Rochester

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Rochester Silo Art, Australian Silo Art Trail
Photo by: Annette Green

GrainCorp Silos at Rochester - Victoria

Artist: Jimmy Dvate

Location: 18 Ramsay Street, Rochester, Victoria

Proudly owned by: GrainCorp

Video by: Aichaye


Photos below of Rochester's 3rd Silo curtesy of GrainCorp

Rochester is a small country town in Victoria approximately 180 km north of Melbourne. The Campaspe River runs right through the town which forms part of the Murray-Darling basin. It  rises in the wooded hilly terrain of the Great Dividing Range and then descends through undulating foothills, emerging onto the wide, flat riverine plains of northern Victoria.


The waters of the Campaspe River have been disrupted. Environmental flows are important to maintain threatened vegetation communities, aquatic life and habitat for many terrestrial species, such as the threatened swift parrot and squirrel gilder. The ongoing effect of declining river flows causes loss of habitat for many species of flora and fauna resulting in a decline of population for many forms of wildlife.


Jimmy Dvate, one of Australia's most well known mural artists was chosen to paint the GrainCorp Silos at Rochester.  When ever Jimmy takes on a commission, where possible he will always tries to feature local endemically threatened species and in this case he chose the Azure King Fisher and the Squirrel Glider.


On the tall silo is a wrist-winged Squirrel Glider. He has a home range extending from Bordertown near the South Australian/Victorian border through south eastern Australia to northern Queensland.  This species was once thought to be extinct in South Australia since 1939 until a genetic test confirmed their continued inhabitance in the area. 


On the shorter silo is the Azure Kingfisher with its combination of royal blue plumage on its upperparts contrasting with its orange underparts, makes it one of the smallest and most dazzling kingfishers in Australia. It inhabits the vegetation beside waterways and other wetlands.  It is pictured perched on a branch alongside the Campaspe River.


The GrainCorp Silos at Rochester were painted in July 2018 and were the 22nd silos to be included in the Australian Silo Art Trail.



Jimmy D'Vate has once again brought life to another GrainCorp Silo in Rochester, by completing this third instalment in December 2021.


 Jimmy has chosen to showcase an endemically threatened species showcasing the large Duck-Billed Platypus. The Duck-Billed Platypus is often just referred to as the platypus since it is the only living platypus species today in Australia.


Located in certain parts of Australia only, platypus numbers are drastically low and this unique creature is now at risk of extinction. The platypus is one of Australia’s strangest and most iconic animals — with a rubbery duck bill, webbed feet, fur, pectoral girdles and splayed legs resembling the skeleton of a reptiles.  They have waterproof fur, skin that covers their ears and eyes, and noses that seal shut to protect the them while they are underwater. Though platypuses are made for the water, they can't stay completely submerged.


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