Memory keeper, yarn spinner and scrap metal sculptor — Andrew Whitehead

Memory keeper, yarn spinner and scrap metal sculptor — Meet our mate Andrew Whitehead from Urana

Describing himself akin to a homing pigeon, the call of The Murray was too much for Andrew Whitehead to resist. After 20 years in the army and travelling the world, Andrew says, “I wasn't happy till I came back home again to the Murray region”. Now living on the farm where he grew up just outside Urana, part of the North of the Murray region, he’s helping bring rural history to life through his scrap metal art sculptures.

In relatively tidy work overalls (off camera, he admits to wearing his cleanest pair for us), at a glance, he strikes you as a typical country bloke pottering about in his shed. While he’ll happily lead with a simple “I build scrap metal sculptures", there’s more to Andrew than meets the eye.

Dive deeper into conversation and you’ll uncover the passion, dedication and thoughtfulness that drives him:

“Nothing in life enriches me like art has…it does something internally.”

Before taking up sculpture making, he recounts building the shed (now his workshop) and watering trees nearby, while thinking, “I'm meant to be doing something. I don't know what ‘it’ is…and then one day, bang, you know, it all fell in place…it was meant to be.”

“My wife said to go up the shed, do something creative. I went up there and I built a stupid-looking cow, and I took it to an art show, and I won first prize. I just kept on going from there.”

While he started out at art shows, he now takes on commissions from councils, community groups and private collectors. Close to home, you’ll find his work on roadsides and water towers with the Swagman and Rusty at Boree Creek and Not So Itsy Spider at Urana. His sculptures are also scattered throughout the Murray region and across Australia.

Andrew's connection to home and his art

The name Andrew Whitehead is well known, but the man himself is happiest under the radar. On trips to Yarrawonga Mulwala, he often stops by his Murray Cod sculpture-slash-bike-rack. “I go in there incognito; no one knows me. I see people come up to the artwork and give favourable comments and I think, well, I did a good job here.” It’s named King of the River because of the ball bearings added to the sharp dorsal fins on top, giving a crown-like appearance.

It's these smaller touches he most often speaks about in his work. He carved the initials of local students on Shearing the Ram at Lowesdale, a piece inspired by Tom Roberts’ iconic Shearing the Rams painting.

“I wanted to create a connection to that community so I invited the schoolchildren to donate cogs and artefacts for inclusion…my thank you to that was that on every one of the cogs, I've engraved the initials of every child that was in the primary school...they have a permanent record, and when they’re old men like me, they can say to their grandchildren, ‘Look at that son, that was way back’.”

Andrew reminisces about the old days. Recalling his first sight of Lake Mulwala, he compares it to seeing the ocean for the first time. Each year he returned for the ski races.

“The ski boat races were the highlight of the calendar year. All the young men would go down there because there were fast cars, big speed boats…such a cosmopolitan vibe…it was like going to the other side of the planet.”

His love of shared stories and memories shines through in his work. It often “relates to some history of the town or the region, or some event that happened that's important to the community”.

Pointing out salvaged header parts in a new piece under construction, he knows older generations will see it and recall memories like, "I remember having to change those bloody things. I hated ‘em”.

When he’s not in the workshop, Andrew often visits nearby towns including Corowa. “It still maintains its country-town feel, the people are friendly…[they’ve] got the time to say ‘g’day”. He also looks forward to seeing “one of the most beautiful places on the Murray”, the view along the road from Rennie to Mulwala.

“[On the approach] you can see the trees building up and the greenery and the life improving and improving. And then you get to the T-junction and you see this marvellous body of open water and wildlife and fishermen and activity…even today, I'll get a buzz when I drive down that road and I first see the lake.”

Another favourite spot is Digger Loughnan Fishing Jetty and Park. On the foreshore of Lake Mulwala,

“People that ride push bikes going around the lake can pull in there and have a bit of a fish, have a look…that's a lovely spot. Very quiet, not too many people. You can sit there and meditate or do whatever you like”.

Andrew's opinion on his work and what it brings to a community

As a lover of quieter stops along a road trip, Andrew is well-versed in the benefits his art can bring to a location.

“If I do my job properly and the artwork looks interesting and dynamic, then tourism will come…they're stopping and having a look, [then they search for more sculptures and] go to the next town and buy a cup of coffee there or fill the fuel tank up.”

Not content with only tourism benefits, he includes the community as part of his process. He invites contributions in the form of suggestions and scrap metal parts, and shares updates on Facebook — “They all feel [included], by the time it arrives, they already own it”.

“I think the community benefits from [a sculpture] that has some meaning to them. [They’ll] donate artefacts from their grandfather or their shed…it gives them a connection to the artwork personally. It means they look after it.”

Andrew’s unique pieces are not only eye-catching attractions but deeply embedded in the communities they call home.

Mates of The Murray series

This is the second blog in our Mates of The Murray series, and we’ll be introducing you to four more of our mates over the coming weeks. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to discover more of The Murray, or subscribe to our emails and get the latest straight to your inbox.