An Albion man has called on developers to let local artists turn old silos at Albion and Sunshine into artistic “billboards” that promote Brimbank’s history.
Paul Sargeant was inspired last month by the recent work of a Brisbane artist who painted murals on defunct silos in Brim, a town in Victoria’s Wimmera region.
“With Sunshine’s rich history, proximity to the city and government investments, the time is now for such a project,” Mr Sargeant said.
“It would boost the local economy by drawing in people from across Melbourne and improve Sunshine’s image. They [the silos] would retain their practicality but would now become a piece of art, a billboard for promoting and celebrating the local area and a drawcard for visitors.”
A Brimbank council spokesman said the grain silos at Wright Street were privately owned and did not have heritage protection.
“Council supports public art on public property and has a public art program in place, examples of which can be best seen in Derrimut, Sunshine and St Albans,” he said.
“The council has not received any correspondence or proposals in relation to the installation of art at these sites. These [proposals] would need to be considered in the context of relevant council policies and budgetary processes.”
The Darling Flour Mill at Albion is subject to a heritage overlay with Heritage Victoria, and plans are currently in play to transform the site into a “transport-oriented development” featuring residential, retail and hotel uses.
Consultants for the developers of the Darling Flour Mill site did not respond to a request for comments. A Heritage Victoria spokeswoman said any application for works on the Albion silos, including artwork, would be assessed on its affect on the site’s cultural heritage significance.
