Sculptures in the Paddock

Farmer Keith Cameron uses scraps from his northern new south wales property to create inspiring sculptures.

Story By Hayley Katzen

A couple of tin men stand at the watch as visitors approach Keith Cameron’s Tabulam property in northern New South Wales. In the distance, a calf scratches against a gigantic red chair, and an old grain silo houses an eclectic mix of art. This is the unusual world of this cattle farmer and artist.
Staring up at a sculpture, a local farmer laughs. “That bit comes out of a header,” he says. Meanwhile, three young girls hold a mad hatter’s tea party among giant red, blue and yellow chairs. “I’d never be bored if I had all this in my backyard,” the visitor says. “You can be anything and anyone here,” one of the girls says. But on the lips of many local farmers is the question, “Why would you do all this?”, to which Keith smiles and nods and suggests they add a rock to his wall.
It all began with a disused grain silo. Home to birds and rust when he bought the farm, Keith turned the silo into a gallery, guest accommodation and a viewing deck. When winds dulled his family barbecues, Keith collected volcanic rocks from the property and built a circular wall around the area, consistent with the circles he sees in the landscape. That wall was followed by another, and then another.
As with his sculptures, the walls reflect a passion for the vast and timeless. “I wanted to build something that would be around for a while,” Keith says. “Of course, the next person who owns the farm might put a creek crossing here.”