HAVING weathered storms, frosts and summer heat for the past 25 years, the Poowong packhorse has seen better days, with faded and peeling paint and cracks and dents covering it from nose to tail.
It was time, decided the Poowong Community Consultative Committee (PCCC) that the life-size red gum replica had a spell and got some attention in the form of repair and restoration.
“It’s got to the point where it’s got a lot of rot in it, and it’s going to need a full upgrade and renovation,” said PCCC member Lorraine Brunt.
“We have earned a bit of money to do the restoration, which is quite a substantial amount.”
The horse was harnessed and removed from its place in Poowong’s main street last week and carefully transported by the Council to a shed in Ruby where it will dry out before being tended to.
Talented local woodworker and artist, who was also awarded the status of Fellow by the Artisans Guild of Australia last year, Olivia O’Connor, has been building and restoring wooden rocking horses for over ten years and will be bringing her ingenuity to breathe new life into the packhorse.
“This is a big undertaking, this horse, and I think we’re very lucky to have the talent of Olivia so close, who will be capable of bringing the horse back to looking better than ever,” said Lorraine.
“She’ll paint her magic.”
The PCCC are also planning to upgrade the base the horse sits on because it holds water, and to redo the plaques around the base, and the group will apply for grants to complete this phase.
“We’ll get another 25 years or out of it at least when we restore it. I think it’s become a bit of an icon in the main street. It’s loved by locals and people passing stop to have a look and kids have a walk around it,” added Lorraine.
The Pioneer Packhorse statue was originally donated by Alex Scott & Staff and Scott family members to honour James and Elizabeth Scott, the first settlers of Poowong.
They unveiled the statue alongside Mr Bruce Gibson on April 18, 1999, to mark the 125th anniversary of the settlement of Poowong.
The statue pays tribute to the town’s rich history as a hub for packhorse transportation and was created by Rod Sheehan and underwent restoration by Ken Blum in 2006.
It is estimated that the restoration work will take about 12 months to be completed.
“I think it’ll be magnificent and I’m looking forward to it coming back. As I say, probably the rest of the community will also be grateful to see it once it’s all done,” said Lorraine.