Come for the Silos, Stay for a Lockyer Valley Road Trip

Street artist Matt Adnate's Indigenous youth mural in Toowoomba

Discover Forest Hill and Queensland Country’s Growing Art Trail

A giant new silo mural is giving travellers another reason to take a road trip through Queensland Country, but the artwork is only the beginning.

Forest Hill, a boutique country township tucked between Gatton and Laidley in the Lockyer Valley, is set to become a new stop on the region’s growing murals trail. Once the four grain silos and viewing precinct are complete, visitors can admire the large-scale artwork before wandering through the village, discovering restored buildings, local shops and country cafés.

The Forest Hill silos are part of a wider Queensland Country journey where public art, farming heritage, local produce and country hospitality come together.

Forest Hill: Slow Down and Explore

Forest Hill rewards travellers who take their time. Café 4342 occupies the town’s historic post office, while Caffé Sorella operates from a former grocery store, providing visitors with places to stop for coffee and food while exploring the village.

The Lockyer Valley Murals Trail provides another reason to extend the journey. Travellers can continue through Gatton and Laidley, discovering murals inspired by local people, wildlife, agriculture and the region’s country lifestyle.

Farm gates and roadside stalls also provide opportunities to purchase fresh local produce, while Gatton’s Tins & Trays showcases regional ingredients through breakfast and lunch.

For history enthusiasts, Laidley Pioneer Village and Museum offers a glimpse into the valley’s past. Visitors wanting to turn their road trip into an overnight getaway can consider Valhalla Glamping on a working cattle property and flower farm or Branell Homestead near Laidley, which offers country cabin accommodation and farm tours.

Follow Queensland Country’s Giant Artworks

Lockyer Valley

Forest Hill’s new mural joins an impressive collection of large-scale public artworks across Queensland Country.

In Toowoomba, Mununjali artist Kim Walmsley’s We Remember, Never to Forget transforms a former GrainCorp silo on Anzac Avenue into a striking artwork exploring remembrance, cultural heritage and connection to Country. Visitors can combine the silo with a walk through Toowoomba’s laneways, where murals, cafés and historic buildings create an urban art trail.

Further west, Yelarbon’s GrainCorp silos feature When the Rain Comes, a sweeping artwork across eight silos depicting a young boy setting paper boats afloat in the local lagoon. The dedicated viewing area makes the artwork an easy stop on a regional road trip.

Millmerran offers another interpretation of large-scale country art with its painted water tank, created by Toowoomba artist Jon Signs and inspired by the town’s water supply history.

Somerset Adds More Art and Country Stories

Travellers wanting to extend their Queensland Country art adventure can head towards Somerset, where the Somerset Murals Trail connects towns including Lowood, Coominya, Esk and Toogoolawah.

The Condensery, Somerset’s regional art gallery in a former Nestlé condensed milk packing shed, adds contemporary art and local history to the journey.

Plan Your Lockyer Valley Road Trip

Millmerran Water Tank Art by Jon Signs

The Lockyer Valley is west of Brisbane between Ipswich and Toowoomba, with Forest Hill about an hour’s drive from Brisbane. Travellers flying from Sydney can also fly to Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport and hire a car for exploring the region.

The new Forest Hill Silos Precinct and Mural Art Project includes parking for cars, RVs and buses, footpaths, landscaping, seating and shade. The project received $1.85 million in combined Australian and Queensland Government funding through the South East Queensland Liveability Fund.

Travellers should check construction progress, weather conditions and individual business opening hours before setting out.

Queensland Country Tourism

Website: https://www.queenslandcountrytourism.com.au/

Lockyer Valley Regional Council

Website: https://www.lockyervalley.qld.gov.au/
Phone: 1300 005 872
Address: 26 Railway Street, Gatton, Queensland, Australia

Forest Hill Silos Mural Project

Website: https://lockyer-valley.engagementhub.com.au/forest-hill-silos-mural-project

The Condensery

Website: https://www.thecondensery.com.au/

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