On the grapevine

If you are furnishing a new home or perhaps seeking something special to suit a particular space in your home, you have absolutely no need to leave town!

Your needs are able to be met by Adrian Salter, who as a young lad of only seven was given some tools for his birthday and in a designated corner of his dad’s shed, excitedly made his own toys out of wood bits lying about.

He quickly developed a propensity for creating anything out of a piece of wood.

His passion developed over time and upon finishing secondary school, he studied for a Diploma in Furniture Design at RMIT, before taking on a cabinet-making apprenticeship.

He later travelled to the UK where he became fascinated by the ‘high-end’ quality made by English furniture makers and their ability to optimise space.

“I just loved my time there and it proved to be a great learning experience. I was absolutely amazed to see that everywhere I went, I saw beautiful handcrafted furniture and I think it was this fact that drove me to open my own workshop out at the farm in Koonoomoo,” Adrian said.

Since that day, Adrian has not looked back and while it wasn’t easy getting his name out there initially, primarily relying on word of mouth, online technology is such a force for business today and word did get out.

The Salter Furniture Creations van is regularly seen heading down the highway, delivering a magnificent piece of furniture to the home of yet another delighted client in some of Melbourne’s finest suburbs.

A little over a year ago, Adrian took the plunge and opened a showroom and workshop — Salters Furniture Creations — to enable the business to gain a more prominent profile and provide easier access for customers, situated at 3709 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Cobram.

The showroom is certainly worth a visit, where you will be surrounded by an eclectic range of exceptional handcrafted furniture. You won’t find better workmanship anywhere and using a range of timbers sourced locally and interstate, including red gum, feature messmate and spotted gum, stylish dining tables, coffee tables, hardwood benches, vanities, cabinets, chairs, bedroom furniture and more can attract the most fastidious buyer.

Manufacturing quality furniture to order is a passion for Adrian and his team of six and represents more than 50 per cent of the business. The creative team is undeniably proud of each finished product.

“Entering the showroom and then going into the workshop gives people an opportunity to see how it all happens and understand that when they put in their order, they will receive quality furniture built to a high standard, not a price. We don’t cut corners,” Adrian said.

Salter Furniture Creations recently designed and created a stunning 14-seater dining table for a local Cobram family who had previously purchased a table from Adrian.

While delighted with the style and workmanship, they decided they preferred a different wood and colour, so Adrian and the team got to work to create another exquisite piece of furniture designed to last for generations to come.

Salter Furniture Creations has built a strong relationship with the building industry on a local level, providing stunning creative pieces from red gum, such as bar tops, serveries and a poolside bar during the development of the Sebel in Yarrawonga, together with bench-tops and vanities for new homes in Cobram and further afield.

“We are also planning to move into a customised range of products with a catalogue of standard furniture items which we can build to suit the specific needs of our customers,” Adrian said.

“We are also currently updating our website to showcase the range together with pricing!”

Each product from Salter Furniture Creations is made using magnificent Australian hardwoods by locals who live and work in the Cobram district. They are highly-trained and take personal pride in what they produce amid the excitement of creating a new expanded range. With this in mind, Adrian plans to employ another apprentice towards the end of the year.

If you haven’t ventured into the showroom at Salter Furniture Creations, may I suggest you do, as it is an eye-opener as to the talent this area has generated.

Saturday afternoon of fellowship

A happy day of fellowship was shared on Saturday by parishioners from St Margaret’s Anglican Church, St Joseph’s Church Barooga and Ignite Life in Cobram with many newcomers from the Solomon Islands who recently gained employment with JBS Foods Australia.

Warmly welcomed by the spiritual leaders of their respective churches, Reverend Victor Adam of St Margaret’s Anglican Church, Cobram, Father Marco Killingsworh of St Joseph’s Church, Barooga and Pastor Greg Duns and his wife Pastor Caz Duns of Ignite Life, Cobram, spoke briefly to the crowd before inviting everyone to enjoy a sumptuous afternoon tea prepared by the members of the three churches.

It was a feast of delicious food and will long be remembered by the newcomers, who have filled an employment gap to enable JBS abattoirs to again open their doors and boost the local economy.

More than 100 people have arrived to date, however the company is proposing to increase production considerably, enabling additional people from the Pacific islands to gain valuable employment.

The general feeling from the newcomers was described by Maryann Justin.

“We feel it is a privilege to be here and to have a good job and meet people who are nice and friendly, it makes us very happy,” Maryann said.

While they are employed, paid well and have been offered accommodation, they are however a long way from their families, with many forced to leave their young children behind with a family member. They have a goal however, to earn enough money to help their families back home.

Hopefully the community will continue to get right behind these lovely gentle new residents who are predominantly Christian and come from a group of islands to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu, with a population of just 707,851.

Walkers stay alert

A Cobram woman out walking with her little dog last week was suddenly confronted by a brown snake.

Fortunately her canine friend was on a lead at the time and did not interact with the snake, which can often prove fatal.

The woman did however get a considerable fright and advises everyone out there to please stay alert. Snakes are out there and on the move!