Jandowae's rich history and famous 'Timbertown Festival' will now be showcased all year round, with the three-metre-tall tourist attraction now complete.
Earlier this year, the Timbertown Festival Committee was awarded $30,000 from Western Downs Regional Council's festival placemaking initiative to go towards a longstanding, promotional art piece which celebrates community events.
Spokesperson for Tourism, Events and Regional Promotion Councillor Kylie Bourne said she was thrilled to see this project come to fruition, strengthening the exposure of the Jandowae Timbertown Festival all year round.
"The Jandowae Timbertown Festival is an iconic event not only for Jandowae, but the whole Western Downs region, and it was exciting to provide the Committee with additional support through this new initiative," Cr Bourne said.
"Not only does the Timbertown Tree sculpture act as a promotional tool for the biennial event, it also celebrates the town's prominent timber-milling history, a significant time in history for the area and residents.
"The sculpture will also offer a source of pride in the community as it celebrates the people that make it while encouraging travellers to stay a little longer in the town."
Spokesperson for Community and Cultural Development Councillor Kaye Maguire said she was proud to support one of our region's major festival committees through the new festival placemaking initiative.
"Our region's festival committees play a major role in ensuring the quality lifestyle we experience in the Western Downs, and Council was delighted to give back by offering support to deliver something which would benefit the Timbertown Festival and Jandowae community now and into the future," Cr Maguire said.
"The Committee has done an excellent job delivering such a beautiful sculpture reflecting the distinct theme of the festival".
"Initiatives like these help support our region's active, vibrant communities and great liveability and I look forward to seeing the benefits this has on Jandowae's community and the cultural capacity of the Western Downs."
Jandowae Timbertown Festival Inc. Secretary Sarah Scarffe said the committee was thrilled to see their vision finally come to life.
"Jandowae is a very community-minded town and our committee is always looking for ways to help out. When this new funding initiative was announced, we saw it as a great tourism incentive which would bring people to our town and encourage them to look around and support local businesses," Ms Scarffe said.
"The concept behind the Timbertown Tree was to use the well-known tree in our logo and light it up in a prime position at Central Park on High Street, creating a tourist attraction for our region and a photo opportunity for visitors, both of which will help gain exposure of the festival all year round.
"The Committee couldn't be happier with the outcome and is grateful to Council for granting us this funding and therefore allowing us to deliver this new attraction."
