The nimbleness and sheer strength of a bush axeman was on full display at the Good Old Days Festival, keeping the crowds mesmerised.

The demonstrations of bush skills and axe work by generational timber cutters Rod Sirl and Steve McKinnon was a new addition to the program this year, an initiative of bullock teamster Rod McKinnon.

Steve amazed the crowd with his ability to climb trees barefoot and swing off narrow boards balancing in small notches cut with his razor-sharp axe, demonstrating the way trees were felled, cut and processed in the bush.

He teamed up with Rod Sirl to split fence posts the traditional way with a hammer and wedges while Rod McKinnon added a commentary on his in-depth knowledge of the industry.

Mr Sirl is part of a family-owned joinery business which has operated for the past 57 years at Bega, on the NSW south coast, producing kitchens, vanities, wardrobes and machining timber.

“Our background is bullock teams in the bush, snigging yellow stringy and iron bark logs for fence posts, square sleepers and power poles,” he said.

“Yellow stringy is one of the best underrated timbers in the area but the flavour seems to be blackbutt and spotted gum for timber doors and windows.”

It was the third Good Old Days Festival for Mr Sirl but the first he was involved with a display.

“I love the atmosphere of all like-minded people; we are all interested in the same things,” he said.

“We were splitting fence posts the traditional way with a hammer and wedges, following the grain and the idea is to introduce how the axe was used in the bush. The splinters were trimmed with the axe.”

Rod woodchops at a competitive level at Royal and regional shows and had his range of axes on display.

“I’m 6 foot 4 inches and bullet proof but you run out of energy pretty quickly when you are swinging 3kg of steel on a handle.”

He brought along sliver top ash logs sourced from a revegetation area of Brown Mountain and box tree logs from the Kangaroo Valley.

Steve McKinnon grew up in the timber industry hauling logs with his father and brother in a business established by his grandfather.

“I am an axeman as well and wood chopping derives from that work done in the bush, felling trees and processing them in the bush.

Steve, of Tomerong, NSW, demonstrated how the axeman would climb the trees by creating toe hold notches for narrow boards to be placed in, creating a small platform to stand on.

“I did what’s called flat stump which is how they were cut in the bush. I went up three boards high which is similar to what’s done in the wood chopping arena.”

He also demonstrated climbing up three board lifts but with only one board, mimicking everyday work in the bush.

Twenty-five years ago, Steve won the NSW 11-inch tree felling championships at the Dubbo Show and remains as fit and nimble as ever.

He was encouraged to attend the festival by his brother and bullocky Rod McKinnon and was looking forward to seeing the world record horse team.

“It’s about being around like-minded people and having a look at good old things.”

Ends

Caption: Steve McKinnon, of Tomerong, NSW, shows his barefoot axe skills mimicking the traditional way of early timber cutters in the bush. Image Kim Woods

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