LEAF COUNTER
News
October 2011 We Need Gumnuts!
As we prepare groups of leaves ready for welding onto twigs, we've had a look at the number of gumnuts we have and realised we're going to need more. So, if any blacksmiths or aspiring blacksmiths would like to forge us up a few stainless steel gumnuts, we'd be grateful. They do need to be stainless steel, not mild steel and a few copper ones wouldn't go astray. It's best to use about 16mm tube, nothing too big. A short (30mm) stem on them is ideal. We need about 500 more to make the Tree look really good.
If you'd like to forge gumnuts for us and need some hints, here's the link:
October 2011 Tree Project in the Media
The article that appeared in the 1st October edition of the Weekend Australian
Left:image of Doug and Bruce to appear in this month's edition of Outback magazine Right:image of Amanda that appeared in the 28 September edition of the Diamond Valley Leader; image taken by Jason Edwards, Leader Community Newspapers
The Tree Project has recently featured in stories in the Diamond Valley Leader, the Weekend Australian in Holly Kerr Forsyth's column and the upcoming R.M. Williams Outback magazine.
Article from the Diamond Valley Leader: Strathewen Tree's Show of Strength
September 2011 We have a New Facebook Page!
Black Saturday-The Tree Project Facebook Page
We have a Facebook page, please come and Like us! Many thanks to Stephen Mead who got this up and running for us and to Karen & Rohan who first suggested the idea a long time age.
Black Saturday- The Tree Project Facebook Page
August 2011 Survey to Determine the Site of the Tree
The chosen site for the Tree
Recently we surveyed over 400 people, including blacksmiths, members of the Strathewen community and a random selection of Tree Project newsletter recipients to determine where the preferred location at the Strathewen Recreation Reserve the Tree will stand.
The surveys are now in and have been collated. Of the 99 returned, 65 surveys found Site A (behind the tennis court) their most preferred or an acceptable site, which is 66% of the total returned. Site A was also the outright most preferred site (35%)
Many thanks to all who completed the survey and/or wrote comments.
Next Steps: A meeting last week of the key stakeholders (ABA (Vic), Strathewen Community and Nillumbik Shire), agreed to investigate Site A more thoroughly as a result of the survey. This investigation will be in areas such as: soil conditions, engineering requirements, safety, access and planning requirements. This site straddles both Council and DSE land sites and it will now be necessary to follow up with DSE on the proposed site. Given the proximity to the Strathewen Memorial, the two memorial design teams will also need to be in conversation, once the site assessment has been completed.
Over the next few weeks, Arts Victoria will prepare three case studies for the stakeholders to consider as part of the overall feasibility plan for the Tree Project.
These case studies will look at visitation, amenities, infrastructure and environmental impacts, and operational and governance structures. The sites to be investigated are:
1) The Canberra 2006 Bushfire Memorial
2) The Bendigo 2009 Bushfire Memorial
3) MT Macedon Memorial Cross
As well, Arts Victoria will present a summary of meetings with Tourism Victoria and the Red Cross in relation to general issues such as what strategies might be undertaken to ensure that the Blacksmiths Tree does not become a major tourist destination, which has been articulated as an area for concern by stakeholders.
Tuesday 5 July 2011: We have a Trunk!
The Community Enterprise Foundation™ donates $25,000 to the Tree Project. From left: David Wheeler; Director Community Enterprise Foundation™, Doug Tarrant; Head Blacksmith & newly-elected President of the Australian Blacksmiths Association (Victoria), Malcolm Hackett; Deputy Chair of Valley Community Financial Services, Cliff Overton; Blacksmith, Ashley Naylor; Blacksmith, Kathryn Naylor; Engineer from Sinclair Knight Merz, Greg George; Blacksmith, Rick Stadler; Blacksmith
It is our great pleasure to accept a grant of $25,000 from the Community Enterprise Foundation™, the philanthropic arm of the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. This donation is to fund the steel for the trunk of the Tree, literally and symbolically the support for all the groups, businesses and individuals who are represented in the branches and leaves of the Tree.
These funds are thanks to generous donors who donated to the Community Enterprise Foundation™ Black Saturday Bushfire Appeal. We would like to acknowledge that this donation has been made possible thanks to the support of Valley Community Financial Services who operate the Bendigo Bank branches of Hurstbridge & Districts, Diamond Creek, Eltham & District and Doreen & Mernda Community Bank® branches and the Kinglake branch.
Representatives from the Australian Blacksmiths Association (Victoria) accepted a certificate and cheque from the Directors of Valley Community Financial Services on behalf of the Community Enterprise Foundation™ for the funding of the trunk. On the same night many other groups working for the benefit of the community also received grants funded by Valley Community Financial Services.
We are especially proud to have the Community Enterprise Foundation™ as our trunk funding partner as their commitment to the prosperity, well being and rebuilding of our communities is what a Community Bank should be. We couldn’t wish for a more appropriate funding partner.
We would also like to acknowledge and thank the Peter Brock Foundation for being an intermediary funding partner for the Australian Blacksmiths Association (Victoria).
Now we have the funding needed for the trunk and have received the final structural diagrams from the engineers at Sinclair Knight Merz, we are organising the purchase of the stainless steel for the trunk. The trunk will be forged in one complete piece under a large industrial press in Albury. The use of the furnaces, press and skills of industrial blacksmiths are given to the Tree Project courtesy of Overall Forge. (We will take photos!)
Friday 8 April 2011
Today a meeting was held with representatives of the Australian Blacksmith Association, members of the Strathewen community including the Strathewen Community Renewal Association and the Memorials Working Committee, Nillumbik Shire Council, Swipers Gully Ward Councillor, AECOM (landscape designers and planners) and Arts Victoria.
The meeting was called by the Australian Blacksmith Association to update the group on the Tree building plans to date and to discuss the requirements from all stakeholders for the project to proceed to the proposed site of the Strathewen Recreation Reserve. It was noted that if the Tree is located in Strathewen, it will be at the Rec Reserve given all other potential sites have been ruled out.
The conclusion of the meeting was that a feasibility study is needed with input from all stakeholders that would answer the major questions raised to date.
This study would assist the community and the Council to reach a decision as to whether Strathewen was the most appropriate community for the tree and if so, what resources are needed in the short and long term to enable this to take place. Some key areas identified to date by the Council are as follows:
Social Impacts
Consider how will increased tourism affect the general amenity, social wellbeing and recovery of the community.
Site Analysis
Consider environmental impacts, engineering, geology, traffic management, parking, public amenities and facilities.
Implementation
Consider transportation (along narrow windy roads) and assembly, ongoing management and maintenance issues, roles and accountabilities, planning and building permits, timelines, costs and any other risk management considerations.
A project brief will be designed for AECOM taking the above and other issues from the key stakeholders into consideration. This is pro bono.
Arts Victoria will assist in facilitating the next steps that will determine a final decision and will also assist in seeking the resources needed for short and long term issues identified.
It is planned that the project brief will have sign off from all those at the meeting and will be ready within a 3-4 weeks for AECOM's consideration. It will be some months for the feasibility study to be completed and the outcomes presented to the key stakeholders.
February 2011
Preliminary Structural Diagrams of the Tree
The blacksmiths and our wonderful engineers at SKM are currently finalising the design of the tree. When everyone is happy with the design we'll be ready for the heavy forging of the trunk and main branches. We're still looking for businesses and community groups to sponsor branches for the tree. If you can help, please download a sponsorship form below. Many thanks to our latest sponsors, the Eltham Rural Group and the Ulysses Club, Whittlesea Branch for sponsoring branches.
Sponsorship Proposal for Branches