An iconic tree that stood for more than 150 years in Oropi has been carved into a 2 tonne sculpture and returned to the community.
Brothers Craig and Shane Barrett, who both have daughters at Oropi School, spent more than 500 hours carving the large piece of wood into asculpture of a pair of kokako, standing about 2m high.
The Norfolk pine has been a fixture on Oropi School grounds since the school opened in 1899. It was thought to have been planted about 1860 on the site of a soldiers' settlement.
In September 2010, the historic tree was battered by gale force winds and branches were ripped off and scattered across the school during a storm. The remainder of the tree had to be cut down because it was unsafe, principal Andrew King said.
But yesterday, the tree was delivered back to the school in its new form in front of students, parents, staff and board members.
The Barrett brothers, who own a carving and tattoo business, Armed With Arms, said the task was one of the hardest things they had ever had to do.
"We stared at it for about three months before we got the chainsaw out," Shane said. "Half-way through we looked at a picture of a kokako and went from there."
Craig said the project was about bringing the historic tree back into the community.
