The leaning shed of Tungkillo, South Australia

Leaning farm shed near Tungkillo, South Australia

I grew up on a farm in the Murray Mallee region of South Australia. We had a number of very interesting sheds on the farms, many of them built by my father. While I wasn’t interested in becoming a farmer I do remember the many pleasant hours spent poking around in the sheds at home. Now in my more mature years I enjoy travelling throughout Australia, observing the many and varied types of sheds that can be found on farms and within view of the road.

The shed shown in the photo above has been amusing my family every time we drive past. It is on a farm near to the township of Tungkillo in the eastern Mt Lofty Ranges here in South Australia. I’ve never been to Pisa to see their leaning tower so I can’t make comparisons about grace and beauty versus function. This shed is still used on occasions to store hay bales, but it is obvious that it is threatening to finally collapse in a puff of straw and dust.

But not yet.

This shed has been leaning like that for at least ten years, though the list seems to have been accentuated by recent wild stormy weather. It will be a sad day when it finally concedes to gravity because it makes me chuckle every time I see it.

Farm ruins near Palmer, South Australia

Farm ruins near Palmer, South Australia

For a good proportion of the nearly 175 year history of the state of South Australia, agriculture has been predominant. In the last few decades manufacturing and mining have taken over as our leading economic arenas.

Because of this history of settlement on the land in the early days, farms were established in many parts of the state, including many which didn’t last all that long. Travelling in the rural areas of our state reveals many formerly fine homes and farm sheds now in a poor state; most are buildings slowly becoming ruins, mere shadows of the dreams of their optimistic builders.

The buildings shown on this post can be found near the road from Palmer to Tungkillo, east of Adelaide.

Farm ruins near Palmer, South Australia

Rock formations near Palmer, South Australia