9 minute read
5 Experiencing artisanal magic
- Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades
Image: Bowie Wallace.
A flourishing of the rare trades
The mastery of the trades has been at play in Ballarat – nay across Australia – since the First Nations Peoples first walked this land, tens of thousands of years ago.
The original artisans, they were the ones who truly understood the workings of their surroundings, and with that knowledge fashioned incredible works of art used for function’s sake. Today, that inherent artisanal mastery, first instilled over 60,000 years ago, continues to seethe within Ballarat’s very essence. A mastery which continued through the city’s bustling gold rush years with a wave of thennew trades – blacksmithing, candlemaking, and wheelwrighting to name but a few – and which is now making a much-welcomed resurgence as more and more people appreciate the importance of creating for themselves in order to curb the war on waste and unnecessary consumption. This spring, Ballarat is set to open the doors of the all-new Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades at Sovereign Hill. An Australian first, the purpose-built, worldclass centre will protect, promote and share traditional trades, crafts and skills Through a series of regular workshops participants will learn rare trades including silversmithing, locksmithing, chairmaking, cane rod making, knifemaking, leather plaiting, basket weaving, SAORI weaving and longbow making, as well as Indigenous crafts such as traditional Wadawurrung weaving. According to Sovereign Hill’s deputy CEO Katrina Nitschke, the centre has been built from a desire to connect people to hands-on practice. “Our ambition is to connect people to lifelong learning. We believe in human capability and the mastery of practice and are passionate about preserving the knowledge and ability of those that have come before us.” The centre’s first workshops will launch in October. Wadawurrung weaver Tammy Gilson will facilitate a profound workshop which allows participants to see first-hand how Country makes her feel. The experience will start along the Yarrowee River where Tammy’s ancestors’ memories are held. Guests will learn traditional ecological knowledge to inform their afternoon practice and will be able to truly appreciate the makings of creativity. Another stellar offer on the centre’s workshop calendar is the class by renowned leather plaiter Bill Webb. Taught by R.M. Williams himself, Bill is considered one of the finest plaiters in Australia. Having spent 50 years perfecting his craft, he has been awarded the prestigious Australian Dame Mary Durack Award five times. Cutting, dying and waxing all the kangaroo skin used in his work himself, Bill will teach his craft just as he was taught it almost five decades ago – keeping the art of leather plaiting alive. November workshops feature local silversmith Rachel Grose. In this half-day workshop, participants will use traditional techniques and equipment to cut, file, texture, solder and polish a ring of their own design. Globally-accredited SAORI weaver Prue Simmons will also host a workshop. Her halfday workshop will explore the relaxing and meditative freestyle form of Japanese SAORI weaving, giving participants the chance to learn basic techniques and play with colour and texture to create their own scarf, wall hanging or table runner. There’s also a three-day cane fishing rod making course with David Anderson who is part of a long line of fly fishers that goes back to the Snowy Mountains in the late 1890s. David works hard to preserve the long and intricate history of split cane rods. David is passionate about rod making. He sources the bamboo from China and Japan to create beautiful pieces by hand . Each one is unique. Sam Bloomfield is an armourer and blacksmith with a passion for metal sculpting. His workshops will demonstrate the combination of traditional and modern techniques which will inspire participants on their own creative journeys.
- Katrina Nitschke, Deputy CEO “We think value and worth are defined by more than just price, and that working with expert artisans and tradespeople, everyone has the potential to create and contribute to the enduring legacy of human skill,” Katrina said. The Global Footprint Network states that if the world lived and consumed resources the same way Australians did, the years’ worth of resources on the planet would be used up by 12 March. Katrina said the Rare Trades Centre will give people the chance to be creative and, at the same time, be thoughtful about our environment. “It is not possible to continue the consumerist path we are taking, filled with throwaway items, cheap plastics, landfill, low value, low quality items. Our future must contain an investment into human capability and the ability to make things that last.” “We think everyone has the potential to create and contribute to the enduring legacy of human skill and, in doing so, create a more sustainable future with an emphasis on buying things only once. If we don’t invest in our collective ability to make and create, we will be looking at a future where we are powerless to effect positive change.”
For more information about about Sovereign Hill’s Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, including workshop dates and tickets, visit raretradescentre.com.au
Bill Webb learned from R.M. Williams himself. Image: Fred Kroh. SAORI weaver Prue Simmons. Rachel Grose uses traditional silversmith techniques and tools Image: Bowie Wallace.
Issue 5 / spring summer 2022 S P O I L T F O R C H O I C E
Ballarat’s booming eat, drink and stay scene
Hotel Vera and Underbar open late spring. Image: Hotel Vera.
Hotel Vera & Underbar
The highly-anticipated Hotel Vera is set to open its doors after an extensive renovation. The latest enterprise from Ballarat visionaries David Cook-Doulton and Martin Shew, the luxury hotel features seven individualised suites, each a sanctuary in its own right, and inspires a change of pace and immersion into warmth, seclusion and graciousness. A tribute to David’s grandmother, Vera hopes to provide guests with a mesmerising stay achieved through meticulous art, design, lighting and décor curation, as well as through a solitudinal garden and adjoining restaurant Underbar.
Owned by Ballarat local Derek Boath and partner Lucy Taylor, Underbar will continue to serve a unique dining experience in its purpose-built space. Operating on Friday and Saturday evenings, it will feature tailored wine pairing accompanying its ever-evolving degustation menu. The state-of-the-art space will create an intimate experience for guests, with the kitchen on display in the restaurant’s heart. With a career spanning more than 20 years, including experience at some of the world’s top restaurants such as New York’s three Michelin-star Per Se, Derek ensures menus are built around collaboration with local purveyors, with his dishes celebrating ingredients foraged from Ballarat and surrounds.
Freshly renovated Wayward Winery is now open. Image: Media Provided.
Wayward Winery
Continue your vino adventures at Waubra’s new Wayward Winery. Formerly Quoin Hill Vineyard, this destination winery boasts sweeping views of the Pyrenees Ranges, along with eight acres of vines plus a cellar door and restaurant. The project of Ballarat wonderpreneur Teddy Powlett, Wayward is situated just 20 minutes down the road from the city in the quaint township of Waubra. ‘It’s the first winery as you hit the gorgeous Pyrenees wine region,’ renowned hospitality and project leader Teddy Powlett says. According to Teddy, working in such a creative industry is what keeps him going back for more. ‘I love the people I work with and the creativitie elements of the industry. It’s been a tough few years but the resilience shown by our staff has been amazing’.
waywardwinery.com.au Art from Travis Price at Pencilmark Wine Room. Image: Thom Mitchell.
Pencilmark Wine Room
Finding its home in the previous location of Ballarat’s fine-dining haunt Underbar, Pencilmark Wine Room is a bustling and vibrant bar serving up an ever-changing roster of exceptional wines sourced by resident expert Anthony Schurrs. A casual and fun space to enjoy good tunes and even better vino, the wine room also offers a simple selection of curated food by Underbar chef Derek Boath, with the menu complementing Pencilmark’s wine list while following the restaurant’s same ethos of sourcing high-quality ingredients and keeping intervention low.
pencilmark.com.au About-to-open Earls Deli. Image: Media Provided.
Earl’s Deli
Ballarat culinary extraordinaires Drew Harry, Teddy Powlett and Josh Wood are set to open up a new venture devoted to serving meals between bread. Aptly called Earl’s Deli, the eatery is named in honour of 18th century English nobleman John Montagu – the 4th Earl of Sandwich – who allegedly invented the sando himself. Located in a sleek laneway space in one of Ballarat’s newest CBD developments, Earl’s Deli will serve up a rotating array of fresh sandwiches, fresh coffees and quality local produce. And if this trio’s previous enterprises are anything to go by, then this deli is going to deserve a top spot on your itinerary.
@earlsdeliballarat Pop-up Peasant is now open. Image: Peasant.
Peasant
A pop-up restaurant serving up a fivecourse European-inspired menu, Peasant is Ballarat’s latest culinary offering. Headed up by business partners chef Doug Kerr and maitre’d Dan Tesoriero, the restaurant is located in Ballarat’s historic Bank of New South Wales building on the iconic Lydiard Street North. With Doug having trained at Michelin restaurants in Britain, guests can expect a refined degustation experience packed with the fullest flavours and freshest produce of the region – and with no room for wastage. Dubbed as ‘anti-fast food’, the restaurant is an appreciation of the culinary aesthetic as much as it is a celebration of the earth.
peasant.net.au
Mister Sturt by Wonder Inns opens this summer.
Mister Sturt
The brainchild of Annie and Shane Brereton, Mister Sturt is set to be a luxury, hotelinspired city apartment situated in the heart of Ballarat’s main thoroughfare of Sturt Street. Established under Annie and Shane’s accommodation brand Wonder Inns – which also incorporates boutique offerings Grayling’s Gift and Jean-Claude – Mister Sturt will offer guests a charming base from which to explore the city’s thriving hospitality and cultural scene. If they decide to leave the comfort of their temporary repose, that is. It does seem to be a recurring problem when it comes to the Wonder Inns spaces.
wonderinns.com.au
With every passing season, Ballarat’s creative landscape continues to thrive as its ever-expanding coterie of visionaries sets its sights on new horizons, solidifying the city’s name on the national tourist map.
Once dubbed a town known only for its gold rush history and inclement weather, Ballarat is now acclaimed across Australia as a culinary destination and cultural melting pot. Accolades speak of its unexpected resurgence, of the revolution taking place beneath the surface, of the entrepreneurial spirit making an imprint on its very core. During the spring and summer period, visitors will be able to relish in several new locales that act as evidence of Ballarat’s burgeoning creative landscape – with each space doing wonders to further position the city’s name as a tourist destination of choice.
