“Hi to all the entrants of the gate competition.

It was great to see all the gates and read the stories behind them.

All the entries were of a high calibre and it was a tough choice to make. I really liked Melanie Kinsey’s driveway gate which was very elegant and practical. Yvonne Peterson’s entry also stood out to me. Her gate was made by her father and really caught my eye.

Melanie Kinsey’s driveway gate

Yvonne Peterson’s entry

But for me the winner was Susan Gould’s gate made by her son Gus.

Gus busy creating the winning gate entry

The gate is simple and beautiful in design made using blacksmithing skills of forging and riveting as were so many gates in Australia in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries often using scrap steel on farms such as the old jinker and cartwheels steel tyres which were straightened out and riveted together into gates.

I wish Gus all the best in his future blacksmithing endeavours and a big thank you to all the entrants.”

Andrew Kimpton - Judge

Susan wrote of the function this gate serves on their farm:

“The gate was designed to suit its purpose – it is strong, robust and bold to mark the border between the busy farm and the refuge of the garden. It keeps out roaming sheep and protects my chooks from foxes. It links us with the history of agriculture as it is made entirely of material sourced on the farm from old machinery and discarded steel. The straight lines and sharp edges of the gate echo the farm fencing and shedding and serves as a contrast point to the softness of the wormwood and agapanthus that mark the beginning of the garden. Upon approaching the gate, a visitor would feel the temperature drop significantly as we have deliberately created a microclimate of shade and green foliage. The eye would also be drawn to the black smithing shed and forge where maybe you might see the smouldering coals and Gus hammering and moulding steel.

Living on your workplace can sometimes be all consuming and a challenge to a farmer’s mental health. I love this gate, not only does it represent the important demarcation between work and home but it emphasises the importance of family because it was made by Gus from elements of our farm history.

He made the gate during Covid (2020) around the time of his eighteenth birthday so it could be seen as a gateway symbol of his transition to adulthood. He used materials sourced on the farm and with his homemade blacksmithing forge. The flat strap comes from a Sunshine harvester that was found under a peppertree. The circular holes in the old iron give an indication of its past life but creates a lovely window for shards of light to penetrate. I love the sense of continuity of family farms that is conjured by the use of repurposed materials.“

What a worthy winner! Congratulations Susan and Gus.