#TheBigDrive

About #TheBigDrive

On 29 September, Josh Hazelwood Engineering and M80 Property Group embarked on a 4-day road trip from Melbourne to Brisbane. In tow were two large sculptures (‘Dedicated to the Sun’ & ‘A Mother’s Touch’) crafted by Josh Hazelwood and destined for two new residential homes in Bardon. Along the way, they stopped at some of the east coast’s Big Things and key Aussie landmarks.

The drive was a smashing success, and a feast for the eyes for locals of each town the team drove through.

Some of the key towns and landmarks TheBigDrive team stopped at included: Acacia Ridge Winery, TarraWarra Estate, Big Ned Kelly, The Big Merino, Bondi Beach, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Big Axe, The Big Banana, The Big Prawn, Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise and finally Brisbane.

Join us and help raise funds and awareness for Youngcare as part of #TheBigDrive initiative by making a donation. Every dollar counts! We will be taking donations up until 28th of October 2023.

Josh’s Story 

Josh’s first venture into large-scale sculptures was in 2018 when his friend’s brother Ethan was diagnosed with osteosarcoma; an aggressive cancerous tumour in the bone. With the family reducing their working hours to be there for their son, Josh and his friend created something radically different – The War Horse. 

Standing at two and a half metres tall, The War Horse was a statement that they believed demonstrated Ethan’s courage and strength whilst in the fight for his life. Josh took The War Horse on tour through Nagambie and surrounds, raising around $30,000 and then auctioning the sculpture for $10,000. All money raised went directly to the family. After a challenging 12 months of chemotherapy, Ethan went on to make a full recovery. 

Since then, Josh has gone on to create more large-scale sculptures. 

“The inspiration for my works is to challenge perception. I use a combination of perceptual and parametric based pieces which gives people the opportunity to explore multiple perceptions. 

The message behind my works is self-reflection. In a world of chaos and confusion, our sculptures remind you to take a breath, let your mind run free and appreciate the moments in your life.” 

Josh has a dream that #TheBigDrive fundraiser will inspire the community, just as their last ‘War horse’ tour did in 2018. This campaign also marks the beginning of a special relationship, as we welcome Josh Hazelwood as our newest Youngcare ambassador.

The Sculptures

Both sculptures are destined for two beautiful residential homes on Stuartholme Road, Bardon, backing onto Stuartholme School. Established in 1920, Stuartholme School is a secondary day and boarding school for girls. The sculptures pay homage to the strong women and leadership figures that have emerged from the School over the last 100+ years. 

The ‘A Mother’s Touch’ sculpture symbolizes the dedication of mothers and caregivers, shedding light on the challenges faced by all mothers. In particular, by the 2.65 million Australians providing unpaid care to someone with a disability, a long term illness or frailty due to age. Shockingly, 70% of these caregivers are women, contributing to women’s underrepresentation in the workforce.