Some of Gary’s timber designs, including a keepsake box and timber shelf for a kitchen window. Photos: Supplied.
When Gary Wade first wandered into his Mount Warrigal shed with a piece of timber, he wasn’t chasing a business idea — he was chasing a challenge.
His father, a metal worker and welder, had once told him, “If you make a mistake, you can reweld, grind off and start again – timber you can’t.”
That challenge sparked a lifelong fascination with wood — its texture, its grain, and its unforgiving precision.
“I challenged myself to the old adage of ‘measure twice and cut once,’” Gary said.
“I would suggest my interest and passion developed over many years and I always admired the beauty of the grain and patterns in natural timber furniture and household fixtures.”
During the past five years, Gary’s self-taught skills have transformed from a hobby into Wood by Wade, a name now familiar to marketgoers and timber enthusiasts across the Illawarra and Australia wide.
What began as small handcrafted boxes has evolved into an impressive range of cutting boards, jewellery boxes with mirrors inside the lid, keepsake boxes, urns for pets and family members, and unusual custom commissions.
“My early jobs were small sealed face boxes with a glass/acrylic lens that I mounted collectible sporting items in, including old Australian timber fishing lures — some worth over $1000 — hole-in-one golf balls, three- and five-wicket cricket balls, team-signed footballs, and family mementos,” he said.
“As the word spread via friends, social media and attending car boot sales and markets, my ‘reputation’ spread.
“I have never advertised.
“The dedicated timber/wood shows have proven to be far more successful, as the patrons attend to view and buy timber products.
“Case in point – the annual Woodfest at Bulli attracts probably over 1500 to 2000 visitors.”
Gary’s craftsmanship speaks for itself.
Each piece, whether a small cheese board or an intricate lidded box, carries his trademark attention to detail and respect for the wood’s natural beauty.
He said using timbers such as Australian red cedar, silky oak and camphor laurel not only added character but also told a uniquely Australian story.
“I source most of my camphor laurel timber in slab form from three or four suppliers on the NSW Far North Coast where the camphor is a defined pest species by various councils and Landcare organisations,” he said.
“The Australian red cedar is sourced from secondhand timber yards and recycled old furniture, as it is now a fully protected timber species.
“Both of those, and silky oak, have naturally figured patterns that I work into the boxes and boards to display them at their best.”
While his workshop hours ebb and flow depending on market schedules, Gary admits he’s often found “making sawdust” late into the evening.
He said lately he’d been experimenting with embedding small gemstones, opals and even decorative shapes into his cutting boards for a creative twist that set his work apart.
“I try to challenge myself to create that something ‘left field’ or different from the norm,” he said.
He said his pieces had found homes in every Australian state, and even as far as California, Germany, Spain and New Zealand when visiting tourists who admired his craftsmanship took them home.
For Gary, the joy lies not in expansion or sales targets, but in the satisfaction of turning a raw slab into something meaningful.
“I have no long-term goals, as I am happy and satisfied with what I am doing now,” he said.
“I have a very high product ethic and quality control and will ensure every job is finished to the best of my ability.”
With awards from the Kiama Show and having been appointed to judge the wood section at the Albion Park Show, Gary’s reputation as a skilled craftsman continues to grow.
Learn more about Wood by Wade via his Facebook group, where new works are continually added.
