SWIFTS CREEK STUDENTS DISCOVER THE ART AND OPPORTUNITY OF WELDING A group of students at Swifts Creek P-12 School in regional Victoria is proving that welding is a powerful form of creativity, problem solving and community connection. Led by artist and fabricator Madelaine Last, the students have been working on a large-scale welded sculpture that will become a permanent feature at the front of the school. Madelaine, who was awarded first place in Kemppi’s 2024 Art of Welding competition, returned to Swifts Creek P–12 as part of an artist residency designed to introduce students to design, metal fabrication and welding. For Madelaine, the project is especially meaningful. Swifts Creek P–12 is the school she attended as a child, and the place where she first learned to weld using oxy-acetylene. “Swifts Creek P–12 is a pretty tiny school with about 100 students. This is where I grew up and first learnt to weld oxy when I was a kid,” Madelaine said. “Unfortunately, they haven’t had a permanent metal teacher for a few years, so they’ve missed out on some of those lessons. I’m super excited to be part of encouraging the next generation of fabricators and metal artists.”
INDUSTRY NEWS
The project began with seven students, with the final group made up of five girls and one boy from Years 8 to 12. Together, they brainstormed ideas and settled on a design that reflects the character of the school and its surrounding community: a large kangaroo sculpture.
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Weld Connect | July 2026
To ensure the piece is visible from outside the school fence, the students decided to fabricate an 1,100mm tall plinth for the kangaroo to stand on. Once complete, the sculpture will reach an impressive total height of 3,200mm. In a playful nod to local life, the kangaroo’s hands may even be designed to hold a fishing rod. While the sculpture is already shaping up to be spectacular, the real success of the project lies in the skills, confidence and enthusiasm the students have developed along the way. Most had little or no experience using grinders or welding equipment at the beginning of the project. Since then, they have gained hands-on experience across a wide range of practical fabrication techniques, including angle grinding, MIG welding with both gas and gasless processes, oxy-acetylene heating and bending, plasma cutting, die grinding, hand tools, bending metal, working with an anvil, stripping down a quad bike for parts, and fabricating a square plinth. The students have also had the opportunity to work safely with quality equipment and PPE, thanks to industry support for the project. According to Madelaine, the students have already put six rolls of wire through the welding machines—a clear sign of their commitment and enthusiasm. Kemppi has sponsored the project, supplying welding machines, PPE and consumables. “It has been phenomenal to be able to use the Kemppi gear and have the kids all safely kitted out in PPE,” Madelaine said. The impact has been immediate. Several of the girls