Waste to Art is a NetWaste initiative sponsored by Sims Metal, and the competition and exhibition showcases creative works made from reused and recycled waste material.

Oberon’s inventive project, ‘Flying High in Oberon’, celebrated the anniversary of the landing of the Silver Streak plane piloted by local Gordon Doust and Sir Charles Kingsford Smith at the now Oberon High School site on March 6, 1921. This was the first plane to land in Oberon and it sustained damage as it landed in Doust’s field.

This landing created a lot of excitement. While repairs were carried out, a story in itself, Oberon entertained Sir Charles, then a Flight Lieutenant, who in return gave joy flights to locals before continuing his journey north. Photographs of this historic event are housed at the Oberon Museum, accompanied by a piece of the broken propeller of the plane, donated by Bev O’Brien after the death of her father.

Friends of the Oberon Library applied for and received a NetWaste grant which enabled them to run two workshops, one for children and one for adults, in the January school holidays to complete the project.

Children set about making planes, origami birds and other things that fly from recycled paper.

The adults made pine trees from recycled council business papers. The actual bi-plane was made from recycled books as were the spectators, animals and the pilots. A hot air balloon, made from paper mache from old Oberon Review newspapers, and its basket, made from recycled cardboard and baling twine, floated above the scene.

The project was displayed in both the council foyer and Reliance Credit Union window, and was enjoyed by the community. Special mention should go to the Friends’ project co-ordinator Celia Ravesi who put in a lot of work to get the project completed.

The Oberon project will be included in the exhibition at Menindee from June 5 among exhibits from around 20 regional council areas from across NSW.