Bronte Payne
Since leaving Landcare 12 years ago Bronte has amassed a body of work across the district and has restored and designed and rebuilt kms of dry stone walls, resulting in retaining walls, property entrances and garden features now scattered throughout the district.
Austin’s Wines at Sutherlands Creek, is the most impressive example with towering 2 metre high pillars that connect to walls that zig zag through majestic peppercorn trees.
A more recent project was the restoration of a large sheep fold at Mt Hesse. This was done over a period of 4 years 2 months at a time. The structure dated back to 1848 and the team took great pride in being part of a restoration project to preserve such an early an important structure that contributed to the establishment of the Australian wool industry.
Bronte also works with developers across Wyndham and Melton shires who have heritage overlays to protect existing dry stone walls.
This work involves restoration or re alignment of old walls to fit plans and development of the new housing estates west of Melbourne.
Building dry stone walls has now become a full time occupation employing a small crew of artisans.