Walking the beat: Tongala’s fourth instalment of the Christmas Hay Bale Trail will be in the form of a walking trail this year, with 18 hay bales in the heart of the town at nine different locations. The official launch of the trail is Thursday, December 7, but hay bales will be completed by Friday (December 1). Celebrating their four-year involvement with the trail are Tongala Development Group’s Kellie Brennan and Amber Townsend.
Tongala Christmas Hay Bale Trail 2023
Miller St
Merry Monster Christmas (Tongala PS, painted by students)
Christmas Dinner (Tongala PS, Tongala Street Art)
A Very Mousey Christmas (Tongala PS, Ali Farrell)
Christmas Holiday (Tongala PS, Becky Baker)
Boot Scootin’ Christmas (Tongala PS, Jennifer Croft)
Santa’s Yellow Helpers (Tongala PS, G Hacon & L Holmes)
Elf Training (St Patricks, painted by students)
Elf School (St Patricks, Sarah Hill)
The Gingerbread Man (St Patricks, Anna Fitzgerald)
Peek-a-boo (38 Miller St, Amber Townsend)
Cavell St
Santa Goes Fishing (Cavell Manna, Jackie Humphreys)
Olaf (4 Cavell St, Becky Baker)
Henderson Rd
Oh, Christmas Tree (Country Kidz, children and staff)
Stuck in the Chimney (Country Kidz, children and staff)
Merry Little Penguin (Country Kidz, children and staff)
Stitch (TCAC Childcare, Darcy Tinning)
Splish! Splash! (Tongala Swimming Pool, Amber Townsend)
Nicholls Dve
Draft Night (Tongala Recreation Reserve, TDG committee)
There are various sponsors of the hay bales. They are N&D Tinning, TLC Plumbing, Ross Nevett Automotive, Mawsons, Tongala Community Op Shop, Grace and Flo Florist, Tongala Gifts & Apparel, Tarragon Lodge Holiday Park, Community Bank Tongala, Vick Builders, GTS Farm Supplies, Cavell Manna, Tongala Fire Brigade and Water Partners.
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Eighteen Christmas themed hay bales will make up the 2023 version of Tongala Development Group’s festive season hay bale trail as the development group behind the initiative trials a new “walkable’’ trail for the first time.
The hay bales, which include salutes to everyone from the town’s number one pick in this year’s AFL draft to Homer Simpson and two of super villain Gru’s minions, are based at nine different locations within the town boundary.
There are installations from the Country Kidz childcare facility on the corner of Henderson and Finley Rd to the town’s recreation reserve and swimming pool — then east to the Miller St grounds of the two primary schools and back through the town centre, Mangan St.
“We decided to keep them all close together this year so people could park their cars in the middle of town and be within walking distance of all the sites,” hay bale trail sub-committee member Kellie Brennan said.
She and Amber Townsend, who doubles as an artist, said a focus of the trail would be the six installations at Tongala Primary School.
Among them is a double stacked hay bale which was commissioned by Puma and was featured on the footsteps of Marvel Stadium on draft night.
Walking trail: This year's Tongala Christmas Hay Bale Trail includes nine sites and 18 installations of the festive themed bales, along with a special tribute to number one AFL draft pick Harley Reid.
“Puma Footy googled Tongala and found out about the hay bale trail. They commissioned an artist from Dandenong to do the artwork, the hay bales were taken down to Melbourne by Ben Nexhip from Koyuga Horse Hay.
“After draft night they were brought back to Tongala by Harley’s uncle.
“We are really thankful to the Reid family for allowing us to have it as part of this year’s display. We are sure people will be very keen to get a selfie with the number one draft pick,” Kellie said.
Maps of the hay bale trail are being printed this week and will be available on tear away pads at various Tongala businesses.
“We’ve been really well supported again with our Adopt a Bale program, which covers the costs of painting the bales. Our sponsors include businesses, community groups and residents.
“And we even have two new artists this year, Becky Baker and Darcy Tinning,” she said.
Children from the Country Kidz centre are also making their first appearance as artists in the hay bale trail program and are painting their own bales with staff members.
Kellie said the social media count on the Visit Tongala site regularly reached 7000-plus people and — at peak times — occasionally exceeded 25,000.
“The hay bales are not the only things to see in town, we also have the Town Square Barbie Display, the Lions Club Christmas Tree and Christmas murals, craft on Wednesday Group yarn bombing, the Christmas photo board and the Tongala Fergie Tractor — all in Mangan St,” she said.
The hay bale trail will be officially open from Friday, December 1 and will remain on display until January 4.
The official launch is at the Potts Village Green on Thursday, December 7 from 5.30pm until 6.30pm when there will be live music, a visit from Santa Claus and stalls by local groups including lollies and icy poles by St Patrick’s and drinks by Tongala primary.
Tongala netballers will also be offering a bake sale from the kiosk and there will be a barbecue, along with craft activities for the kids.
