Murtoa’s iconic heritage-listed Stick Shed will receive more than $1.2 million in urgent conservation works, the Premier John Brumby announced today.
Spanning the length of five Olympic swimming pools, the Stick Shed was an ingenious solution to the World War II wheat glut and is the only one of its kind still standing in Australia.
Mr Brumby said the $1.2 million package would stabilise the threatened building, allowing the State Government to more vigorously pursue a future use for the Murtoa Stick Shed.
Works are expected to start early next year and will include repairing the collapsed sections of the shed, securing the roof and removing all vermin, so that the building is safe and secure for at least the next 20 years.
“This conservation program is the first step in securing the future of this incredible building, which is one of Victoria’s most important and most threatened heritage places,” Mr Brumby said.
“It has been aptly described as a ‘rustic cathedral rising from the Wimmera plains’ and stands testament to the region’s longstanding contribution to Australian agriculture.
“Now is the right time to resolve this issue and commit to these repair works, as the project will stimulate the local economy, creating local trades jobs at a time when ongoing drought is impacting the region.
"The project will stimulate the local economy, creating local trades jobs at a time when ongoing drought is impacting the region."
“With the support of the Heritage Council of Victoria, the Victorian Government is keen to ensure the Stick Shed is saved and valued as a unique heritage icon.”
Once the building is stabilised, the State Government agency Heritage Victoria will work with the community to develop a future use. An ongoing maintenance program will also be required.
Planning Minister Justin Madden said the shed’s condition had hampered negotiations about its future, with vermin and stability issues making it off-limits to the public.
“The lack of an obvious ongoing use for the shed is a challenge but making it safe and accessible will help tackle the problem,” Mr Madden explained.
“In terms of heritage, the shed is considered so significant that it is worth every effort, and I know Heritage Victoria would welcome the support of the community in its search for a future use.”
Also known as the Murtoa Grain Store, the massive shed was built in 1941, in response to a worldwide wheat glut during World War II. The loose grain was poured straight into the shed from a conveyor system in the roof, avoiding the laborious wheat bagging process
Three of the sheds were built in Victoria, as well as one in Geraldton (Western Australia) and another in Parkes (NSW), but this is the only one of its kind still standing.
Constructed from local timber and corrugated iron, the Stick Shed gets its name from the hundreds of unmilled poles which stand in rows propping the vast roof. The interior of the shed has been described as like a forest and the nave of a cathedral.