Can you imagine how this 256 metre long shed got it’s name?

Well, it’s made of ‘sticks’! About 560 of them, all unmilled timber poles.

I’m in the town of Murtoa in Victoria and this landmark has been here since 1941, when it was built to stockpile grain as overseas markets closed off due to the Second World War. That’s also the reason it is made of ‘sticks’ as iron and steel were in short supply and high demand at that time. It was operational until 1989.

Since making it onto the National Heritage List at number 101 there has been funding available to repair and restore the ‘sticks’ where necessary so that the Murtoa Stick Shed remains a Cultural Icon and is available for us to gaze at in awe – and it is awe inspiring!

The grain elevator fed grain onto a conveyor belt that goes the length of the shed so it could be evenly filled. The whole concept behind the shed was cutting-edge at the time it was built. Mass storage of grain, 92,500 tonnes in this shed, met with some resistance as it replaced bags of grain and became a new way of doing things.

You can find out more about the Stick Shed at http://www.thestickshed.com.au.

Better still, take a trip to Murtoa and discover all about first hand. It’s fascinating!