Constructed over just four months in 1942,
The Stick Shed is now a national heritage listed cultural icon. It covers approximately 16 thousand square metres within a 265m x 60m x 20m facility. Its massive iron roof, concrete floor and tall unmilled timber poles are truly breathtaking.
The shed was built to store excess grain during the wheat glut in Australia as World War II heavily reduced our export trade. Murtoa's railway site, adjacent to the main Melbourne-Adelaide line, became the obvious choice for this first emergency bulk wheat storage shed in Victoria. The township was also located within a major wheat cropping area.
Grain delivered by train from wheat fields were dumped into a pit under the railway and distributed through the shed via a large elevator and a high overhead conveyor. Another horizontal ground-level conveyor then took wheat back to the elevator for subsequent transportation to the Victorian ports. This filling and emptying system was driven by an external steam engine. A huge hopper was also added a couple of years later.
As the only remaining shed of its kind in the country, The Stick Shed can be explored for yourself any day of the week. Opening hours are rather short though, only between 10am and 2pm, so you'll really need to plan your trip well. Admission is $10 per adult and $9 for concession, with children and family tickets available too.
The shed is located at 1465 Wimmera Highway in Murtoa, approximately 3.5 hours' drive from Melbourne. It lies along the route of the state's
silo art trail.
