![Gunnedah Woodturners' Dan Birkett hand-carved eagle wings onto this seat, which was recently installed on Pensioners Hill. Gunnedah Woodturners' Dan Birkett hand-carved eagle wings onto this seat, which was recently installed on Pensioners Hill.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/6vwjsNKWypZeVkMQsfcHaQ/a90677a3-68c1-4540-8c04-653307145751.jpg/r0_0_3755_2560_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Pensioners Hill now hosts a hand-carved seat, new flora signs and a palm tree tribute to the late Hans Allgayer.
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The seat features spread eagle wings and is sure to draw admiration from locals and tourists alike with its intricate details.
The unique piece was carved by Gunnedah Woodturners' member Dan Birkett after Gunnedah Urban Landcare Group's (GULG) Owen Hasler was impressed by something similar in his travels.
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Mr Birkett was willing to take up the challenge despite having never done carving before.
"I hadn't done any carving before and was somewhat apprehensive and spent a lot of time thinking about it," he said.
He decided to try out the idea on a piece of Ironbark at home and then started work on the seat, which is made from Ironbark and railway sleepers from the Pilliga forest.
"It made me appreciate the skill involved in these stone carvings [on the hill]," he said.
![Woodturner Dan Birkett and concretor Peter Haley with the new timber seat. Photo: supplied Woodturner Dan Birkett and concretor Peter Haley with the new timber seat. Photo: supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/6vwjsNKWypZeVkMQsfcHaQ/510a0f11-becf-4e7a-a4da-1e62322b2226.jpg/r0_0_3743_2396_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
GULG member George Truman said they thought the seat would be months in the making but "Dan took to the task and it only took three weeks".
"I don't know when you had the time to sleep," Mr Truman said to Mr Birkett at a thank you morning tea on Thursday.
"The detail is just amazing. It's really a special asset to Pensioners ... I'm sure it will be one of the most used chairs in the reserve."
![Bruce Higham and Owen Hasler with one of the two palms planted in memory of the late Hans Allgayer who was a founding member of the landcare group and heavily involved in transforming Pensioners Hill into a landscaped lookout. Bruce Higham and Owen Hasler with one of the two palms planted in memory of the late Hans Allgayer who was a founding member of the landcare group and heavily involved in transforming Pensioners Hill into a landscaped lookout.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/6vwjsNKWypZeVkMQsfcHaQ/d904e16d-638e-4afd-ad39-9b92a9b4309c.jpg/r0_0_3815_2543_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Mr Birkett is a neighbour to the late Hans Allgayer, a founding member of GULG, whose memory has been acknowledged in the recent planting of two palm trees on the hill at the base of the stairs that lead down to Farrar Road.
Mr Hasler said it was both "symbolic and appropriate" to establish the palms on Pensioners because Mr Allgayer was heavily involved in the transformation of the hill into a landscaped lookout.
![Pat Mayoh and Terry Curran with one of the newly installed signs depicting images and details about the flora planted throughout the reserve. Pat Mayoh and Terry Curran with one of the newly installed signs depicting images and details about the flora planted throughout the reserve.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/6vwjsNKWypZeVkMQsfcHaQ/058bf954-0608-40cf-bcae-1e94729985bc.jpg/r60_0_3840_2560_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Also new to the hill are signs with images and information on the flora planted throughout the reserve. They were created with the help of retired science teacher Sandra Curran, wife to GULG member Terry.
The signs, eagle seat and new gardens are funded by the Drought Communities Program.
Hours of work from GULG Rotary Club of Gunnedah West members have transformed Pensioners from a bare hill in the Depression to a picturesque landscape featuring The Heritage Stone Sculptures (envisioned by Mr Allgayer), a memorial to the late Steve Rennick, and newly established gardens.
Mr Truman said it was "an amazing place" and was becoming increasingly popular with locals and tourists. It's even been the backdrop for wedding photos.
"It's an evolving place up here," he said.
"I'm amazed at how many visitors we get."