THE FIRST FIELD BIN

Raymond Sherwell commenced his business in 1960 in the small rural town of Nhill, Victoria. At that time the town was notable for having the largest single-bin grain storage silo in the Southern Hemisphere, constructed in 1908. The structure was a round, concrete silo, approximately 15 metres in diameter and 36 meters high capable of holding 57,000 bags of wheat. A large steel water tower with a cone shaped base also stood prominently in the centre of town.

Observing these structures, Sherwell developed the idea that if a round vessel with an cone shaped base could successfully support large volumes of water, a similar principle could be applied to a transportable grain storage bin suitable for farm use.

In 1962 he designed and constructed a cone-shaped steel bin base and commissioned local water tank maker Alec McLeod to build a suitable tank, which was then riveted to the base assembly. A grain auger was installed to enable emptying of the bin, creating what became the first PTO-driven field bin. The completed unit was sold to local farmer, Mr Artie Nuske.

During that first year a total production of three units were produced. This marked the beginning of mobile field bin and grain silo manufacturing in Australia. Over the following 38 years Sherwell Manufacturing produced more than 30,000 silos and field bins distributed throughout Australia.

Why the Field Bin Was Important

The development of the PTO-driven field bin represented a practical advance in grain harvesting operations during a period of rapid mechanisation in Australian agriculture. Prior to the widespread use of mobile field bins, harvested grain often needed to be transported promptly to railway sidings or bulk handling storage facilities, creating logistical pressures during peak harvest periods.

By allowing grain to be transferred directly from harvesting equipment into a mobile on-farm storage unit powered by a tractor’s power take -off (PTO), the field bin improved efficiency and reduced delays in the harvesting process. Farmers could move grain from paddock to temporary storage quickly and transport it to bulk facilities when convenient, rather than immediately.

This additional flexibility provided both operational and economic advantages. The ability to hold grain on-farm for short periods meant that producers were sometimes able to manage delivery timing more effectively, avoid congestion at the receiving points, and in some cases benefit from more favourable market conditions.

The field bin became an important component of the on-farm grain handling systems and contributed to improvements in harvesting efficiency across the Australian grain industry.