Forest Hill Silos Mural Project

Council is yet to select an artist to complete the mural, however the Expression of Interest (EOI) process for artists is expected to get underway shortly. Council will advertise through a range of channels to get the best reach to suitable artists and will shortlist artists based on their response to an Artist’s Brief. Council is not taking EOIs at this time.

A final artwork design is yet to be confirmed, however key themes for the artwork were clearly identified in the first phase of community consultation in 2021 and will provide a strong guide for potential artists in responding to the Artist’s Brief. The two primary themes identified through consultation were “Historic theme from Forest Hill” and “Abstract”.

Funding will be sought from a range of sources including government, arts, tourism, corporate sponsorship and the community. Council is currently seeking community feedback on the Viewing Precinct design which will be used to determine project costs. Implementation of the design will be subject to securing the project funds, and a staged approach to construction may be adopted.

Council will seek community feedback on the proposed Viewing Precinct from Tuesday 17 April to Wednesday 10 May 2023. The overall project will be long-term and undertaken in stages, subject to funding.

Council would like to see the mural completed by December 2024. GrainCorp requires a dedicated viewing area as part of the mural installation process.

Council is currently seeking community input on the proposed Viewing Precinct design before it is finalised, and final project costs are determined. Council will tender for a suitable contractor to undertake each phase of the works once funding is secured.

Stage 1 of the park will accommodate 7 RV parking bays, and Stage 2 will accommodate 22 RV parking bays.

The proposed RV Park will have disability access, toilets, shaded picnic tables and a barbeque. A shower is not currently included in the RV Park design as it is intended for self-contained short-stay visitors. There may be a business opportunity for nearby venues to provide showers for tourists and maximise local economic benefits.

Council is seeking feedback on the proposed design of the Viewing Precinct, which includes a carpark, viewing area and RV park. Consultation on the overall mural project and artwork themes was completed in July 2021.

Council is committed to the overall project and has obtained specialist guidance on a design intended to maximise benefits. Likewise, Council is genuinely seeking community feedback before finalising the Viewing Precinct design to help clarify concerns and opportunities we may have missed.

Consultation on the overall mural project and artwork themes was completed in July 2021 and focused on perceived benefits of the project and key themes for the artwork design.

The feedback gathered demonstrated genuine community interest and strong support for the project. The community’s feedback on mural designs will be provided to potential artists in the Artist Brief.

The site is subject to low-level, low-velocity flood waters at times and has been designed to avoid damage and allow easy site clean-up.

There are still significant unknown factors regarding the Inland Rail project and Council is proceeding with the Silos Mural project. Should Inland Rail disrupt the viewing of the murals, or other parts of the project, the Inland Rail project will be required to mitigate that disruption.  

Viewing silo art is considered a passive recreation/tourism activity and it is therefore not anticipated there would be an elevated noise nuisance, particularly given the Viewing Precinct is located in a recreation reserve, not an immediate residential area.

The potential for congestion and accidents will be mitigated through one-way traffic flow in the Viewing Precinct, along with generous allowances for vehicle, caravan and coach parking and set-down areas.

The addition of large scale silo murals could provide a new and additional location for local festivals which can provide local celebrations, fundraising opportunities for community groups and schools, and an increased market for local businesses. 

Existing signature events such as Forest Hill Christmas Festivities could potentially expand onto the site or highlight the murals for the event using targeted lighting. 

The Forest Hill community is proud of its heritage, resilience and friendly community. This project can provide a significant opportunity to showcase those factors through a large scale artwork that would become well known throughout South East Queensland and beyond. 

Silo art is now a notable tourist attraction phenomenon with many people travel considerable distances to see these awe-inspiring artworks.

This proposed project would result in being the closest silo art to Brisbane and South East Queensland which currently boasts a population of 3.6 million people and is expected to grow to 5 million in the next 10 years. 

The tourism potential and benefits of this project would be considerable for the community and includes opportunities for cafes and hotels, boutique shops, accommodation services, farm-gate stalls, farm tours and more. 

Forest Hill town is a vibrant village, rich in history, with an unspoilt boutique feel which is reflected in quality eateries, gift shops and tastefully renovated buildings. 

Forest Hill attracts visitors from across the region and south east Queensland.  Being located approximately 85 km from Brisbane city and 50 km from Toowoomba it is ideally located to attract day trippers and those wanting to enjoy country hospitality.  

The Ugarapul people were the original inhabitants of the Lockyer Valley, as well as Ipswich to the east and Fassifern to the south. The terms Yuggera, Ugarapul, Yuggarapul, and Yuggarabul are generally considered synonymous. 

Unfortunately, records of indigenous life in the Forest Hill area are limited. 

Forest Hill was founded in the mid-1800s. Originally part of a rural ‘run’ the area around Forest Hill was subdivided into smaller farms in the 1800s.  These farms focused on the production of lucerne, timber, grain, dairy, & vegetables. 

By the 1900s, Forest Hill was thriving and growing more produce than the older Laidley and Gatton Settlements. Forest Hill was Australia’s largest railway produce distribution centre in the early 1900s due to close proximity of the railway to the farms which enabled produce to be distributed across Queensland.

The town quickly grew to accommodate the growing population and was serviced by a school, hotels, banks, doctor’s surgery, telephone exchange, grocery shops, and produce merchants.

The silos were constructed in two separate projects in 1975 and 1979 respectfully, to meet the demand for grain storage.  These are the closest grain silos to Brisbane.