If you’ve ever pulled up to a silo mural, grabbed a quick photo and hit the road again… Rainbow has just changed the game…
Right in the heart of town at 11 Bow Street, the Llew Schilling Silo Tourism Development Initiative turns a classic silo art stop into a full experience, complete with a huge exterior mural, immersive internal artworks, and a purpose-built tower and viewing platforms so you can actually step inside and see it from multiple angles.
What makes Rainbow different?
This project, which commenced in 2025, was awarded to James Voller (Creative Director of Collide Public Art Initiative) after a national expression-of-interest process that attracted submissions from across Australia.
The big point of difference is what’s inside: Rainbow’s build includes an internal art activation within one of the silo bins — described as a first for the popular silo art genre.
The artists behind the project
Interior / Creative lead:
Inside the silo, Collide Public Art (lead artist James Voller) delivers the internal artwork and lighting concept, inspired by flowers from Llew Schilling’s garden, suspended in the immense silo space.
Exterior mural:
The external artwork is by Geoffrey Carran, a long-term Collide collaborator and one of Australia’s leading mural artists.
The mural is inspired by local elements including a Euphorbia trigona cactus (from Llew’s garden) and the Mallee Emu-wren, a species native to the region.
How you experience it: platforms + tower + views
To make the internal artwork viewable, the development includes two viewing platforms inside the silo bins — at roughly 5m and 20m — connected to a 25m tower and viewing platform built beside the silo.
The tower is designed with accessibility in mind: stairs wrap around an elevator, so more visitors can reach the viewpoints and take in the big-sky Mallee panorama.
At the top end, council info notes the experience reaches 28 metres, where you step out to expansive views across Rainbow and the southern Wimmera Mallee — before heading into the upper internal viewing point.
Inside the silo: an immersive “lightbox” effect
Inside the western silo bin, the artwork uses images printed on suspended Digiglass panels. When illuminated, they transform the interior into a striking, immersive space — something you don’t normally associate with grain silos at all.
Who’s behind it (and why it matters)
Projects like this don’t happen without a lot of local backing. The development has been driven through Hindmarsh Shire Council in partnership with the community and supporters, and it has been backed through funding including the Victorian Government’s Tourism Infrastructure Program (Flagship Projects) alongside council.
Council’s updates also highlight Llew Schilling’s role in enabling the project, describing it as a long-held dream coming to life for the benefit of Rainbow.
Visitor info: location, hours, and access
Location: 11 Bow Street, Rainbow
Opening hours (tower/internal):
- 7:00am–7:00pm (April–September)
- 6:00am–9:00pm (October–March)
Good to know:
- The tower/internal access is controlled by an automatic gate and is free, but you’ll need an access code (available via an online form or recorded message).
- The exterior artwork can be viewed anytime from the carpark without a code.
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