Forged in steel: new experience for Lumen Christi students

Fitted with solar power, carrying generators for the high power requirements of furnace work and with a fold out second trailer equipped with four grinding machines, the mobile forge sticks multiple wheels under an age-old craft to send it spinning into the future.

But that's where the high-tech ends because it's all about making something using the traditional crafts of blacksmithing and bladesmithing, something useful which will probably outlast the maker.

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After two years in the making, this was the mobile forge and workshop's first outing. Sixteen 16 students had the chance to take part in fully funded workshops enabling them to produce a barbecue fork and knife each.

The mobile forge is a first of its kind and was the brainchildchild of Ali Wass and Karim Haddad who own and operate Tharwa Valley Forge, the Canberra-based bladesmithing and blacksmithing school.

Ali explained the funded placements were in conjunction with the Cuppacumbalong Foundation, of which she is executive director.

The foundation received a donation via Mundango Charitable Trust and Greater Good for Tharwa Valley Forge to run funded workshops, which would have been at the Tharwa site.

But at the time the fires and arrival of COVID meant people weren't ready to leave their own areas.

"We decided to take our thing to the people. It took us two years to prepare the trailer," Ali said.

With untied funding and the support of Lumen Christi, 16 students were chosen to take part.

Karim said kids had been through a lot in the last couple of years.

"There's something healthy about making things, an heirloom, something that could last 100 years. It's a way to recharge ourselves in our busy lives," Karim said.

He said that COVID put people into hiding and young people needed to travel and have positive experiences.

Lumen Christi student Tom Miller said it was "pretty fun and interesting".

"I'm going to give it (the barbecue fork and knife) to my dad to use on the barbecue," he said.

For Lumen Christi student Hayden Leayr who is working on his Vocational Education and Training (VET) Construction, the workshop dovetailed in nicely, especially as he had already made an oilstone.

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And with two women instructors attached to the mobile forge, there are other strong messages about role models for everyone.

Leila Haddad and Halcyon Window are two of just six female knife makers in Australia and Leila has appeared on Japanese TV where a show was made about her.

Deputy principle at Lumen Christi Dave Crawford was very pleased with the workshops.

"I must have had 40 to 50 students come up to me this morning and ask when they could do this workshop," he said.

And that was before the staff started showing a real interest too. Could there be a staff development day planned around the forge?

Back in Tharwa the forge continues with regular classes, now 300 a year, but how much funding there is will play a role in the outreach program.

"It's not a cheap exercise but it is a worthwhile exercise," Karim said of the mobile forge and the funded programs which have included veterans and first responders as recipients.

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