Redesdale Rocks

ricksproal
Jun 26
3 min read

10–13 September 2026.

A celebration of Redesdale’s dry stone wall heritage

The Dry Stone Walls Association of Australia (DSWAA), in association with the Redesdale and District Association (RADA), the Redesdale Recreation Reserve Committee (RRRC), the Campaspe Valley Landcare Group, and the Redesdale Fire Brigade, presents a four-day event celebrating Redesdale’s rich dry stone wall heritage.

Redesdale Rocks is a DSWAA outreach event designed to engage the community in appreciating one of the district’s most significant assets: its many dry stone walls and stone structures.

The event will consist of four activities:

Free Two-Day Training Course

Friday 11 and Saturday 12 September

A free two-day training course for landholders, farmers, wall owners and interested community members will provide participants with an introduction to dry stone wall construction and repair techniques.

The course will be held at the Redesdale Recreation Reserve, with up to 30 participants expected to attend.

Professional waller trainers include:

Wayne Fox (NSW)
Bruce Munday (SA)
David Long (Vic)
Evan Pierce (Vic)
Keegan Darling (Vic)

Public Forum and Exhibition

Sunday 13 September, 9.30am

A public forum will be held in the Redesdale Hall immediately prior to the field trip. The forum will feature expert speakers, including local dry stone walling specialists and industry professionals.

An exhibition, A Stone Upon A Stone, exploring the history of dry stone walls in Australia and the work of the DSWAA, will also be on display.

Speakers include:

Dr David Cheal – An ecologist and Associate Adjunct Professor in the School of Science, Information Technology and Engineering at Federation University Ballarat. David will discuss the value of dry stone walls as fire mitigation assets and their broader environmental benefits.

Bruce Munday – Well known to DSWAA members, Bruce is the author of Those Dry Stone Walls Revisited. Through this work, he shares his knowledge and experience with step-by-step guidance designed to inspire people to follow in the footsteps of early settlers and contemporary artisans by building their own dry stone walls.

Raelene Marshall – A co-founder of the Dry Stone Walls Association of Australia and curator of A Stone Upon A Stone, an exhibition exploring the significant contribution dry stone walls have made to shaping Australia’s cultural landscape.

The research and development process initiated and curated by Raelene Marshall resulted in an exhibition comprising twenty-four narrative panels that tell the story of dry stone walling in Australia. A Stone Upon A Stone was awarded Best Exhibit at the Victorian Community History Awards in 2003.

Colleen Lazenby – Colleen has worked as a Heritage Coordinator in local government since 1997 and currently serves with the City of Whittlesea. In 2025, she was appointed to the Indigenous Heritage Reference Group of ICOMOS Australia. In 2024, the City of Whittlesea and Colleen received the Planning Institute of Australia’s Improving Planning Processes Commendation for the Dry Stone Wall Toolkit for Victoria.

Colleen will present the Toolkit, a practical resource for farmers, developers, councils and heritage advisers. It assists users in understanding construction styles, stone types and wall features, while providing guidance on protection, maintenance, creative reuse and adaptation.

Jim Kilsby – A past President of the DSWAA and founding Director of Kyneton Dry Stone Walling, based at his property, “Tanderram”, near Kyneton.

In just four years, Jim and his team completed more than 100 residential and commercial projects, constructing over 3,000 metres of dry stone walling. More than 300 people have completed training courses through the organisation, which was named Business of the Year at the Macedon Ranges Business Awards in 2022.

Kyneton Dry Stone Walling remains a valuable local resource for those who wish to pursue their love of stone.

Field Trip

Sunday 13 September

A field trip will visit several examples of local dry stone walls on private properties. Participants will hear from expert historians in dry stone walling as well as talks by some of the wallers who have built or repaired some of the walls to be visited.

Heritage Wall Restoration Project

A heritage-listed dry stone fenced stock enclosure located on a private property in Gibbards Lane, off North Redesdale Road, was a special attraction during the 2016 field trip and is now in need of repair.

A number of professional wallers will restore a section of the enclosure, helping preserve this outstanding example of a Redesdale dry stone wall. Members of the public will be able to visit the site during the restoration and observe traditional dry stone walling techniques in action.