By Jeremy Sollars
Creators of the ‘Dragon of Drought’ on Palmerin Street Louise Tait and Robyn Marsh had a tonne of fun putting him together, but there’s a serious message behind the mythical monster.
The close friends – who’ve been jazzing up Warwick’s CBD trees together for the last 10 years – decided to reflect the region’s current drought situation in their 2018 tree jumper installation and also help to drive home the mental health message when it comes to our farmers.
According to Chinese mythology, the dragon is the fifth animal of the zodiac and arrived late at the Jade Palace after taking pity on a drought-stricken town and stopping to bring rain.
Louise and Robyn have pointed out that dragons and resilient and courageous like our primary producers – but they also require respect and compassion in tough times.
The crafty pair put their ‘Dragon of Drought’ together in just a couple of weeks, using recycled materials to, as Robyn puts it, “go a bit lean” in recognition of the tough times are people on the land are experiencing.
“The head is basically a cardboard box Louise had lying around and we’ve used a variety of other basic materials, including aircon ducting,” Robyn told the Free Times.
“My son has a Chinese girlfriend and I made him a dragon-themed quilt for his 21st birthday.
“Louise saw the quilt and said we had to do a dragon theme for Jumpers and Jazz this year.
“We did some research and discovered the drought link and it all flowed on from there serendipitously.”
Louise said raising mental health awareness for drought-afflicted producers is crucial.
“We really want to start that conversation about seeking help,” she said.
“It’s about asking the question – are you OK?”
