The Tree Project
A$13,635
of $12,000 targetyrs ago
Successful on 14th Dec 2012 at 12:00AM.
The Tree Project
Like everyone on the day of the Black Saturday Fires,7 February 2009, we looked on in horror at the unfolding events. And like everyone who saw the terrible devastation, we wanted to help in any way we could. The Tree Project is a response to those fires. It’s a 9-metre high steel and copper gumtree in the making. It’s being created to remember the people we have lost, the tireless work of firefighters, relief workers and the people recovering and rebuilding their communities.
The leaves of this tree have been forged by hundreds of blacksmiths around the world. And us? We’re a group of Australian blacksmiths based in Melbourne, Victoria. Our non-profit group has been around for over twenty years, but this is the biggest project we’ve managed so far. To tell the truth, we never set out to build a huge metal tree. How we came to be doing this is a pretty interesting story...
From a Small Sapling
On Valentine’s Day 2009, just seven days after the Black Saturday Fires, a group of blacksmiths on an online forum proposed forging metal gumleaves to send to Victoria as a gift to the fire affected communities. The Australian Blacksmiths Association (Victoria) Inc. (that’s us) agreed to manage the project, forge the branches and trunk and put it all together to create a small tree.
We asked our blacksmithing friends overseas to send us leaves. We travelled into the fire affected communities with portable forges and anvils, forging leaves at festivals and markets, so people could watch what we were doing. Someone came up with an idea: people could sponsor a leaf with their name stamped on it to help us with the cost of materials. Since then, leaves have been sponsored in the names of loved ones lost to the fires, survivors, friends, dogs, cats, horses and kangaroos that perished in the fires, firefighters, CFA divisions, recovery organisations, Australians overseas, names of properties destroyed in the fires, garden clubs, tennis clubs and local businesses; all those who wish to express their sorrow, compassion and hope for the future.
And soon leaves started to arrive from everywhere. This tree which we thought would be about a metre high and fit in a flowerpot (seriously!) grew bigger than anyone imagined.
We joined forces with the British Artist Blacksmiths Association and the California Blacksmith Association to arrange collection points for the UK & European leaves and American & Canadian leaves. The Irish Artist Blacksmiths Association sent many leaves. The Ukranian Union of Artist Blacksmiths was instrumental in collecting leaves throughout Europe including from places such as Belarus, Lithuania and Russia. And in the south of France, a group called Lou Foc held a special event to forge leaves for us. Qantas Freight were kind enough to fly the leaves out from our collection points to Australia free of charge. Blacksmiths from over twenty countries have contributed to this project. Before we knew it, BBC Radio London was asking to interview Australian blacksmiths. Then a New York magazine picked up the story and the Melbourne Age and Herald-Sun ran articles and ABC Radio began to follow the project.
The leaves we’ve received are astonishingly beautiful. Some are made by master blacksmiths, some by blacksmithing students and some by children. And the thing that’s amazed us, is there’s over three thousand of them.
The Tree and the Work Ahead
Since we received so many leaves, we had to rethink the project. The great people at Sinclair Knight Merz Engineering graciously offered their services to engineer a tree that could carry all the leaves. It will be an elegant, tall structure with graceful branches, forged by blacksmiths.
We don't think there's anything like this in the world. The tree is completely created by blacksmiths, from tiny leaves made on anvils and by jewellers, to twigs forged with sledgehammers, branches under powerhammers and the trunk under an industrial press. We’ve pushed our machinery (and our blacksmiths) to their limits, to create the pieces we need.
Recently we’ve forged the branches of the tree at our workshop, (stainless steel is a tough material to forge— it took three days just to forge the twelve main branch components) The trunk has been forged over two days at Overall Forge in Albury from a solid piece of stainless steel. It weighs just under 2 tonnes and is nearly 7 meters in length— the longest taper Overall Forge has ever created.
There is still a lot of work ahead of us: all the intricate welding, major assembly (due for completion December 2012) landscaping with the RCL Group and AECOM, building the substructure and organising a launch event.
Although we have had great support and have raised enough money to cover materials and landscaping, there are still the costs of managing the assembly, surface finishing, installation and logistics, that we need to cover. Anything extra we receive will go towards a special launch event in 2013, something that will mean a lot to the people who have supported and worked on this project over the last three years.
Every person involved in the project so far, from the blacksmiths to the engineers, to the volunteers making lunch for us, have been honoured to be a part of this tree. It is the hope of all of us participating in its creation, that the tree will provide a place of reflection and contemplation for those who have suffered terrible loss.
The tree has become an expression of empathy and solidarity among those in the fire-affected communities, across Australia and from around the world. It is a symbol of admiration and hope for the spirited people who are recovering and rebuilding, and will stand for generations to come.
We’d be grateful if you could pledge your support and join us in making it possible.
Visit us on our website: www.treeproject.abavic.org.au
Stay updated on our Facebook page: Black Saturday-The Tree Project
See the tree being forged on our YouTube channel: AusBlacksmiths
and check in on Pozible for more updates.
Many community groups, businesses and individuals have supported the Tree Project so far. We would especially like to thank the RCL Group, Valley Community Bank® Group, Bendigo Bank, the Strathewen Community Renewal Association, Nillumbik Shire Council, Sinclair Knight Merz Engineering, Overall Forge, Regional Arts Victoria, Arts Victoria, DPC, and the Fire Recovery Unit, DPCD
A special thankyou to the Museum of Victoria for graciously allowing us to use drawings from students of Healesville Primary School in our video. More of these drawings can be seen on their online collection database:
Museum of Victoria; Victorian Bushfires Collection
Thankyou to our video production team: Kerry Cross from Image-fx and Barry Thomas from Video Vision for donating their time and expertise. Thanks to Quentin Fogarty for allowing us to use his footage of branch forging.
Like everyone on the day of the Black Saturday Fires,7 February 2009, we looked on in horror at the unfolding events. And like everyone who saw the terrible devastation, we wanted to help in any way we could. The Tree Project is a response to those fires. It’s a 9-metre high steel and copper gumtree in the making. It’s being created to remember the people we have lost, the tireless work of firefighters, relief workers and the people recovering and rebuilding their communities.
The leaves of this tree have been forged by hundreds of blacksmiths around the world. And us? We’re a group of Australian blacksmiths based in Melbourne, Victoria. Our non-profit group has been around for over twenty years, but this is the biggest project we’ve managed so far. To tell the truth, we never set out to build a huge metal tree. How we came to be doing this is a pretty interesting story...
From a Small Sapling
On Valentine’s Day 2009, just seven days after the Black Saturday Fires, a group of blacksmiths on an online forum proposed forging metal gumleaves to send to Victoria as a gift to the fire affected communities. The Australian Blacksmiths Association (Victoria) Inc. (that’s us) agreed to manage the project, forge the branches and trunk and put it all together to create a small tree.
We asked our blacksmithing friends overseas to send us leaves. We travelled into the fire affected communities with portable forges and anvils, forging leaves at festivals and markets, so people could watch what we were doing. Someone came up with an idea: people could sponsor a leaf with their name stamped on it to help us with the cost of materials. Since then, leaves have been sponsored in the names of loved ones lost to the fires, survivors, friends, dogs, cats, horses and kangaroos that perished in the fires, firefighters, CFA divisions, recovery organisations, Australians overseas, names of properties destroyed in the fires, garden clubs, tennis clubs and local businesses; all those who wish to express their sorrow, compassion and hope for the future.
And soon leaves started to arrive from everywhere. This tree which we thought would be about a metre high and fit in a flowerpot (seriously!) grew bigger than anyone imagined.
We joined forces with the British Artist Blacksmiths Association and the California Blacksmith Association to arrange collection points for the UK & European leaves and American & Canadian leaves. The Irish Artist Blacksmiths Association sent many leaves. The Ukranian Union of Artist Blacksmiths was instrumental in collecting leaves throughout Europe including from places such as Belarus, Lithuania and Russia. And in the south of France, a group called Lou Foc held a special event to forge leaves for us. Qantas Freight were kind enough to fly the leaves out from our collection points to Australia free of charge. Blacksmiths from over twenty countries have contributed to this project. Before we knew it, BBC Radio London was asking to interview Australian blacksmiths. Then a New York magazine picked up the story and the Melbourne Age and Herald-Sun ran articles and ABC Radio began to follow the project.
The leaves we’ve received are astonishingly beautiful. Some are made by master blacksmiths, some by blacksmithing students and some by children. And the thing that’s amazed us, is there’s over three thousand of them.
The Tree and the Work Ahead
Since we received so many leaves, we had to rethink the project. The great people at Sinclair Knight Merz Engineering graciously offered their services to engineer a tree that could carry all the leaves. It will be an elegant, tall structure with graceful branches, forged by blacksmiths.
We don't think there's anything like this in the world. The tree is completely created by blacksmiths, from tiny leaves made on anvils and by jewellers, to twigs forged with sledgehammers, branches under powerhammers and the trunk under an industrial press. We’ve pushed our machinery (and our blacksmiths) to their limits, to create the pieces we need.
Recently we’ve forged the branches of the tree at our workshop, (stainless steel is a tough material to forge— it took three days just to forge the twelve main branch components) The trunk has been forged over two days at Overall Forge in Albury from a solid piece of stainless steel. It weighs just under 2 tonnes and is nearly 7 meters in length— the longest taper Overall Forge has ever created.
There is still a lot of work ahead of us: all the intricate welding, major assembly (due for completion December 2012) landscaping with the RCL Group and AECOM, building the substructure and organising a launch event.
Although we have had great support and have raised enough money to cover materials and landscaping, there are still the costs of managing the assembly, surface finishing, installation and logistics, that we need to cover. Anything extra we receive will go towards a special launch event in 2013, something that will mean a lot to the people who have supported and worked on this project over the last three years.
Every person involved in the project so far, from the blacksmiths to the engineers, to the volunteers making lunch for us, have been honoured to be a part of this tree. It is the hope of all of us participating in its creation, that the tree will provide a place of reflection and contemplation for those who have suffered terrible loss.
The tree has become an expression of empathy and solidarity among those in the fire-affected communities, across Australia and from around the world. It is a symbol of admiration and hope for the spirited people who are recovering and rebuilding, and will stand for generations to come.
We’d be grateful if you could pledge your support and join us in making it possible.
Visit us on our website: www.treeproject.abavic.org.au
Stay updated on our Facebook page: Black Saturday-The Tree Project
See the tree being forged on our YouTube channel: AusBlacksmiths
and check in on Pozible for more updates.
Many community groups, businesses and individuals have supported the Tree Project so far. We would especially like to thank the RCL Group, Valley Community Bank® Group, Bendigo Bank, the Strathewen Community Renewal Association, Nillumbik Shire Council, Sinclair Knight Merz Engineering, Overall Forge, Regional Arts Victoria, Arts Victoria, DPC, and the Fire Recovery Unit, DPCD
A special thankyou to the Museum of Victoria for graciously allowing us to use drawings from students of Healesville Primary School in our video. More of these drawings can be seen on their online collection database:
Museum of Victoria; Victorian Bushfires Collection
Thankyou to our video production team: Kerry Cross from Image-fx and Barry Thomas from Video Vision for donating their time and expertise. Thanks to Quentin Fogarty for allowing us to use his footage of branch forging.
Thankyou for your support!<br /><br /> For a $25 pledge, we will send you a pair of bookmarks with images by our beloved local artist, Ona Henderson.<br /><br /> Plus a Tree Project sticker. (Which you can't get anywhere else!)
24 chosen
Est. delivery is Dec 12
For your valued support, we'd be delighted to send you a set of three postcards with stunning magical images of gumleaves by local artists Ona Henderson and Nerina Lascelles.<br /><br /> Plus a pair of bookmarks and a Tree Project sticker.
11 chosen
Est. delivery is Dec 12
In appreciation of your kind donation we will send you an amazing and inspirational book; From Kinglake to Kabul.<br /><br /> Each copy for our supporters will be signed by one of the book’s editors and local author, Neil Grant.<br /><br /> Kinglake had one day of disaster with far-reaching effects; Kabul has endured 30 years of war. In this remarkable collection of young people's writing, students from schools in Kinglake and Kabul share their stories of resilience, courage and hope.
10 chosen / 190 available
Est. delivery is Dec 12
Thankyou for your support!<br /><br /> To show our appreciation, we'll send you some music to dream by... Momentum is the fifth album by local singer/songwriter, Kevin Walton.<br /><br /> Kevin has recorded and performed internationally since the early 90's. This current album is reminiscent of U2 and Coldplay and is an example of a mature performer at his soulful best.<br /><br /> And because you're so wonderful, you'll receive our bookmarks and sticker too.
8 chosen / 492 available
Est. delivery is Dec 12
Thankyou for your support of the Tree Project. SInce you're such a great supporter, we'll send you two special prints of some of the stainless steel leaves and gumnuts that will form part of the tree.<br /><br /> The prints: Gumleaf Sprig and Hope Leaf are printed on museum quality 100% cotton rag paper with archival quality inks and come unframed. They measure 12" x 8"<br /><br /> Included are our beautiful bookmarks and sticker.
8 chosen
Est. delivery is Dec 12
Thankyou for your generous support! Our very special gift in appreciation of your pledge comes from blacksmith Jeremy Knippel of Merrifield, Minnesota USA. <br /> <br /> Jeremy was one of the first blacksmiths to produce leaves, (and a flowering gumnut!) for the Tree. We're really excited to have him forging corkscrews for our Pozible supporters. <br /> <br /> Jeremy's whimsical corkscrews are forged in the image of a wizard. Each is a unique piece of hand crafted ironwork which we're sure you'll love.
3 chosen / 47 available
Est. delivery is Feb 13
In appreciation of your very generous pledge, we have a special gift.<br /><br /><br /> Rob Hayley's magical glasswork is well renowned. We are pleased to be able to send you one of his gumleaf platters of pale green slumped glass. They're beautiful pieces, each handmade and unique. (We love them!)
1 chosen / 99 available
Est. delivery is Dec 12
For a wonderful supporter, we have a unique gift. Petal Pendant, hand crafted in Sterling silver, is by award winning master craftswomen Jeanette Dyke who studied at the Royal College of Art in London. <br /><br /> <br /><br /> Working from her studio at Montsalvat in Eltham (which is open to the public and is well worth a visit,) Jeanette creates high quality, unique pieces of elegant jewellery for customers who have an eye for style and a love of all things different.
0 chosen / 1 available
Est. delivery is Dec 12
For your really amazing donation we will send you a pair of Stirling silver gumleaf earrings by Michael Wilson Jewellers.<br /> <br /> Michael Wilson Jewellers is a special local company now run by Michael's son Aaron. They produce original designs, among the most popular are their delicate gumleaves.<br /> <br /> And since your pledge is so very very generous, we would like to include your name as a special sponsor on a bronze plaque at the site of the Tree.
4 chosen
Est. delivery is Dec 12
For your quite frankly incredibe donation we will send you a pair of stirling silver gumleaf earrings and matching pendant by Michael Wilson Jewellers,which is a special local company now run by Michael's son Aaron, as mentioned above! <br /><br /> And since your pledge is so awesome, really, we would like to include your name as a special sponsor on a bronze plaque at the site of the Tree.
1 chosen
Est. delivery is Dec 12
Local writer Adrian Hyland has written one of the most significant accounts of the 2009 fires. We have copies for our great supporters. Black Saturday was a many-headed monster in whose wake stories of grief, heroism and desolation erupted all over the state of Victoria. This is a book about the monster—and the heroism of those who confronted it. Adrian takes a dramatic and compelling sequence of events on that day and weaves them into a picture of universal significance and deep fascination.
3 chosen / 0 available
Est. delivery is Dec 12
The copper leaf bangle is a special gift for a special sponsor.<br /> <br /> Kindly donated by blacksmith Bruce Anderson, this one-of-a-kind bangle is forged from copper and is made in the likeness of a gumleaf with the tip broken off. (So no sharp point to dig in to you.)<br /><br /> It's an elegant and unique piece of jewellery and, as it can be bent to shape, fits on any wrist.
1 chosen / 0 available
Est. delivery is Dec 12