By Barry Irving
After visiting family in New Zealand, local woodworker Dennis Conner returned home inspired by a simple but meaningful idea — handcrafted wooden tulips sold to raise funds for Parkinson’s disease.
In New Zealand, craftsmen have created more than 5,500 wooden tulips over the past five years to support the cause. Wanting to bring the initiative to Australia, Dennis approached the Fight Parkinson’s group and suggested a local fundraising effort.
Members of the Woodworkers of the Southern Peninsula embraced the idea, turning, sanding, and painting 700 tulips as a club project. The finished tulips were recently presented to Sharon Roux, Director of Fundraising for Fight Parkinson’s. The colourful blooms will soon be available for sale online, with all proceeds going directly to the charity’s work.
All labour for the project was donated by the woodworkers, with material costs covered through generous donations from Bunnings Rosebud, Cabot’s Stains, and Rye Beach Op Shop.
The tulips will be sold for $10 each or five for $40.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 29 October 2025
