A tree for the Goulburn Valley community

By Jaci Hicken

Nov 20, 2023

Community art: Mooroopna Rotary Club’s Peter Kelton and artist Andrew Whitehead at the community tree of the Goulburn Valley. Photo by Contributed

The community tree of the Goulburn Valley, made of recycled steel, has been installed next to the water tower in Mooroopna.

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Initiated by Mooroopna Rotary Club past president Belinda Brown, the sculpture was made by artist Andrew Whitehead.

“About three years ago, I was approached by Belinda; at the time, she was the outgoing president of the Mooroopna Rotary Club,” Mr Whitehead said.

Work of art: The community tree of the Goulburn Valley is located next to the water tower in Mooroopna. Photo by Contributed

“She said, ‘I’ve got this idea of building a community tree’.

“She was very enthusiastic, and that enthusiasm was very contagious and she got me on board.

“I started on the project before any real approvals and in about eight months, I had basically finished the project.”

The tree reflects all parts of the Mooroopna and surrounding communities, including the local indigenous communities.

“I was asked to liaise with the two indigenous groups, prevalent in the area, the Yorta Yorta and Bangerang,” Mr Whitehead said.

“I spoke to each of those groups and asked them if they had a particular animal that represented their people that they would like included in the tree, as the tree was going to contain elements from everyone else.

“There are scars on the tree, where bark was removed to make coolmons and things like that.

“These animals will get attached to the scars and they are at equal height at the left and right side of the tree.

“At the front of the tree, we have got a Rotary logo for the good people that have put this all together.”

The internal structure of the sculpture was made by local company Sibio Engineering, with Quicklift and Watters helping with the installation.

Around the outside is a shell made of recycled steel containing ornate animals and symbols from the local region, including insects, lizards, snakes, marsupial, fruit and tiny little plasma-cut images and symbols.

The tree was funded through community buy-with local families and business owners having their names engraved on bark or leaves.

“If anybody wants to buy a piece of bark or a leaf, they can have their names laser cut onto that piece, which would be fixed to the tree,” Mooroopna Rotary Club past president Peter Kelton said.

“We have got about 60 positions still available and it is the club’s hope that once people now see it, they might want to retrospectively go and get their names on the tree, which I am happy to take orders for.