In 2020, in the midst of lockdowns and Covid-19 restrictions, Melbourne furniture maker Alastair Boell undertook what he now regards as the job of a lifetime. On December 27, 2019, a much loved 150 year old oak tree at the Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria (RBGV) collapsed. The White Oak Project that ensued was the brainchild of RBGV Landscape Architect, Andrew Laidlaw, who then collaborated with furniture maker Alistair Boell and Gardens' arborist Charlie Carrol to transform a fallen giant into a sculptural meeting place that would, in Andrew's words, 'allow the tree to keep giving'. The evolution of what is now a popular meeting place was filmed by Nicky Murphy and Zeïna Thiboult (see www.rareamazing.com).
Alistair Boell is founder and director of the Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking, see www.mgfw.com.au Cover image: Alastair Boell
You'll be able to read about The White Oak Project in the March 2022 issue of Australian Wood Review magazine - learn more at www.woodreview.com.au
Video cover image: Alastair Boell