Condobolin, NSW - Utes in a paddock

Last Sunday I drove out West to Condobolin. Condobolin is a farming area surrounded by rich red soil with a lot of sheep and cattle but sheep and cattle are not the only thing you will see in Condobolin they also have the Utes in a paddock outdoor gallery.

Lachlan Shire Council popular tourist attraction “Utes in the Paddock,” continues to draw visitors from far and wide to Condobolin.

Lachlan Shire Council purchased a 25-acre block on the The Gipps Way for the outdoor gallery, the visitation to the small rural town of Condobolin has increased as a direct result of the Utes being on display.

Utes in the Paddock was a concept brought to fruition by Jana and Graham Pickles of Burrawang West Station which has significantly increased visitation to the Central West region over the last 10 years. Lachlan Shire Council is the entrusted caretaker of the outdoor gallery and has committed to dedicating time and energy to further develop and promote the outdoor gallery and the town for the future.

It has been 10 years since the first Ute began the outdoor gallery near Ootha and 6 years since the last of 20 “Ute works” was installed. It has been moved to Condobolin and today, Utes in the Paddock attracts thousands of visitors who view the collection for the first time or revisit this unique Australian bush attraction.

Utes in the Paddock is considered as one of the top ten experiences in the region and the Lachlan Shire Council is dedicated to ensuring that the reputation of Utes in the Paddock is further developed for generations of local, national and international visitors to enjoy.

Wiradjuri ‘Uth’ Story

Artist: Young people of Condobolin Youth Services, Ute: Holden 1993 VS, Ute donated by: NRMA Inurance

Painted as if seen from above, this artwork depicts traveling through Wiradjuri area, a landscape of rivers, land and animals. As in the Aboriginal flag, colours in the painting have specific meanings.

Clancy Stops The Overflow

Artist: Peter Mortimore, Ute: Holden 1991 VS, Ute Donated by: Parkes Auto Wreekers

Our most celebrated stockman comes to the rescue again, this time preventing a disastrous waste of valuable ‘Bundy’. With the help of this loyal steed Banjo. Clancy arrives just in the nick of time to save the spillage of liquid gold that ensures any party is fair dinkum Aussie.

Drizakubra

Artist: Belinda William, Ute: Holden 1981 WB, Ute donated by: Chris Muir and Matthew Collin

Typically clad in his Driza-Bone oilskin coat and Akubra hat, a bushman symbolizes the spirit of the bush and the character of Australia’s outback people. . . hardworking, practical, down-to-earth, rugged and reliable.

Emute

Artist: Peter Browne, Ute: Holden 1975 HJ, Ute donated by: Burrawang West Station

Like Kangaroos and echidnas, the presence of emus is a sure sign your in the bush. Comical looking creatures, their balding heads with oversized eyes, top necks that seem to stretch too far above bulbous bodies. They strut like courtesans at walking pace, but as lyricist John Williamson says of the emu “He can’t fly, but I’m telling you, he can run the pants off a Kangaroo”.

UBUTE - Pronounced “You Beauty”

Artist: Eryn Mullins, Ute: Holden 1978 HZ, Ute donated by: Mike Taylor Autos

“UBUTE” - The Sport of Kings on a Kingswood Ute.

The depiction of picnic races in the outback on a trusty workhorse seemed afitting subject for my ute. The location across the road from the local race course, wher picnic races occur annually, as they do in countless outback and country towns across Australia was also a driving point for the subject matter. Picnic races are an important social and cultural event, featuring high fashion, low fashion, the betting, winning and losing, and dedicated racing enthusiasts from all dectors of our communities.

Camels: First Outback Utes

Artist: Clark Barrett, Ute: Holden 1976 HX, Ute donated by: Bruce & Colleen Staines

The Artist shows the central role camels played in opening up pastoralism throughout the outback and then keeping those remote properties and communities alive during the droughts of the 1890’s and early 1900’s. During those droughts the tracks to remote communities and properties wouldn’t have survived. Camel teams frequently funded their return journeys from isolated locations by carting the wool clip back to a transport hub. Needless to say, those cameleers, frequently recent arrivals to Australia, played a vital role.

That led to my concept for my ute: the camel as the original outback ute.

Circle Work

Artist: John Murray, Ute: Holden 1972 HQ, Ute donated by: Mike Taylor

True to the native bird’s typically silly behaviour, these young galahs are enjoying the great Australian tradition of doing circle work (doing donuts). The sculptured galah on top represents the fun police towing away the ute.

Golden Valley

Artist: Greg Brennan, Ute: Holden 1970 HG, Ute donated by George Brown

From colonial times, rural enterprise has played a pivotal role in our country’s economic health. Innovative pursuit of all facets of rural industry continues to contribute significantly to the flow of wealth in the outback Australia, as depicted in this traditional montage of sheep shearing, livestock grazing, irrigation and cropping.

Mute Ute

Artist: Kristin Coburn, Ute: Holden 1969 HT, Ute donated by: (blank)

The Mute Ute is a tribute Ute to Wayne Goodwin (1950 - 2008). Goodwin was a celebrated country fiddle player who spent most of his career playing with the renowned country music star Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band. Goodwin played with Australian greats like Midnight Oil, Phil and Tommy Emmanuel (pictured on the violin) and Adam Harvey, to name a few. He was a mentor for the next generation of musicians helping them get their first taste of the big time. Goodwin played viollin, guitar, sax, piano and drums. A composer of music for film and TV and a musical called HSC, The Musical, Goodwin was also classical music composer.

The notes on the top of the Ute are the opening notes of goodwin’s string quartet No.1.

Supplementary Feeder

Artist: Bill O’Shea, Ute: Holden 1966 HR, Ute donated by: Selina Lestrange

When the feed is scarce and the livestock are hungry, a bale in the ute is a life or death story; The humming and squeaking as it crosses hard ground, brings cattle running from a long way around, Cause a Ute in the paddock is a promising sound.

Dame Edna’s Looute

Artist: Karen Tooth, Ute: Holden 1965 HD, Ute donated by: Taylors Auto Centre

An icon…On an icon… In an icon

An icon… instanly recognised as one of Australia’s great personalities, Dame Edna transformed herself from housewife to international megastar, a transformation that parallels our country’s growth from an isolated wild colony to an innovative player on the world’s stage.

Ute-opia

Artist: Stephen Coburn, Ute: Holden 1962 EJ, Ute donated by: Margaret Sanderson (original owner)

Central West Medley

Artist: Eris Fleming, Ute: Holden 1961 EK, Ute donated by: Keith Willis

Go Vegemite

Artist: Rob Keen, Ute: Holden 1960 FB, Ute donated by: Kirk family

UteZilla

Artist: Jim Moginie & Stephen Coburn, Ute: Holden 1957 FE, Ute donated by: Barry Wright

The Stockman

Artist: Michael Jones, Ute: Holden 1958 FC, Ute donated by: Russell & tanya Jones

Often romanticized in classic literature, our outback heroes come to life in this tribute to the stockman. Droving the “long paddock” means sleeping rough and making the most of limited resources available along the way. Essential to survival in the intimate knowledge of the land shared by Aboriginal stockman.

Clean Running Backed by Ned

Artist: Paul Blahuta, Ute: Holden 1954 FJ, Ute donated by: Burrawang West Station and Taylors Auto Centre

famous outlaw Ned Kelly stays true to form as he pulls off another hold up. This time the victim is the artist, who felt compelled to use Ned’s form and story as an integral part of outback history. The horses’ transparency represents the fact that horses are not native to Australia, so not a solid part of its landscape. In this scene, they provide an alternative source of energy. . . true clean horse power.

Ute of Arms

Artist: Brad Brown & Scott Edwards of Agriweld Engineering, Ute: Holden 1952 FX, Ute donated by: Taylors Auto Centre

As always please leave a comment below if I have any information incorrect so I can amend it or if there are any key factors I have missed that I should add to this blog post.

Nadine Travels West.