AXEMEN from across northern NSW and Southern Qld commemorated the Plateau’s long history of timber getting with a successful woodchop carnival at Dorrigo’s annual show.
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Organisers played hide and seek with heavy storms to complete a program of underhand, standing block and tree felling events.
During the periods of heavy rain competitors and their families huddled under canvas and kept up a banter of Australian bush humour which would have bested many stand up comics.
A spokesman for the North Coast Axemen’s Association said local organisers had performed brilliantly to complete the program under such difficult conditions.
“It is important and valuable that centres like Dorrigo with their life time history of timber getting and forestry maintain truly Australian traditions such competitive wood chops.
“It is great to see older axemen, many of them former champions still competing successfully against younger men. I think all of us were pretty chuffed to watch two third generation axemen aged just five and six in the ring between events.
“It’s sights like these that give country Australians hope for the future of a our traditions.”
Thirty axemen from as far as Gunnedah, Barraba, Wauchope, Gloucester and Queensland took part in six main events contested in heats and finals throughout the day.
Successful axemen included Queensland veteran Kerry Hewitt who took out two firsts and a second place for the day to take home the Roger Supple Memorial Point Score Trophy.
Glenreagh axeman Dan Shipman showed stamina to win both the treefelling and combination championship events.
Michael Shipman, Glenreagh and Lachlan Barker, Gunnedah also featured in the places with local axeman Craig Fittock taking a win in the 250mm standing block event.
