Model sailing ships ahoy

JOE Hilder’s love of seafaring has launched countless ships, all of which fit into his back shed.
A self-confessed “model-making nut”, Mr Hilder is achieving widespread renown for his skill in bringing legendary and historical ships to life.
Mr Hilder makes very large and intricate model sailing ships. He has been making them since he was a boy and has expanded his interest to clocks and special requests by neighbours, family and friends.
Some are special gifts – others he makes for local groups to raffle and raise funds.
He said his work was a labour of love.
“My grandfather used to tell me stories about the sea and that’s where it comes from, I guess,” he said.
“I love making the models and I must be stubborn because the harder it is, the more I try.”
The patriarch of the Hilder saw milling family in Gembrook and member of a local bush band, Mr Hilder has taken on another project since his retirement.
He has made a scale model of the family’s old sawmill as a way of preserving a little piece of the family history as well as Gembrook’s history.
The sawmill was built based on Joe’s memories and those of other family members about how the mill looked and operated during the saw milling days.
The model will be unveiled at the Gembrook Market this Sunday, 27 November and will be displayed along with other models he has made.
Revitalised this year, the Gembrook Market promotes sustainable living and is held at Puffing Billy Station, Gembrook.
People looking for a Christmas gift with a difference are sure to find plenty of interesting items at the market, which runs between 9am and 3pm.
Mr Hilder incorporates old timber whenever possible into his models.
Gembrook Market committee spokeswoman Yvonne Bennett said his models were an important link to local history and helped preserve something that could otherwise be lost to the “mists of time”.
She said his penchant for using recycled timber in his creations neatly fitted the market’s philosophy.
“He really does reflect the market’s re-create/re-use discarded items culture,” she said.
“Joe does a marvellous job and we hope many people will come and admire his work on Sunday.”