The story of Ernie Hunt

ERNIE Hunt is famous around Alexandra for his creation of wooden bilby figures that were sold in local shops to raise money for the Royal Children’s Hospital, but there is more to him than just that.

He has been in the woodworking industry all his life, despite his dad being an engineer.

“Dad was in engineering, he was an engineer.

I don’t know where the woodworking comes in.

But it was good, an all my life sort of thing.”

I started in joinery, down at Baker and Davies.

I don’t know whether they are still going, and then I moved to Moorabin.

And then when we moved up to town, up to Whanregarwen Road, and then we moved into here [Peppin Point],” Ernie said.

The move to Alexandra was prompted by a love of the area, as well as a good area for family.

“I’ve always been up here fishing and all that. And I have two children, Trevor and Dianne.

Trevor is the oldest, he’s down at Paynesville. So they’re still sticking together, you know.

They’re good kids. They’re all married, and have children.”

Ernie has also trained a number of apprentices over the years.

“So woodworking has been all my life. I’ve put about five apprentices through, three down there, down in town, and another two up here.

The last boy bought my business, young Reedy, he’s taken over

the business now, and he’s Murrindindi Kitchens now.”

My first apprentice bought my business down there, in Melbourne, years before I moved up here. He was going along, but unfortunately, he had a heart attack and died.

I don’t know where the other one is, but young Matty Rid and I started up here.”

I put him through as an apprentice, and then he bought the business.

He’s still going as Murrindindi Kitchens, doing well.

They’re all modernised now, cutting things up.

It’s all computerised and all that. They put sheets on, and they just put stuff into the computers, and bang, away it goes, it cuts everything up. Modernised now.”

Not long after moving into the Murrindindi Shire, Ernie joined the Alexandra and Eildon District Woodworking Club, where he is now a….

Image: Barry Cleary with master woodworker Ernie Hunt. The two worked on projects together.