Outback Travels - Part Two, Lake Dunn Sculpture Trail

 Friday 27 August

The trail has 40 sculptures spread along 209 km of bush road to Lake Dunn and various cattle properties. Bitumen - 67 km and dirt 142km, but definitely worth the nuisance of dust and corrugations.

 Local property manager and artist, Milynda Rogers has created 40 unique sculptures since about 2013. 

To quote Milynda, aka Scrape Metal Sheila, "It didn't start out as a sculpture trail. It began with me putting one sculpture on the road because I didn't know where else to put it."

Each sculpture depicts an animal or aspect of Outback life, using rusting recycled and upcycled odds and ends, mostly found in the local area.

Milynda and her husband Daryl manage Boongoondoo Station, owned by the pastoral company Clark and Tait. The 50,000 hectares run 4000 head of Santa Gertrudis cattle. [in a good year.] Milynda is also Deputy Mayor of the Barcaldine Council.

Milynda has lived most of her life in the outback, working on properties in the Northern Territory and Western Queensland. She has now lived  at Boogoondoo for 25 years and last year developed a business from her sculptures.

You may be interested in reading more about Milynda via these links. I find her incredibly inspiring.

https://www.australiancountry.com.au/creative-corner/country-outback-artist/

https://thisnzlife.co.nz/the-lake-dunn-sculpture-trail-follow-milynda-rogers-creative-metalwork-along-an-outback-queensland-road

So let's hit the road and find her sculptures that sit so perfectly balanced in the landscape. 

Our route was from Aramac to Lake Dunn and then south to the Jericho-Aramac Road and back to Aramac. 

Pushbike with Goanna and Roos

Ram

Harry Redford - Mastermind of "one of the world's greatest cattle duffing drives known to man " to quote Barcaldine Regional Council.

Jonathon Thurston - north Queensland's Rugby League football champion, but also a man of "humility, sportsmanship, leadership and loyalty. Admired both on the field and off, making him an inspiring role model for indigenous people and a great Australian". [Australian of the Year awards, 2018]

https://www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au/story/5964035/thurston-immortalised-on-sculpture-trail/

Plains Turkeys

Spring Fish

Jabrirus - one of my favourites. Such a dramatic pose in this flat landscape.

Rainbow Serpent

A climb to White Station Healing Circle.

Echidna

Emu Chicks

Frilled Neck Lizard

Crayfish

Bronc - This bucking bronco was created to advertise the Ballyneety Rodeo held near Aramac.

Cutting Horse Cow Girl

Chopper

Butterflies

Where's Wally?

Bush Spider

Goanna

Plane

Koala

Sideshow Bob

Dingo Stump

Pig

Kookaburra

Cockatoos at Milynda's station entrance.

Bottle Tree - the leaves are cattle ear tags.

Eagle and Snake

Motor Bike Musterer

Thirsty Cockatoos

Deer

Frog and Dragonflies

Possum in Gum

Dog

Returned Soldier - This haunting, life-sized sculpture of a returning soldier is incredibly evocative, as he sits astride his horse, high on the bluff. 

I quote Don Fuchs. "Rounding a bend in the unsealed road, one is suddenly confronted by a flat-topped rocky promontory.  On top of the promontory, right above the road, a figure on a horse immediately captures one's attention. In an iconic stance, hat pulled low, a gun slung across his shoulder, the figure stares out from his vantage point into the heat-shimmering expanse." 

Eagle and Chicks

Fighting Red Roos

Roaming White Bull

Brolgas

Back in Aramac - Big Red Roo

I hope you have had time to enlarge some of the photos to see the clever choice and positioning of the recycled pieces, used to create each piece. I have really enjoyed putting this post together. I have read and learnt so much more about the amazing talent of the Scrape Metal Shiela, Milynda Rogers!

I would love to read your comment.