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ENTRIES continue to roll in for the Bendigo Advertiser Hay Bale Sculpture Competition.
Derby sheep and cattle farmer Rodney Broom has reworked an idea originally intended to announce the birth of his son Josiah in June with a Christmas theme to be eligible for the competition.
“I had a little son born back in June and we built a teddy bear and put a blue bow on it, just to announce to the world his birth, so that’s what started it,” he said.
Mr Broom said the sculpture had become ‘a bit of a traffic stopper’ and he’d been surprised how excited people have gotten about a hay stack.
“It certainly has grabbed people’s imagination,” he said.
Mr Broom said people had driven from Bendigo just to take a picture of the original teddy bear sculpture.
“He was only really there to announce Joe’s birth but developed a life of his own, a lot of people drive out especially to see him and there was certainly a lot of traffic passing,” he said.
It certainly has grabbed people’s imagination.
- Rodney Broom
“You’d see cars go past and do a U-turn and come back.”
The Bendigo Advertiser Hay Bay Sculpture Competition is open to all property owners in the Bendigo Advertiser readership area.
To enter your sculpture send a picture with details and a contact number to addynews@fairfaxmedia.com.au as soon as it's complete.
The entry gaining the most votes through the Bendigo Advertiser website will win return airfares for two adults and five nights at the Sun Island Legian Hotel and Spa in a Legian Suite room, and five nights at the Santi Mandala Villas and Spa.
The $4500 prize is sponsored by Grogan's Machinery, Krone and Bendigo Travel and Cruise Centre.
Sculptures must be built on an entrant’s property close to a public road using at least one large or five small bales.
Entrants will receive a poster to put on the fence in front of the sculpture for public voting, which starts on January 21.
Entrants are reminded to use safe work practices when building a hay bale sculpture.