By CASEY NEILL
DANDENONG is showcasing packaging waste at its best.
The sixth Create from a Crate exhibition will open at Walker Street Gallery on Thursday 4 February – its first time in Dandenong in its 12-year history.
“All of the timber used originates from our recycling depot in Dandenong South so it made sense to finally have the exhibition there!” Waste Converters managing director Ward Petherbridge said.
“This year the pallets have been distributed right up the east coast of Australia.
“We have entrants in Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane… even Rockhampton!
“The entries demonstrate that the waste timbers at my site are a valuable and untapped resource material when handled by skilled craftspeople.”
Mr Petherbridge said hundreds of thousands of crates and pallets containing goods and components from all over the world were imported into Australia each year and many ended up in landfill.
“We recycle around 20,000 tonnes annually and this is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
“Much of the timber processed at our site is from exotic timber species such as oak, cherry, maple and elm.
“I found it depressing that these quality timbers get pulverised into low-grade mulch, so I approached the Victorian Woodworkers Association about hosting the exhibition.”
Victorian Woodworkers Association president Jerome Wielans said working within the confines of pallet timber required a high level of creativity, ingenuity and skill.
“The competitors are generally more comfortable working with fine timbers, so it is inspiring to see what they produce from discarded timber,” he said.
“It is a real test of their workmanship.”
Will Matthysen won the last Create from a Crate challenge with a clock.
“He even made the cogs and wheels out of timber from the pallet,” Mr Petherbridge said.
This year’s creations will be on display until Saturday 27 February.
Walker Street Gallery and Arts Centre is at the corner of Walker and Robinson streets, Dandenong, and is open 11am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 11am to 3pm Saturdays.
Watch Will Matthysen create his winning clock from a crate.
