Lyrebird steals the show at Woorayl Lodge

A STRIKING lyrebird sculpture, now perched in front of Leongatha’s Woorayl Lodge, proves the sleepless nights it caused its creator John Vuilerman were well spent.

Woorayl Lodge auxiliary president and board member Kaye Warren sparked the initiative, with Woorayl an Aboriginal word meaning lyrebird.

The lyrebird is the Lodge’s logo, with John having to draw on his ingenuity to bring his sculpture to life.

When approached by Kaye, he was less than confident when asked if he could build a lyrebird.

“I’m buggered if I know,” John responded.

One of his initial concerns was working out which material to use to clad the sculpture.

“Then I thought, distorted reo bar,” he said of the choice of steel reinforcing bar normally used in concreting jobs but having the ideal texture for the appearance he wanted to create.

John attributed that inspiration to his lost sleep as he worked out how to tackle the task Kaye set.

The bird, which already has multiple nicknames among the lodge residents and staff, including Ozzie, was created with a mixture of materials.

They include repurposed car parts, with a skeleton formed from a Toyota front coil spring and eyes that started life as brake rivets, while fencing wire forms the bird’s finer feathers.

The new Woorayl resident looks right at home on a red gum log sourced from Cobram, and will soon be spotlit at night.

Woorayl Lodge Auxiliary funded the sculpture, with president Kaye delighted it has settled in just in time for the Lodge’s November 26 Fete.

Leongatha Rotary Club also made a significant donation towards the project, with its funding helping enable the recent concreting in the vicinity of the lyrebird.

Past Leongatha Rotary president Dr Lindsay Moore said the club’s members are pleased to support the local community.

The Rotary Club was involved in establishing the Lodge and was keen to be a part of the lyrebird project.

Funding was raised through the furniture and book shop Leongatha Rotary opened this year in the town’s old fire station.

Leo Argento, a member of the club and on the Woorayl Lodge board, sees the new sculpture as an ideal fit for its home.

“It’s a proud bird and we’re a proud organisation,” he said of the Lodge.

That pride was clear to see as its residents and staff assembled for a photo with the lyrebird, its creator and others who made the project a reality.