Latham: Endangered lizard sculpture in town park

Terina Campbell is putting the finishing touches to a large sculpture of an endangered spiny-tailed skink.

Her medium is not steel, clay or wood but a combination rockery and garden in Latham’s Centenary Park.

“I wanted to educate people what a spiny-tail skink is, they are amazing,” she said.

“They actually live in Latham, they breed in my place, my friend’s, sister’s and cousin’s places. We have been watching and observing them.”

The idea for the park itself came after Mrs Campbell returned to her home town in 2000, to find the former scouts and guides’ park neglected after those local groups had stopped meeting.

I got a bee in my bonnet when Dad died.

“So on what would have been Dad's birthday, May 2, 2011, I planted three gum trees in honour of my parents.”

Mrs Campbell had a couple of wagon wheels she had been given by Norm Just, a member of the pioneering family who first settled the district in 1909.

“When we were due to celebrate our centenary I put my hand up to be on the committee because I was determined to build a wall in the park, with wagon wheels featuring in it,” she said.

I thought it was really important to give recognition to all the pioneers and people who came and went from the district.

“When that goal was accomplished, I extended my vision, deciding to grow all the beautiful flora in the park that grows along the road.”

With the help of her cousin Kevin Varaschetti and others she has transformed the land into a combination sculpture park, gardens and outdoor museum.

“I am all about preserving our history as much as I can,” Mrs Campbell said.