Silo Art Trail HOPETOUN

We headed north to Hopetoun where we had booked to stay 2 nights ins read of moving each day.
 From there we planned to visit the Lascelles Silo and the one at Patchewollock.
Again it and been hard to find accommodation as the motels in Patchewollock had closed and also another in Hopetoun (Booking.com kept sending me to Hopetoun in WA.)
But I had booked into the Hopetoun Community Hotel that had 'renovated rooms' so we were hopeful.
The town was of moderate size and we had no trouble finding the hotel that looked rather basic. The hotel Lounge was quite with a group pf mums having what looks like a mothers group meeting. But our room was ready and we went round the back of the hotel into a nice comfortable room.
It was later we registered there was no hairdryer and no shampoo etc just soap, and while there was stable and chairs outside looking to the dirt car park there were no chairs in the room But we were comfy on the beds.

the bar where we booked in 

The great Breakfast pack

They provided for $10 a good breakfast pack so we were set.

the dining room when we went for dinner !

Lascelles (never heard of this spot) was established as a station on the Mildura railway line and was named after Edward Lascelles , owner of the Minapre grazing property in the area and a partner of wool-brokers Dennys-Lascelles. Lascelles Post Office opened in 1903 when the railway arrived. and with its neighbouring township Woomelang , even had a joint football team   competing in themallee Football league until the league folded in 2015.

We often had discussions about mice plagues! Rupanyup was overun in 2015,  but in 1917, after an abnormally warm winter, the mouse population of Lascelles was so large that mice filled every square inch of ground. More than 1,500 tons of mice - it is estimated that there were over a hundred million - were slain before the outbreak was finally tamed.

We headed off to see the Lascelles Silo first and then planned to see  Lake Tryell that night as it was forecast rain and wind the next day. 
The artist of Lascelles was Rone (Tyrone ) who depicted local farming couple Geoff and Merrilyn Horman, part of a family that has lived and farmed in the area for four generations.

the portraits were on opposite sides on the silos so not able to see both at once.

Rone says that he wanted the mural to portray his subjects as wise and knowing, nurturing the town’s future with their vast farming experience and longstanding connection to the area. 
Rone is well known for his portraits of women in monochromatic tones. (some in Benalla on my Facebook posts)