A declining population is an increasingly common story for rural communities around Australia, as families and young people leave to live in bigger towns, or the city.
That’s the case with the Victorian farming community of Brim, located 359 km (223 miles) north-west of Melbourne, which has a population of about 261, according to the 2011 census.
Heavy drought conditions and new farming technologies have made it difficult for people to stay put in the community; which once had a butcher, baker, a railway and a school. Even the football club fizzled out due to a lack of numbers, according to a local.
That’s starting to change after Guido van Helten, a Brisbane artist, arrived in January with an unconventional project for Brim. He wanted to paint six decommissioned grain silos in the town, which stand an impressive 30 metres (98 feet) tall.
After spending time with the locals, van Helten’s artwork of four farmers paid tribute to the different generations who continue to struggle and persist on the land, highlighting the town’s enduring community spirit.
Just like that, the town received national and international attention, with visitors dropping by the silos and enquiring about the people on the work and their stories.
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Posted by Andrew Carr on Thursday, 7 January 2016
It’s turned the fortunes of Rod and Carmel Holland, who bought the town’s only hotel in October 2013 after it struggled to find a buyer, happy to exist with the support of local residents. Since the work was completed, the interest hasn’t died down in the town, Rod Holland told ABC News.
“The silos with the painting has really made a lot of difference, especially during the holidays and we’re hoping Easter, in those four or five days, it’ll bump again,” Rod Holland told the publication, who said not only Brim has experienced a surge in visitors, but neighbouring towns too.
Winter will prove to be a test according to the Hollands, but for now, business is good in a once sleepy town.
[h/t ABC News]
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