The upright fronds of the Award were hand-crafted from reclaimed oregon timber collected from Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne during refurbishments to the stage area in 2001. For more than a century, this timber formed an integral part of the structure that raised and lowered the curtain on the stage during many significant performances at Her Majesty’s Theatre – Dame Nellie Melba’s final performance, a young Luciano Pavarotti at the start of his career, legendary Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and soprano Dame Joan Sutherland. All materials used in the making of this Award have been sourced to complete its story of sustainability. The base was hand selected from old Jarrah posts from the race day stables at Flemington Racecourse. The plaques were made from salvaged brass off-cuts. The case that housed the Award was made from recycled paperboard. Once again, beautifully hand-crafted by Ravi Avasti, Avasti Design. (www.avasti.com.au)