Ariah Park grower Ian Sherwood got to relive history when he was the first to deliver wheat to the Ariah Park bulkhead on December 3.

GrainCorp reopened the silos to take wheat this harvest after the receival site was shut down in 2017.

Fifty years ago, Ian’s father, Clarrie Sherwood, was given the honour of delivering the first load to the recently built new 15,000 tonne bulkhead storage shed.

The Ariah Park district had a good harvest in 1968, and Clarrie Sherwood, as President of the Ariah Park Farmers and Wheatgrowers, led the campaign to gain extra storage for the district.

The campaign was successful and a new bulkhead shed was built in 1969, but a severe drought that year saw the shed close.

Seasons returned to normal in 1970, and the new shed opened for business and was filled.

Efforts to remove the rail loop lines at Ariah Park in 2019 were strongly opposed by the Ariah Park community, the Temora Shire Council and the Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke.

The site has employed four staff for this season’s harvest, with the bulkhead filled with about 5000 tonnes of wheat so far.

Mr Sherwood said growers had been forced to deliver grain to Mirrool or Temora, resulting in a further 40km on a fragile road network.

“It was very pleasing to have such a good harvest this year,” he said.

“There are a lot of happy cockies around.

“People now have an opportunity to deliver here – Mirrool filled first and then the staff from there opened Ariah Park site.

“I suspect if it opened at the start of the season it would have been full by now.”

Mr Sherwood said his wheat averaged around 4 tonnes/hectare this year compared to a drought affected crop last year.

“Last year was the worst in my over 40 years of farming – this year is one of the best, 2016 was a good year but nearly too wet.

“This will be a great boost for the town and hopefully people can pay a bit of debt back, and spend some money in the town and shire.

“I’ve never seen the district looking so good.”