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A Cooper from Australia Beveridge Coopers - working at history. Beveridge, Victoria, Australia.... George Smithwick, a Beveridge resident, said he was one of the only three working coopers left in Victoria. Staring down at the generous layers of sawdust in his workshop, he recalls his early childhood. 'I was brought up with wood - it's all I ever knew. Everywhere I lookedas a child, it was there', he said. 'I was born with arms as branches and leaves grow out of my ears'. Coopering goes back in George Smithwicks family for six generations, but he trained as a cabinet maker. The first items George made were wine barrels. He sold them around the local wineries, but not in enough quantities to feed himself. So to reach a wider audience he exhibited at a draught horse festival in country Victoria, Australia. Wooden buckets are made the same way as wine barrels, and thinking they would have a wider appeal, set up a demonstration workshop and began making buckets with people looking on. He sold them for dry goods, storage and milk (they are watertight). He continued to diversify. With a love of history and a passionate enthusiasm for his craft, he made butter churns, miniature barrels for St Bernard Dogs, shepherds crooks, wooden and cast iron pot stands, clothes dryers, hurdles etc etc. After a visit to England he started making trugs - a design that can be traced back to 1862 with no serious English gardener being without one(Geoge's words) We have finally managed to get George to visit England this year in 2005. He will be exhibiting and demonstrating his skills at two of our events this year. ( and no doubt telling a tale or two)  |
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