Grain storage structures in Western Australia

Grain storage structures – also known as bins or wheat bins in local popular usage – are grain silos spread around Western Australia, primarily in the wheatbelt region, at grain receival locations.[lower-alpha 1]

Jitarning grain receival point, 2014
Jitarning grain receival point, 2014

Historically they have been linked with the Wheatbelt railway lines of Western Australia, and the transport of grain to the ports of Western Australia[lower-alpha 2] for export by the CBH Group.

Structure types
Cunderdin grain receival point, 2015
Cunderdin grain receival point, 2015
Wickepin grain receival point, 2014
Wickepin grain receival point, 2014

In 2003, CBH published a document "Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd's grain storage system in Western Australia".[1]

Historically there were major structures found at Midland/Bellevue,[2] it was a rail based storage while at Fremantle and Bunbury[3] there were grain storage silos that were part of the port loading facilities.[lower-alpha 3]

The identification of the types of installations was made as follows:

  • Horizontal 'H' type (1933+) circular wall
  • Horizontal 'A' type (1960–1983) (85 in 2003)
  • Horizontal 'B' type (1962–1982) (31 in 2003)[lower-alpha 4]
  • Horizontal 'C' type (1966–1967) (5 in 2003)
  • Horizontal 'D' type (1967–1982) (48 in 2003)
  • Horizontal 'E' type (1969–1971) (20 in 2003)
  • Horizontal 'F' type (1990) ( 1 in 2003)
  • Horizontal 'G' type (1978–1982) (36 in 2003)
  • Silo 'K' type (1980–1981) (26 in 2003)
  • Silo 'L' type (1982) (19 in 2003)
  • Circular 'M' type (1973–1994) (11 in 2003)
  • Open Bulk Head 'O' type (1975–2003) (number unknown)
  • Roofed Bulk Head 'P' type (1986–1989) (3 in 2003)
  • Horizontal 'Q' type (1995–2000) (12 in 2003)
  • Silo 'S' type (2000–2003) (number unknown)
  • Circular 'X' type
  • Bulkwest CS2000 Series (102 in 2003)
  • Circular Domes (1994) (4 in 2003)

Table
Name of designConstructedDesignCapacity in tonnesNumber in operation 2003
Horizontal 'A' Type1960–1983Horizontal storage10,900 to 34,00085
Horizontal 'B' Type1962–1982Horizontal storage8,200 to 21,80031

Metro Grain Centre

The Perth based Metro Grain Centre is located on Abernethy Road in Forrestfield. It is connected by road and rail with the port in Fremantle, for container shipping, and Kwinana port for bulk handling of grain. It opened in March 1998 and can store 200,000 tonnes of grain.[4][5]

Port silos

Bunbury

Grain silos built at Bunbury in 1937, were decommissioned in the 1980s, and have been re-styled as accommodation since 1994.[6][7][8]

Fremantle

Built on the North Quay in 1948, the Fremantle grain silos were demolished in 2000 after a heritage application was rejected by the Minister for Planning.[9]

Notes
  1. CBH is an acronym for Co-operative Bulk Handling; the business has shortened usage to CBH.
  2. The ports of Western Australia that have grain loading facilities are: Geraldton, Kwinana, Bunbury and Esperance – historically the port of Fremantle was a grain loading port.
  3. Named structures no longer in use, demolished, or re-used.
  4. In 1973, 'B' Types were in York, Beverley and Pingelly.

References
  1. Co-operative Bulk Handling Limited (2003), Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd's grain storage system in Western Australia, Co-operative Bulk Handling, retrieved 31 March 2013
  2. Bellevue: CBH grain silo demolished Perth Now 31 May 2016
  3. https://purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b6285138_3 CBH Grain silo in 1948
  4. Opening of $100M CBH Metro Grain Centre at Forrestfield Archived 20 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine Minister for Transport 6 March 1998
  5. Metro Grain Centre CBH Group
  6. Aerial Surveys Australia; HRRC (1967), Aerial photograph of CBH grain silos, Bunbury [picture], retrieved 1 April 2013
  7. "Bunbury Silos Apartments | Silos Accommodation Bunbury". Archived from the original on 24 March 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  8. Silos cash boost to fix significant cracking South Western Times 5 October 2018
  9. Fremantle silos heritage decision Minister for Planning 18 February 2000
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