2023

It’s official.

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The weather may have been dreary and wet in the last few weeks but Tim Bowtell has finished the Katamatite Silo Mural.

The mural, which Mr Bowtell has painstakingly painted, came into being after a partnership between Moira Shire Council, GrainCorp Limited and The Katamatite Silo Art Working Group.

It depicts life in the region from the earliest days.

Talking to the Courier, Mr Bowtell said he was relieved and pleased with the end product

“It went really well, all things considered with the weather,” Mr Bowtell said.

“It feels really good at the moment...but it won't feel really really good until I've left the job and I think about it and I come back and when I see it again after having a break from it I’ll realise what I've achieved.”

Besides battling bad weather which delayed completion Mr Bowtell said the hardest part of painting the mural was the indigenous flora and fauna.

“I thought (the hardest part) was going to be the train. I’ve painted lots of trains and they're always difficult so I got that out of the way early thinking that was the hard bit but it turned out the indigenous landscape took longer than I thought,” he said.

Historic The mural showcases themes from the region’s past. Photo by Gabriel Garcia

Moira Shire Council’s acting chief executive Joshua Lewis said in a statement that he hoped the mural will bring visitors to the region.

First Nations: The mural depicts images of Indigenous life. Photo by Gabriel Garcia

“After six years of fundraising and planning, our team has continued to move forward, tackling each hurdle presented. Now Katamatite is set to benefit from the Silo Art, with visitors travelling from all over Australia ticking each silo off their bucket lists,” he said.

Detailed: The Mural celebrates the industry which has driven Moira Shire’s economy. Photo by Gabriel Garcia

The visitors that Mr Lewis was referring to have already arrived.

While taking these photos the Courier met Queenslander Warren Pendlebury who was visiting on a trip along the local Silo Art Trail.

For him, the Katamatite silo mural was one of the best he had seen in Australia and he especially enjoyed the side by side depiction of pre-colonial times and the life of early settlers.

“The detail in such a large mural is just amazing,” he said.

As for what he plans to do now the Katamatite silo mural is completed, Mr Bowtell said he has a job lined up in the west of Victoria, painting a water tower.