Local organisation: Illawarra Woodworkers Group in Fairy Meadow

From meeting in members' garages to setting up their own space, the Illawarra Woodworkers Group has grown since it began with just a handful of members in 1988.

Treasurer William Perry joined the group because he had a passion for fine woodcraft and enjoyed the relaxed environment at the workshop. Over the years he and the other members have had the opportunity to make everything from simple projects like small boxes, to more unusual items like jousting sticks.

Here's why you might want to become a member...

When and how did the Illawarra Woodworkers form?

The group was formed in 1988 by a small group of men who had a shared interest in woodworking. They met in each other's garages for a while and later held meetings at the Wollongong University as the group grew bigger. They then moved to rented space in Corrimal.

How has the group developed and how many members do you now have?

We moved to the current location at the Fairy Meadow Demonstration School in 2001 when an old amenities block that was due to be demolished was offered as a base.

The group then renovated it as a workshop. It has been extended twice since, with help from the NSW Government Communities grants. The workshop facilities and machinery have been acquired over many years through fund raising efforts by the members.

We have about 25 members total at present.

Why is the group based in Fairy Meadow? What’s appealing about that location?

It's historically been based around the Fairy Meadow/Corrimal area where it first started, but we have members that come from Oak Flats to Thirroul. The location on the school grounds is also a great benefit.

What projects have you worked on as a group? What have been some of the highlights?

We've mainly done small projects for the school or members of the public in repairs or building one-off items.

We mostly get requests for things that are a bit different. A few years ago we made a 1m long auctioneers gavel for a local real estate agent’s annual awards night. There was a group that does jousting, and we made four or five jousting sticks for them.

We have also made and donated toys and a model semi-trailer truck for the Wollongong Hospital children's ward, as well as another truck for Camp Quality.

We also run a small group each week with the school for students. The students are guided by members in constructing their own tool boxes, pencil box and bird feeder.

For the past couple of years we’ve also created kits that use what we do with the Fairy Meadow School to give to the Para Meadows special education school. The students don’t like a lot of change, so we’ve put the kits together, and then trained up the teachers to use them. They've since come back to us to get more kits made.

We make a few items such as turned bowls, small boxes, cutting boards and other wooden craft items for sale at local exhibitions. This is one of the few fundraising things we do to sustain the group.

If it’s community based, then we just ask that they cover the cost of the materials and we’ll make it. For other projects, we ask to cover the cost of materials and a small donation to go towards our group.

What plans do you have for Illawarra Woodworkers?

Hopefully expand and to maintain the traditional skills of woodworking in a relaxed and friendly environment.

Do you need to have woodwork skills to join? And how can someone get involved?

We always welcome new members. There’s no experience necessary, but we don't run any formal classes. It is more that they have a go at projects (their own or assist with club projects) with guidance from other group members.

We have a monthly meeting on the second Saturday from about 9am. We also have a workshop on Saturday mornings from about 8.30am to noon, and Thursday from about 8.30am. Anyone interested can drop in at any of the workshop times or contact us with our email info (at) illawarrawoodworkers.org.au. All of the info is also posted on our website illawarrawoodworkers.org.au.

Anything else you’d like to add?

We are often confused with being a Men's Shed, but we don't have any links to that organisation. We are an independent community group that is quite a bit older and welcome all comers to the group. We have a number of female members that are quite active in the group.

Are you ready to discuss buying, selling or leasing a home in the Fairy Meadow or surrounding suburbs? Contact Joanne on (02) 4285 7400.

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