Sculptures of The Long Paddock

The River Barge
Artist: Geoff Hocking
Location: Blair Street, Moama

Despite most of the glory of the riverboat era being bestowed on Echuca, Moama played a big role. Almost twenty boats, and ten barges were built at Moama.

Barges were vital to the red gum timber trade. The early sawmills were located here and across the river, close to the railway but the best forests were up river. Because red gum does not float a system was devised in which the great logs were carried like outriggers on either side of the barge.

As they were loaded the barges were released to carry the logs downstream. At least two men were assigned to each barge to steer them. The last one loaded was towed by paddle steamer which then hitched up each barge as it was overtaken. Needless to say, with little to occupy them during the voyage, the “bargies” were fond of liquid refreshments and the barges did not always have an uneventful passage.

In the sculpture a trio of rivermen steer their craft down the river which is represented by the steel pyramid on which it floats.

The rivermen were known to be notorious drinkers, and the helmsman can be seen taking a draught as he leans onto his rudder. Another stumbles forward, riding the logs, while his mate at the prow hangs onto the winch. Their dog appears to be the only one among the crew who is watching where they are going.

The Drover and Horse
Artist: Corey Thomas
Location: Mathoura Visitor Information Centre, Mathoura

One of the two sculptures representing different aspects of local history stands outside the Mathoura Visitor Information Centre. This specific sculpture portrays a stockman grappling with the challenge of extracting his horse from a swamp, drawing inspiration from tales recounting the hardships faced by overlanders (drovers) as they herded large flocks of sheep and cattle through the region.

The wetlands in the forest east of Mathoura were notorious obstacles, especially during Murray River floods. The historical context suggests that the area might have been wetter in the past due to a sparse tree population, unable to absorb floodwaters effectively.

Charles Sturt, encountered such challenges in 1838 when leading a herd of cattle down the Murray River en route to Adelaide. Upon reaching the Edward River, local Aboriginals communicated through sign language that further travel was hindered by floodwaters. After one of his stockmen found extensive flooding with swamps and creeks full of fallen timber to the north of the Edward River, he crossed the Murray to what is now Victoria to continue his journey. Sturt described the area occupied by the Barmah-Millewa forest as “a vast marsh” covered in tall rushes, apparently with very few trees.

Several stockmen are believed to have drowned in this area. One has been identified as 40 year old Leith Mackenzie from the upper Murray. He drowned in 1864 while attempting to cross the Gulpa Creek only a few hundred metres from where the sculpture is located.

The Woodcutters
Artist: Geoff Hocking
Location: Mathoura Visitor Information Centre, Mathoura

This sculpture is one of a series of artworks that pay tribute to the contribution of the timber industry to the region. The other artworks in the collection are located in Moama, Deniliquin and Pretty Pine. Mathoura has had a very special relationship with the vast red gum forests for well over a century. The forests provided employment. In return local residents downed tools and fought bushfires whenever the need arose. When summer flooding threatened to drown the trees the local community summoned Government officials and insisted that the forests be protected from the effects of river regulation.

The tree shows four timber-cutters who by the implements they employ represent the history of the timber industry. Two bearded men pulling at their cross-cut saw represent the early days, when strength and manual labour was paramount. Timber men were tough men, who worked hard and lived hard at one of the hardest games in the bush.

One fellow standing back, taking his ease while striking his axe against the tree represents the industry mid-century.

It is said that tree-cutters would strike the back of their axe against the trunk of a tree to ‘sound’ it, looking for good solid trees, or lesser hollows. Some would like to believe that the axeman was striking the tree to warn any wildlife: possums, birds etc, to give them time to get out before the tree was felled.

The fourth chainsaw-wielding fellow represents the modern age. The tree itself is a solid redgum heart standing 2.4 metres, the steel branches another 1.5 metres — one side a living tree, its branches filled with screeching bird-life; the other aflame

The Cut
Artist: Jonathan Leahey
Location: Davidson Street Rest Area, Deniliquin

This sculpture is one of a series of artworks that pay tribute to the contribution of the timber industry to the region. Sawmills began operating near Deniliquin around 1860 when the value of red gum timber for construction purposes was realised. Its rot-resistant and insect-resistant qualities made it an ideal choice for various construction projects, including bridges, wharves, houses, and commercial buildings.

The proximity to numerous creek and river crossings in the area resulted in a consistent demand for sawn timber. For many years Gulpa Sawmill Pty Ltd was a major employer of Deniliquin workers, with the original Gulpa mill was on the edge of the forest about 15 kms south of Deniliquin.

The sculpture depicts an abstract section of a circular saw blade rising from a platform of red gum timber almost as if cutting the timber. The inspiration for the artwork came from the use of circular saws in the production of red gum into items such as railway sleeps.

The sculpture is fabricated from oxidized steel and timber native to the local area.

Shod
Artist: Jonathan Leahy
Location: Peppin Heritage Centre, Deniliquin

The sculpture, commemorates the colourful history of bullock teams who serviced The Long Paddock region.

Long before horses, steam engines and tractors, the bullock was the power source of choice for ploughing, cultivating and movement of materials. The teamsters were the people who drove a team of bullocks. Teamsters travelled over hard country in pioneering days shoeing their working bullocks with specially made shoes.

Bullocks are hardier than horses, so were preferred for rough work, such as clearing land in newly settled districts, road haulage, ploughing rabbit burrows, dragging up ground tanks (dams), and heavy earth-moving. The teamsters and their bullock teams were especially important to this region, transporting to market goods such as wool and bringing much needed supplies to the pioneers.

The sculpture was constructed based on a scale model using core ten steel. The sculpture was rusted to provide an authentic colour and to contrast with the river and trees behind the sculpture.

Smoko
Artist: Geoff Hocking
Location: Pretty Pine Pub, Cobb Hwy & Pretty Pine Rd, Deniliquin

This sculpture is one of a series of artworks that pay tribute to the contribution of the timber industry to the region.

Although Pretty Pine was never a major supplier of river red gum timber it did have its own sawmill which supplied building materials to the district. With plenty of creeks to be crossed there was always a demand for the durable timber which resisted both rotting and termites. And many a local farmer was grateful for the royalties paid for timber felled on his property.

“Smoko” was traditionally the mid-morning break at sawmills throughout the region. For many workers tobacco was a better indulgence than tea and cakes.

This work was partially inspired by Sir Arthur Streeton’s 1890 painting titled: The Selector’s Hut, Whelan on the log.

The sculpture at Pretty Pine shows a timber cutter taking his break –a smoko – seated on the log he has been working, having a cup of billy-tea and enjoying a smoke.

The large redgum tree has been cut square. The tools of the trade: cross-cut saw, broad-axe and circular saw all rip into the noble tree.

The woodcutter is a double-headed Janus figure [the god of beginnings and endings], looking both forward and back, to the uncertain future of his industry and to the glory days of the past.

The Long Paddock sculpture

The Headless Horseman
Artist: Geoff Hocking
Location: The Black Swamp

The “Headless Horseman” sculpture draws inspiration from local folklore, depicting two drovers and their dogs herding cattle, accompanied by the mysterious “headless horseman.” Like many legends, this tale contains a kernel of truth. For much of the last century, the story of an enterprising butcher from Moulamein, who masqueraded as a ghost, has captivated both locals and visitors.

Inspired by bush poets and writers like Henry Lawson, the artist aimed to recreate this legend as a lasting tribute to the bush’s significance in the nation’s identity. The sculpture merges the past with contemporary art, emphasizing the enduring vitality of rural life.

Constructed using laser-cut steel figures drawn by the artist, the figures are mounted on local redgum posts and installed on site.

Lang’s Crossing
Artist: John Wooller
Location: Bush Bend Reserve, Hay

The sculpture, “Lang’s Crossing,” interprets the historical evolution of crossing the river, the establishment of the Cobb Highway, and the Long Paddock.

The artwork presents a cross-section of the river. At the lowest level, “wheel tracks” on the riverbed symbolize the earliest ford crossing, located just downstream from the current site. During floods, this crossing was either challenging or impossible. Above this, the sculpture depicts a punt, which was later introduced to provide a safer and more convenient way to transport people and goods across the river.

At the highest level, a bridge rises above the water, symbolizing a crossing that is no longer subject to the river’s fluctuations.

Cobb’s Wheels
Artist: John Wooller
Location: Bushy Bend Reserve, Hay

This sculpture pays homage to the importance of the company Cobb and Co. to the history of Hay, its place on the Cobb Highway and The Long Paddock. After 1865 the company had its southernmost base in Hay. The building where the coaches were constructed and repaired still stands in the main street.

The use of wheeled vehicles on the primitive dirt tracks posed many problems and not all journeys were trouble free. The tracks were rough and the weather not always kind; inevitably breakdowns occurred. Wheels and axles broke and the vehicles occasionally became stuck in sand or mud.

The particular arrangement of these seven wheels and axles, one stuck in the ground, one with a broken rim, one with a missing spoke and one with a broken axle, evokes the problems faced by Cobb and Co as they established a regular and reliable transport system for people and their possessions over thousands of kilometres of rough roads

Murrumbidgee Landscapes
Artist: John Wooller
Location: Bushy Bend Reserve, Hay

The sculpture ‘Murrumbidgee Landscapes’ depicts the two types of landscape surrounding the town of Hay. Under the influence of the early settlers the natural landscape was transformed from its relatively unproductive state to one of intensive, irrigated production.

The sculpture depicts the meandering rivers in the Shire of Hay, the major ones being the Murrumbidgee and the Lachlan. Over millenia the irregular, unpredictable forces of nature caused the rivers to change course leaving behind billabongs and pools where once they flowed across the flat, sandy plain.

This contrasts with the man-made landscape; regular, orderly and ‘squared-off’. It is connected to and dependant on the natural landscape for its survival and continued development.

This sculpture is a tribute to the farming community of Hay and its surrounds whose foresight created a settled landscape from a harsh and unforgiving one.

The Pioneers
Artist: Wayne Strickland
Location: Main Street, Ivanhoe

‘The Pioneers’ mural is dedicated to the pioneers who settled in Ivanhoe and its surrounding areas. These pioneers embody the outback traits that Australians often use to define themselves: hard work, strength, and humor.

Many of the district’s residents are descendants of the original settlers who came seeking their fortune. As the demand for meat grew in the south, the area opened up, offering affordable land for grazing sheep and cattle and growing crops. Small communities emerged to provide accommodation and supplies for pioneers, Cobb and Co coaches, drovers, shearers, and teamsters.

Ivanhoe is one of the few remaining settlements from this era. The mural captures the diverse characters of the region, from barbers to teamsters.

The mural was created by crafting clay molds, which were then transferred to a base sheet and reformed in polyurethane and fiberglass resin. The forms were coated with a special finish to give them a bronze appearance.