I met a girl in the country

I take every opportunity to head out into the countryside because it's where I feel comfortable, relaxed and more myself; a by-product of having been born in a small rural town in Australia and the fact I prefer less people around me...and fresh air.

Last weekend I was headed to a place called Port Broughton, a coastal town in South Australia's mid-north, but I got distracted...by a pretty girl...and stopped in Bute, a tiny map-dot town, where nothing much happens and few people go.

Bute is a typical example of a small Australian rural town. Founded in 1884 and based around crop farming it' shad a long history but today only has a population of around two hundred people. In planting or reaping season it comes alive but last weekend it was fast asleep when I arrived; meaning there was no one to be seen.

Wheat-farming towns always have grain silos and over the years they've suffered the indignation of being scrawled upon with graffiti which is ugly but, more and more these days, the local districts are moving towards beautifying their silos with artworks in a bid to attract visitors. I've posted about others I've visited before and thought I'd add Bute's silo art to the list.

This is one of the best I've seen although, to be honest, they're all bloody marvellous.

I love silo art, I think because they exist in such remote locations and are so juxtaposed when observed in their rural settings...the art work against the backdrop of hard working towns that were built on the toil, sweat and determination of everyday Australians.

This one has old abandoned rail tracks running past, a couple sheds and the second (un-painted) silo for company and almost seems out of place in such a barren location; but at the same time is right where it is supposed to be. I don't know, maybe you need to be an Australian to get what I'm saying...It just has a sense of belonging. The images in the mural depict scenery from around the area: Local flora (in the girl's basket and on the ground), rolling brown hills and a depiction of the old railway station and track itself, so it's sort of a celebration of the region.

It rises like a triumph from the very earth that, through farming, helped this town spring to life through the efforts of the very first settlers and I think adds so much interest to what would normally be a simple white-painted grain silo.

Walking around the base of this silo art, the sheer size of it looming overhead, left me feeling a great deal of respect for those that created it and those it pays homage to, the people who forged a life in these almost desolate places.

The detail up close is spectacular and it's pretty incredible all round I think, considering the scope of the project. In the image above I've added an arrow pointing to a person standing at the very base of the silo for perspective...that gives you an idea of the size of this mural.

If you're interested, you can watch a fast-motion video of the silo art being created on this YouTube link. It's cool and is worth a look.

Small towns like this one are dying. The younger generations, lured by a more exciting life in urban environments, are moving away from the land and so generations of farming heritage are coming to a close which is sad.

The farms, massive tracts of land and the equipment that goes with it, are either bought by Australian conglomerates or the Chinese, (the latter fucken annoys me), and the towns are fast-becoming unviable as there's fewer and fewer people left to spend money and sustain them. Silo art like this one is something local councils can do to bring people there and at least some of the townsfolk can benefit through operating service stations, antique shops, cafes and the like. It's sad though, seeing once-thriving places become ghost towns.

I'm glad I met this girl in the country and am happy that, through buying a cake and coffee at the local shop, I could help the town out just a little. Thanks for taking a look at my post and if you have any questions or comments please let me know below.