Oberon's blue tree a conversation about mental health

Are they just a pretty eye-catcher for travelling tourists or is there something more to them?

The tiny town of Oberon on the Central Tablelands has taken this idea and adapted it for its community by not just painting a tree blue, but designing and building a permanent sculpture.

The blue trees are designed to be a conversation starter and are part of a nationwide movement that began in Western Australia to spark difficult conversations and encourage people to speak up when battling mental health concerns.

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Oberon's out-of-the-box interpretation didn't just start a conversation among the locals about mental health while it was being built, it will be a focal point for future public events and conversations on the topic.

The Blue Tree Project is a charity spreading the message that "it's okay to not be okay", and help break down the stigma that's still largely attached to mental health.

Former Oberon mayor Kathy Sajowitz talks about "community" a lot. It's a big part of what drives her and keeps her engaged with the small Central Tablelands township.

"For me, Oberon is the sum of its people - we care about each other. What affects one, affects us all."

That's why seeing the idea of the blue tree sculpture through to completion was such an important focus for Kathy during the past two years.

"Destigmatising the issue of suicide and creating awareness can only come through education and open discussion - the installation of the blue tree sculpture is a great starting point," she said.

"Suicide, whether enacted or attempted, affects the whole community. This project has already started a conversation among the Oberon community and will surely raise awareness and enable recognition of the signs that friends, family members or fellow residents may be struggling and how the community can offer support.

"The non-living tree painted blue is a powerful symbol recognising mental health issues."

Kathy said she was approached two years ago, during her role as mayor, by a community member who had suffered a family loss by suicide.

"We discussed erecting a blue tree in this wonderful place [the Oberon Common reflective space]," Kathy said.

"I took the proposal to the then-council, who endorsed the idea."

This resulted in a small committee being formed which included Kathy, Fran Charge, Harrie Fasher and Sonia Cox from the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program.

Running with the traditional "blue tree" - painting a dead tree - was not an option for the council, so the concept of commissioning a metal sculpture of a blue tree emerged among the committee.

"Local artist and sculptor Harrie Fasher was very enthusiastic about the project and designed and built the work with help from the Oberon community," Kathy said.

Harrie is well known for her bronze and steel equine sculptures.

She has an extensive exhibition history, with works featured in many selective group exhibitions across Australia and internationally, including Sculpture by the Sea, Sydney and Cottesloe, WA, The Horse in Art, London and numerous regional gallery exhibits.

Harrie worked with the community to build the tree across several workshops where people could weld part of the sculpture together. Other workshops involved painting.

Kathy said those workshops helped give the community additional "ownership" of the project and was a "conversation starter" for people who wanted to talk about mental health in a relaxed and friendly environment.

"For each of the workshops, we had Sonia Cox from Rural Adversity Mental Health Program there to act as a resource for anybody who wanted to chat or find out more information," she said.

Financial funding for the project came from far and wide and reflected just how much the Oberon community was behind the project. An information board near the blue tree acknowledges that involvement and helps explain the reason for the sculpture to passersby and visitors to town.

To make it a quiet place of reflection, a bench to sit on has been added a few metres away from the tree.

"We'll landscape around the bottom of the tree to deter people climbing on it," Kathy said. "The community now has a place in the Oberon Common that can be a focal point for gatherings related to mental health such as Mental Health Week."