Meet The Celtic Aboriginal Strongman Who Hurls Logs For Fun

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Published

June 23, 2015

Hopefully by now you will be aware that we write about pop-culture here at pedestrian.tv; you may have read a story ~~or fifty-eight~~ about Kanye, MasterChef, Flume, Tina Fey and/or Amy Poehler. But we’ve done some research and we now know that you, our legendary readers, are also interested in hearing about regular humans. Yes, we’re painted as the ‘celebrity obsessed’ generation, but research shows we most strongly identify with ~chill~, everyday Aussies doing excellent things. As such, we could not be more jazzed to be working with our mates at CommBank documenting the incredible stories of said legends, as part of the ‘Australian of the Day’ series; which is no more or less than exactly what it sounds like – a daily celebration of your fellow ‘Strayans.

Way up in the snow-covered hills of northwest NSW, stationed at the desk of the Glen Innes Visitors Centre, is a guy named Fred Blair.

Fred is master of the strongman and caber-toss events at the annual Australian Celtic Festival in Glen Innes. The town is, of course, the ‘Celtic Capital of Australia’, and this festival is the third largest of its kind in the world.

We’re told it’s something to behold when Fred rocks up each year in his bright blue kilt, socks pulled high and sporran in place. Not least because he’s a proud Kamilaroi man.

Lads and lassies, we present the Australian of the Day #29.

“I can say I’m the only Aboriginal person who has always been at the Festival,” Fred says from a sleety Glen Innes. “When I’m at the Festival in my kilt, nobody’s seen an Aboriginal person in a kilt. They come from all over Australia and overseas … and they say, ‘Oh you’re the first Aboriginal person I’ve seen in a kilt.’”

“Which is fine,” he laughs. The affable Fred, who has some Irish ancestry, tells them: “I’m celebrating your culture. I just want to show I’m happy to be a part of it.”

On the topic of kilts and going “au naturale” (as Fred delicately put it): “Some of our competitors over the years have squatted down to pick 100kg rocks and give all the audience and volunteers an eyeful, if you know what I mean! And all the crowd go, ‘Oooohhh, ahhh’ … It’s a cold time of year too!”

Fred himself doesn’t partake in the tradition. “That might encourage the young lassies to wear mirrors on their shoes, it could be hazardous,” he says sagely, adding that red undies are the usual for him.

Local legend has it that travellers from over 10 years ago still remember Fred and now keep coming back for more – it is not uncommon to come across bemused, but happy, former tourists wandering around town, having found themselves convinced by Fred to stay – so if you’re ever going through, you know who to visit.

And if you need more convincing, a final festival plug from Fred:

“I’ve grown up always wanting to show we can come together as a country, enjoying each other’s cultures through festival and dance … I just believe [they’re] a really good way of expressing and sharing cultures and having no animosity towards each other.”

Blair for PM.

Our mate James Adams, photography extraordinaire, has been running laps around NSW for the Australian of the Day campaign, snapping the countless local legends he’s bumped into: from 84-year old ocean swimmers, science prodigies and flying doctors, to remote pub owners, balloon pilots and pie connoisseurs.

Here’s another one of our favourites:

MEET THE GUY BEHIND THE NEXT ‘HEALTHY HAROLD’

It’s been called ‘The Rise of the Foodie’ and has been attributed to ‘The Masterchef Effect‘, but realistically our increased awareness of the things we eat and where they’re coming from predates Matt Preston’s cravats.

One person who has been on board with the whole movement from the get go is Jordan Sly of Worm Ticklers; a true ~~green~~ blue Australian of the Day #21.

Back in the day his grandfather, who sprouted up in the Riverina and came from an ag background – used to be a grower and had a huge veggie patch which pretty much “fed his entire street.” Jordan henceforth fell in love with getting grubby and can be found down at Bondi Farmers Markets on weekends, spruiking his (eventually) D E L I C I O U S homegrown organic heirloom seeds.

Jordan – who completed a Permacultue Design Certificate at Milkwood Farm in Mudgee, has worked in nurseries and with Costa Georgiadis of Costa’s Garden Odyssey – always had the knowledge and passion on lock. Now, he’s mashing this up with his love of music (CC: Meow Kapow) and has created Worm Ticklers.

This is where the Healthy Harold comparison comes in. Worm Ticklers is an animated series in the works that’s centered around ‘the adventures of five characters – including John Lemon, Roy Aubergine and The Broccolinis – who live in a veggie patch in the Blue Mountains of Australia.’ Think Bananas in Pyjamas crossed with The Wiggles and Healthy Harold with a bit of rock: “He’s got a big ego, Roy Aubergine, he’s a rock star, you know. But he’s also adorable, obviously.”

Keep an eye out for the vegetable gang if you need tips on starting your own garden:

“Just keep it simple. You obviously can’t grow pumpkins and watermelons on your balcony, but just stick to what you eat. Concentrate on a few things and give them their own little space. Mainly herbs and stuff. And just love them, love them and use them.”

Or for more sage advice – i.e. “to see something growing, learn something new, pass the knowledge onto somebody else who’s going to grow that and enjoy that. It’s a cycle of life! It really is. Food is life. There’s your quote mate HAHA” – head down to the markets and give Jordan a green