Mr. Stringy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The second Mr. Stringy was carved into a log by Mr Bill Henham in the mid to late 1960s. |
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Mr. Stringy as Cadel Evans, Sept. 2011.
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| Artist | Multiple anonymous artists |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Medium | Wood and paint |
| Dimensions | 1.67 m (5.5 ft); 0.40 m diameter (1.3 ft) |
| Location | Tambo Crossing, East Gippsland |
| 37°27′33″S 147°49′59″E / 37.45917°S 147.83306°E | |
| Owner | Communal |
Mr. Stringy, also known as The Wooden Man or just The Man, is a cool piece of folk art that many people visit. You can find him on the Great Alpine Road in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.
The first Mr. Stringy was carved into a tree stump around 1929. The Mr. Stringy you see today was made from a stringybark log in the 1960s. People in the community often repaint him to look like different characters. It's always a surprise to see what he'll be next!
Contents
The History of Mr. Stringy
Gippsland has a long history of mysterious wooden characters. These were carved and placed in forests and along roads. Many of them are now gone. They might have rotted away, burned in bushfires, or been damaged.
Mr. Stringy is the most famous wooden man still standing. He is at Dead Horse Flat. This is a quiet spot on the Great Alpine Road.
The First Mr. Stringy
There have actually been two Mr. Stringys in this remote place. The first one was carved into a tree stump around 1929. A man named William (Bill) Harold Henham carved him. Bill was working on a bridge nearby at the time.
Bill first called his carving Mr. Smokey. We don't know exactly when or how his name changed. Some old stories say "Jimmy the Liar" carved him. But most people now agree Bill Henham did it. "Jimmy the Liar" might have been Bill's nickname.
In 1935, a newspaper called him Mr. Samuel Stringy. Other names included "Mr. Stumpy" or "The Wooden Man." He was about 6 feet tall. His look changed many times over the years. He started with a kerosene tin hat and a pipe. Later, arms and legs were added and removed. He even had a moustache and heavy eyebrows painted on.
Sadly, the first Mr. Stringy was damaged many times in the 1960s.
The Current Mr. Stringy
The second, and current, Mr. Stringy was also carved by Bill Henham. The local council, Omeo Shire, asked him to make it. This new Mr. Stringy is close to the road. It's also near where the first tree stump used to be.
The current Mr. Stringy is a heavy log placed firmly in the ground. It's much more stable than the old tree stump. Bill Henham also made a copy of Mr. Stringy. He kept it outside his home in Bairnsdale as a letterbox. This copy still exists today with his family.
Mr. Stringy has been fixed up many times. Road crews used to maintain him with leftover paint. No one is sure when the community started painting him as different characters.
What Mr. Stringy Looks Like Now
The current Mr. Stringy is at Dead Horse Flat. This is a remote part of the Great Alpine Road. It's next to the Tambo River in East Gippsland. He stands about 203 meters (666 feet) above sea level.
The closest small town is Tambo Crossing, about 8 kilometers (5 miles) south. Other nearby towns are Ensay (12 kilometers north) and Bruthen (39 kilometers south).
Mr. Stringy is carved from a single log. He has a large head and body, but no legs or arms. The wood is likely a strong type called box or stringybark. This might be where his name came from.
Mr. Stringy stands about 1.67 meters (5.5 feet) tall above the ground. Another 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) of him is buried below. He is about 0.40 meters (1.3 feet) wide. His head, neck, and shoulders make up half of his height above ground. The rest is his body. His face is flattened, with carved eye sockets. He used to have a nose, but it might have worn away or been damaged.
Mr. Stringy as Folk Art
Mr. Stringy is often repainted by people in the local community. They do this anonymously, meaning they don't sign their names. This painting and care is not paid for by any official group. It's a type of modern folk art for the Tambo Valley area. Even though it's not official, the community and local authorities like and support it.
Changing Characters
The characters Mr. Stringy becomes are often related to current events. For example, he might be painted as a player from a local football or netball team that won a championship. He was once a cyclist when the Great Victorian Bike Ride passed by. He was also painted as Cadel Evans after he won the 2011 Tour de France.
Sometimes, he's painted as general characters. He has been a blushing bride or a skier at the start of ski season. He can also be a character from popular culture, like Homer Simpson or Wonder Woman. More recently, he was painted to honor firefighters after the 2019-2020 bushfires.
Sometimes, Mr. Stringy just gets a small update. People might add clothes or decorations like balloons or ribbons. This often happens for holidays like Christmas or to celebrate a sports win. If he gets painted poorly or damaged, local community members quickly repaint him into a new character.
Mr. Stringy is in a remote spot, but his changing looks make him very popular. He's a favorite for people who live or used to live in the area. He's also a fun tourist attraction for visitors.
Gallery
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Mr Stringy painted as an emergency firefighter (Green - FFMVic and yellow - CFA) wearing a mask during Covid - 2020.
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Mr Stringy with his new friend Bingo (based on ABC TV characters) - 2023.
