The launch day was a very exciting day for us because we have talked about acquiring a beater for the group almost ever since our inception. We have felt that it was out of our realm, the price of a new one being over $10,000.
Our quest for a beater (and access studio) all started in late October 1998 when a group of us were talking at the end of a day spent at Frankston TAFE using the Hollander beater there. We thought wouldnât it be great to have an access workshop with beater closer to Melbourne. The Fairfield paper mill seemed a likely venue.
A group of us met at Wattle Park to talk about what we wanted and how we would go about getting it. We drafted a letter to Australian Paper and had a phone call from Malcolm Shield the Manager of the Fairfield Mill. Anne Marie, Carol and myself went to the mill to meet with Malcolm. He explained that it would not be possible for us to be anywhere on that site but that we might be able to have our workshop at the research site, just over the road.
Next we met with Stephen Grist, he didnât think that there would be room for us to be there on a permanent basis but thought that we could hold some workshops there. During this interview Stephen recalled that there was an old Hollander around somewhere but he wasnât sure where.
Carol called him some time later about the workshops and he said that theyâd located the Hollander and that we could have it. After some tooing and froing by Carol we got the beater to Mark and Joyâs but then had to get a motor for it as the motor and weights had been taken from the AMCOR stores. Many more trips to Fairfield by Carol and a lot of work by Mark and the beater is now operational.
We now have the beater available for members use at a cost of $5 per hour.
It is housed at our new studio space in Box Hill Community Arts Centre
Please call Gail or Carol to arrange use of the beater.