It weathered storms such as the one which lashed Newcastle on the June long weekend when the Pasha Bulker got wedged on Nobbys reef.
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And now a group of Redhead men have turned the former timber handrails, which stood in place between Nobbys and Newcastle beach until the Bathers Way upgrade, into rustic furniture for Belmont Golf Club.
The project was instigated by Belmont Golf Club general manager Glenn Howard, who wanted to re-engage the community by turning a lawn area into a “family friendly”, fenced alfresco dining experience.
The fenced outdoor area overlooks the course at Belmont.
“I was wanting to create an alfresco dining area for the golf club,” Mr Howard said.
“I live in Redhead and approached the men’s shed and asked would they be interested in making some tables for us.
“I sourced second-hand timber from the timber yard in Clyde Street, Wickham and half it was the old handrail from Nobbys to Newcastle which got replaced when they made Bathers Way, so we got all of that timber.”
The men’s shed stripped down the rails, leaving some white sections to pay homage to the wood's original use, and spent three months making the furniture.
“There was nothing but lawn out there before,” Mr Howard said. “Now we have four high tables, six smaller ones and two long tables with 56 seats altogether.”
Redhead Men’s Shed president Ken Ferguson said the group were keen to take on the project.
“We do a lot of community projects and we thought it was a great idea,” Mr Ferguson said. “It was good for us and good for the community as well.”
Belmont Golf Club donated $3000 to the men’s shed as a thank you for their efforts, which Mr Ferguson said would be used to purchase more tools.