The Wall In The Wilderness
THE WALL IN THE WILDERNESS
The Eighth Wonder of Tasmania
Tassie has had some people icons and natural wonders over its brief history since European settlement. Beginning with our penal settlement, now never to be forgotten through preservation (for example Port Arthur and Sara Island) to our long extinct?? thylacine; our wilderness and natural diversity; our rare and valued endemic pine, Huon Pine; our own footy legend “Up There Cazaly”; Hydro Electric installations courtesy of Labour political icon “Electric Eric” Reece and his Hydro Electric Commissioner ‘heavy’, Sir Allen Knight; to our sporting legends, the two Giant David's of the “Devil State”, David Foster and David Boon.
Just as our Tasmanian born current Australian Cricket Captain, Ricky Ponting, is carving a name for himself, so to are Greg and Margaret Duncan in creating the eighth wonder of Tasmania, “The Wall in the Wilderness”, located at Derwent Bridge, halfway between the civilised world and the wilderness, according to Greg Duncan himself, and I quote, “the place has a soul and a living history”. Greg has begun to tell the story through his “Macro” sculptures.
The murals are carved out of our rare Huon pine and feature panels five metres high, telling the stories of pioneering development of the harsh Central Highlands, beginning with the indigenous people, to timber harvesters, to pastoralists, to Hydro and mining.
The whole complex, due to be finished in seven years, will stretch a massive one hundred metres and become a major tourist attraction.
About 20 metres of the Huon pine murals have been completed, along with “Stand Alone”, world renowned carvings in Huon pine of animals, capes, gloves and a Dri-as-a-bone coat.
The murals completed to date gave Greg and Margaret the confidence to invite our Labour State Premier, The Honourable Paul Lennon, to open the complex on March 1st, 2006. Mr. Lennon praised the vision, drive and entrepreneurship of Greg and his wife Margaret who have put everything ‘on the line’ to see the venture a success. The Honourable Paul Lennon said, and I quote, “this is absolutely awe-inspiring”.
The Premier ranked the Wall alongside the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry in France or equivalent to the work of famous Italian sculptor, Michelangelo, in the way that his life like figures seem to want to “free” themselves from the timber foundation.
The work of art, according to Forestry Tasmania’s, Mr. Evan Rolly, who also spoke at the official opening, exemplifies so much about what Tasmanians hold dear - the spirit, endeavour, tenacity and courage of our pioneering forbears who ventured into the hostile west coast wilderness to begin to mould the Tasmania as we know it today.
Mr. Geoff Willis from Hydro Tasmania, who also addressed the guests, said that the Wall in the Wilderness would become a Hydro icon along side Waddamma, Tungatinah and Tarraleah power stations.
The whole venture is a credit to Greg and Margaret Duncan and their family.
One can only wish them well, just as they have acknowledged the support for the project from government, Hydro Tasmania, Forestry Tasmania and locals from the project’s conceptual beginning.
WHAT A VISION - John Shoobridge
|
|
 |
|
|
Other Articles
|
|
