Three metal sculptures depicting a famous kelpie are set to grace the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail, thanks to the work of Cowwarr artist Jo Caminiti.
Jo bought herself a welder for her 50th birthday and is a self-taught sculptor who was commissioned to create the kelpies by the rail-trail committee.
This week, she displayed the finished products to Gippsland MP Darren Chester, who was impressed by the larger-than-life sculptures.
“The collaboration between local history buffs, the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail management committee, artist Jo and an Alinta Loy Yang B community partnership grant has led to three dogs being created to depict an epic journey,” Mr Chester said
“It’s a genuine labour of love, re-purposing parts of old cars, horseshoes, garden trowels, nuts and bolts to create such unique artwork. Some of the metal was even salvaged from the ruins of the Black Saturday bushfires in Traralgon South, adding another layer of meaning to Jo’s work.
“The three dogs are 1.6 times life-sized in scale, and the Rail Trail Committee is working with some apprentices from Loy Yang B to construct plinths, and will be installing the dogs at Glengarry, Toongabbie and Cowwarr stations.
“While they are all in different poses, each kelpie is full of character from the railway spikes turned into foot pads to the brass drawer knobs for eyes… absolute masterpieces!”
For those who haven’t heard the story, the folklore of the ‘Railway Dog’ dates back to a story in the Herald Sun in 1935 about a female red kelpie stray who used to travel on trains around Gippsland, frequenting the Traralgon Railway Station refreshment room for food.
One Saturday, she missed the Stratford train and dashed across the country to the Glengarry shunting yards to catch the train there. But the train was leaving the station as she reached the home signal.
The ambitious canine continued the chase of the train to Toongabbie, but missed the train, sprinting on to Cowwarr. She missed the train again, waiting on the platform for the train to return to take her back to Traralgon.
Mr Chester said the community-driven project to immortalise the story with metal sculptures would become a tourist attraction.
“Just like the silo art trail, I’m sure there will be visitors who will detour to Glengarry, Toongabbie and Cowwarr to take photos of the kelpies and learn more about the famous story,” Mr Chester said.
The first sculpture will be officially unveiled at a community event in Glengarry on Sunday, March 22.
