The annual Spirit of the Land festival made its return over the weekend making Lockhart a haven for sculptures and fine arts.

The event opened early on Saturday the 7th and finished off on the following Sunday with stalls, galleries, exhibitions and sculptures galore to enjoy.

According to President of the Spirit of the Land committee, Peter Veneris, the weekend was a great success in all aspects.

“It all went really well, we were really happy with how it all turned out; We had a great crowd and some great exhibitions with some great fine arts and photography on show,” He said.

“I’ve got a small, dedicated committee that spends every year planning this event but come the week of the festival, it never ceases to amaze me the amount of volunteers that seem to materialise to do all the things that need to be done when they need to be done and it’s just great to see how the town embraces the festival and makes it its own.”

There were a number of winners on the day in different categories and ranging in age and style.

In the sculpture awards categories, Andy McGill came away as the winner for the National Farm Art Sculpture Award.

In the Sculpture category, Andy McGill claimed the National Farm Art Sculpture Award with his remarkable creation, “George the Friesian Bull”.

James Corby’s “Rustic Alarm Clock” earned him the coveted Creative Cocky Award, while Joe Dowdle’s “Inner Circles” triumphed in the Local Artist Award category.

“Keep the Rabbits Out” by Dave Fenwick also won an aware in the Small Sculpture Award section.

The Youth Artist Awards celebrated young talents, with Hamish and Jobe Cunningham’s “Springy Tuna” taking top honors among those under 12 years old, and Jeremy Marsh impressing with “Spare Parts The Fish” in the 12-18 years category.

In the Fine Arts Awards section, Vicki McKoy’s “Campers along the Goulburn” took home the spirit of the land and its people while Sophie Chauncy’s “Black Chinned Honeyeater” claimed the Open Section Award.

Patricia Cerminara’s “Aunty Trish” and “My Yinairs” showcased indigenous artistry and came away with the Indigenous Award.

The Peoples Choice Awards was also a tough competition but ‘Murray Cod’ by Stuart Taylor claimed the win in the Sculpture category while Donna Brown took out the Fine Arts category with her piece, ‘Best Mates’.

Finally, in the photography categories, Rhonda Wheeler’s “Rivergums” was the winning shot and earned her the Australian Spirit of the Land Award while young Abbey Bergmeier’s “Weir at Sunset” earned her the Australian Spirit of the Land Youth Award.

According to Mr Veneris, the festival is a huge event for the community and receives their support every year for different reasons.

“The festival is a terrific thing for a number of reasons, it’s the most significant event in the shire and it generates a lot of economic activity for local businesses,” He said

“It is also really important in terms of the socialising and connectedness aspect; There are a lot of people who still have connections to Lockhart and will choose the festival weekend to come back and visit and spend time with their families at the festival and thats a huge part of it too.”

Outside of the riveting art, there was something for everyone with plenty of children activities including the popular Lions Train as well as farm tours running on Saturday for those who wanted a more intimate look into Lockhart.

There were also over a hundred stalls to choose from, live music on both days and an array of food options for festivalgoers.

Although there were a few worries about the weather in the leadup to the event, the rain they received earlier in the week cleared up just in time for a great festival weekend.

Spirit of the Land Lockhart winners:

Sculpture Awards

• National Farm Art Sculpture Award Winner Andy McGill “George and the Frisian Bull”, Highly commended Stuart Taylor “Murray Cod” and Peter Murray, “Crocodile”
• Creative Cocky Award: James Corby, “Rustic Alarm Clock”
• Local Artist Award: Joe Dowdle, “Inner Circles”
• Small Sculpture Award: Dave Fenwick, “Keep the Rabbits Out”
• Youth Artist Award (under 12 years): Hamish and Jobe Cunningham, “Springy Tuna”
• Youth Artist Award (12-18 years): Jeremy Marsh, “Spare Parts The Fish”

Fine Arts Awards:

• Spirit of the Land and It’s People: Vicki McKoy, “Campers along the Goulburn”
• Open Section Award: Sophie Chauncy, “Black Chinned Honeyeater”
• Indigenous Award: Patricia Cerminara, “Aunty Trish” and “My Yinairs”

Photography

• Australian Spirit of the Land Award: Winner Rhonda Wheeler, “Rivergums”; highly commended: David Ball “Behind the Shadows”
• Australian Spirit of the Land Youth Award: Abbey Bergmeier “Weir at Sunset”. 

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 12 October 2023.