in Winton, outback Australia

• The Fence was commissioned by the Queensland Music Festival (QMF) and Winton Shire Council (WSC)
• Designed by Graeme, built in 2003 by the council, the townsfolk and Graeme. Additional junk'n'found elements added in 2005 and 2010.
• Graeme trained over 100 locals to play in front of a crowd of nearly 1000 for the opening event in 2003 (Winton population = 800)
• The 2005 QMF dawn opening took place at the Fence. The Fence Band played GL's 'Funky Fence' to a huge crowd, alongside Shakuhachi master Riley Lee, Strike Percussion (NZ) and Hsao (Africa).

first site visit with QMF director Lyndon Terracini and WSC assistant CEO George Frangos, 2002 (photo GL)

DESIGN and DEVELOPMENT

• The Fence is a standard wire fence with added acoustic resonators that amplify any sound in the wires, caused either by striking or by wind action
• Graeme developed and tested a prototype shelter/resonator, then built a scale model of the proposed installation
• The model was installed in the Shire Hall for community consideration in early 2003. 
• "The word in town was that I must be mad because I was telling everyone that I was going to make a fence that would sing" (GL)

THE PLAQUE READS..
"Winton's Musical Fence was commissioned in July 2003 by the Queensland Music Festival with the Winton Shire Council and the generous support of Ergon Energy. It was created by artist Graeme Leak with assistance from the Winton Community.

• Landscape Design: Andrew Saniga
• Design Consultants: David Murphy and Michael Gyucha
• Construction: Brendan Wright, Brett Webber, Winton Cadets 145RCU and Graeme Leak
• Landscaping and Site Works: Winton Shire Council
• Fence Posts and Wiring: Chris Beetson"

GOTYE and the FENCE
Several years before his meteoric rise to multi-grammy award fame, Melbourne artist GOTYE (Wally de Backer) came across the Musical Fence while on tour. He recorded and sampled its sound and used it as a bass line in the track 'Eyes Wide Open'.

VIDEO: 40 second edit of 'The Making of Eyes Wide Open' 
>> see unedited video on YouTube
>> read article by Graeme Leak 
for the Winton Herald, February 2013

the BUSH DRUM KIT, June 2005

• designed and built by David Murphy with Graeme Leak, 
• nearly all elements of the kit sourced from the local tip
• The kit was welded in the Stockroutes Shed of WSC
• Graeme and David planted it in concrete on 14 Jun 05
• Visitors arrived soon after and started playing it!

Cole Porter's 'Don't Fence Me In' 
played on the Musical Fence

YouTube videos at the Fence
there are many more - this is just a sampling
If you have been to the Fence Graeme would love to hear your feedback - please feel free to contact Graeme

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