Yathella Fuel Tank Painting
Unless you’re familiar with the area, you’ve probably never heard of Yathella. Yathella is a close-nit farming community of under 200 people. It is located just a short 45-minute drive from Temora and is situated within the Junee Shire Council area.
While I was painting some farms in Temora, I received a call from a farming family in Yathella. The farmer asked me if I could take a look at some fuel tanks and I immediately said yes.
This request came in around the time of the start of the Australian fuel crisis. I was painting a lot of fuel tanks in early 2026!
Fuel tanks are among the most commonly requested assets I paint. While fuel tanks are often painted to protect them against corrosion, farmers also often get them painted so that they blend better into the farm: this can help to prevent their fuel from theft, especially if their tanks may be visible to passers by.
This farmers fuel tanks were not visible from the road but, none-the-less, they hired me to paint them anyway. He had three fuel tanks in total.
I painted three fuel tanks during this project. Here, you can see the two smallest tanks before painting (left) and after (right).
Painting the Fuel Tanks
The job began with a quick pressure-wash. Fuel tanks are a bit more challenging to clean when compared to roofs or storage containers as excess oil/fuel has to be removed. However, these tanks were not as bad as some tanks I have restored!
Next, I added a penetrol-based protective coating which has been specially formulated to prevent rust from progressing further. My plan was to leave these tanks overnight to dry, but we had some rain which prevented me from painting the tanks the following day.
Surfaces must be completely dry before I apply paints or protective coatings (morning dew is the reason why we typically do not work in New South Wales during the height of winter). To be safe, I left the painting of the tanks until the weather had cleared.
Once it was safe to do so, I painted the fuel tanks with an aluminium-based paint. This paint adds an extra layer of rust protection.
Here, you can see the large fuel tank which was transformed from a dull green (left) to a sparkling sliver (right).
Your Turn
If you would like your Yathella silo, roof, or shed painted, feel free to contact me (Alfie) on 0427598282.
However, if you’re not located in Yathella, that’s great too! I paint farms all over Australia. If you’re interested in discovering when I am coming to a farm near you, feel free to sign up for my free weekly newsletter. My newsletter subscribers are my VIPs who get first dibs when spaces are available.
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Projects Similar to Yathella Farm Painting
Check out this Barmedman roof painting project
Here is a recent Cowra roof painting project
I also recently painted a farm in Peak Hill (a farming community close to Dubbo)
Finally, may also be interested in this Canowindra roof painting project