Woodworkers carve out new home in club’s history
It has been a trip that has gone from a room at the Warragul Regional College 30 years ago, to the then unused Drouin West hall and, for the past 20 years, a disused cow shed on a Nilma North farm.
Today’s home is a new modern shed about 30x10 metres in size on the site of the former Lillico Tennis Club with the old tennis clubrooms also upgraded to include a kitchen, meeting room and new toilets.
President for the past three years Roger Gadd said he and the members were very proud and he reserved special praise for secretary Brian Grist’s many hours spent negotiating a lease of the site from Baw Baw Shire and overseeing a detailed submission for a State Government grant.
Nine of the current about 100 members have been on the club’s journey for the entire 30 years.
In recent years the club joined the Men’s Shed movement but retained the Woodworkers’ name because some members are women.
President of the Victorian Men’s Shed Association Lindsay Oates officially opened the new premises describing them as “remarkable” and “brilliant” and an asset that will contribute to the health and well-being of the community in the future.
Men’s Sheds may bring people together to make things and develop their hobbies but Mr Oates stressed their major role as social hubs where people can talk and air problems.
“Sheds save lives,” Mr Oates said, stating that in Victoria over the past 18 months “we know the sheds have saved 12 men from suicide and many others have tackled health problems after talking about them with others”.
Gippsland accounts for 75 of the 350 Men’s Sheds in the state, a number Mr Oates expects to grow to 400 in the next year.
The impressive Warragul Woodworkers’ Club building houses a huge range of equipment from lathes, a thicknesser, bandsaws, jointers, router table, sanders, a docking saw, drill presses and all the hand tools a woodworker could need that have been acquired over the years.
Mr Oates added another new item, an orbital sander, as a gift from the association in recognition of the work put in by members.
Buildings such as the new clubrooms don’t come cheaply.
The $150,000 the premises at Lillico cost was met by a $60,000 state government grant, funds raised by the club and many donations.
Mr Grist said the Drouin and district Community Bendigo Bank had given $9000 for solar panels as well as donating a defibrillator, Warragul’s Rotary and Lions clubs made donations and a number of local businesses helped with materials to build the shed and equipment for members to use.
He said the opening was “the most exciting day in the club’s history”.
“We have our own premises and everything we want,” he added.
Senior vice-president Stan Davey said what the club now had would not have been dreamt about 30 years ago.
He recalled key moments over the past two to three years that he said were his busiest and most satisfying at the club.
They were the offer of the lease at Lillico from the shire council and announcement of the government grant “after an anxious wait”.
Members threw their weight into clearing and preparing the site and renovating the old tennis club building, former tradesmen that are members keenly volunteering their skills, Mr Davey said.
Plenty of hours have been spent at Lillico since building started a year ago and things won’t be slowing down.
There’s toy making on Mondays, wood turning on Tuesdays, Wednesday is people’s day, there’s wood turning and rocking horse building on Thursdays and cabinet and outdoor furniture making on Fridays.
And, for those members with weekday commitments, Saturdays are an opportunity for them to do their woodworking.