On the Trail of The Stick Shed

carolekelly
Apr 20, 2022
1 min read

If my last post on the Art Silo Trails across the nation fuelled your curiosity, then here is yet another of rural Victoria’s quirky attractions.

The Stick Shed was built in 1941/42 to store grain for the local area. It was the first and is the only remaining emergency grain store built during WWII.

Adjacent to the main railway station in the proud wheat belt town of Murtoa, it was built for the protection of bulk wheat during the years that Australia’s trades and export were adversely affected by the war.

Its existence transformed grain haulage in this country. Built over four months and filled to capacity within six months of completion, it is part of history and stands as a legacy to perseverance and determination.

However, this is no ordinary shed!

It measures 265m in length, 60m in width and is almost 20m high at its apex. Covering 16,000m2 under roof, it held 3.5 million bushels (92,500tonnes) of grain.

As steel was in short supply, it was built from unseasoned timber and contains 56 rows x 10 poles of un-milled mountain ash.

The roof is made of iron and the walls slope outwards.

Galvanised hoop-iron was used in the structural joints to offset the warping and shrinkage of the unseasoned hardwood, thus allowing for movement during high winds and usage stress, therefore preventing collapse. It is this feature that has allowed it to remain standing for 80 years.