We've bent our own rules a bit here at Hughenden, but when you come across public art this charming, you make exceptions. Technically, this isn't a silo – it's a water tank – but it's earned its place in our collection simply for being magnificent.
Hughenden sits in the Flinders Shire, about 370 kilometres west of Townsville, and if you know anything about this part of Queensland, you'll know it's dinosaur country. The town proudly claims the title of Dinosaur Capital of Australia, and fair enough too – they've found some significant fossils out this way, including the Muttaburrasaurus, one of Australia's most complete dinosaur skeletons.
The water tank mural captures that unique intersection of outback childhood and ancient history that makes Hughenden special. There's a young boy in a classic checked shirt and Akubra – could be any station kid from the last century – playing with toy dinosaurs. The detail is lovely: you can see a Flynns Best bottle (a cordial brand that's been part of Queensland life forever), and the whole scene is dated 1863, connecting the pastoral settlement era with the much deeper prehistoric past beneath everyone's feet.
Lisa spent ages photographing it from different angles, trying to capture how the artwork wraps around the tank's curve. The artist has done a beautiful job of making the most of that challenging cylindrical surface.
The mural was painted by Drapl and Boy Noon as part of a broader effort to bring public art to regional Queensland towns. It's part of the same movement that's seen silos transformed across the country, giving travellers like us another reason to stop, stretch our legs, and appreciate these communities.
Hughenden itself is a proper little outback town – wide streets, historic pubs, and that quintessentially Queensland mix of cattle country practicality and tourist-friendly charm. The Flinders Discovery Centre here is worth a visit if you're interested in the dinosaur story, and there's good parking near the water tank for those of us pulling vans.
So yes, it's a water tank rather than a silo, but when the art's this good and the story it tells is this quintessentially Australian, we're happy to stretch the definition a bit.
