From axes to ‘garagenalia’, Mikey Hilburger shares the stories behind his captivating collections
No two collections are ever the same. Be it art, memorabilia or hand-crafted keepsakes, each assemblage is a reflection of the person that created it. According to Mikey Hilburger, his collection of axes (on display as part of Museum of Brisbane’s latest exhibition, Precious) offers a glimpse at who he is as a person – his passions, his obsessions and his personality. From his love of competitive barbecuing to his new-found affinity for the aesthetics of ‘garagenalia’, Mikey’s collection tells a remarkable story about craftsmanship, creativity and connection. We spoke to Mikey about where his love of collecting began and where it has taken him since …
To start, we’d love to dig deeper into the origins of your collecting efforts. Can you recall any formative experiences that spurred your desire to collect?
Like a lot of kids, I collected coins and stamps early on, but it wasn’t till I began scuba diving at 12 years old that I discovered a love for marine life – especially molluscs, shells and shell collecting – to an almost academic point where I knew most of their scientific Latin names.
That love led me to wanting to be a marine biologist. Unfortunately my senior year at Oxley High coincided with Expo 88, so much of that year was spent doing the chicken dance at the German Bier Hall. Suffice to say, my tertiary entrance score wasn’t very crash hot!
What would you say is the most gratifying aspect of collecting as a pastime?
First and foremost, I’m a treasure hunting junkie. That rush you feel when you uncover a forgotten object in someone’s barn or shed – something that you’ve maybe only ever seen in pictures – is unreal. That’s closely followed by the thrill of researching the item and its history, trying to unwrap the layers and preserving that item for future generations.
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Your trove of axes is one of the most distinctive collections on display within Precious, Museum of Brisbane’s new exhibition. Can you share any insight into what sparked your desire to accumulate these tools?
I was very active in the national competitive barbecue arena and about ten years ago, whilst catering a friends wedding at a Victorian winery, a friend of mine lobbed up with a hugely impressive and razor-sharp racing axe to help chop up some ironbark to fuel the smoker. It’s the same kind of axe that the woodchop legends use at The Ekka.
It was like nothing I’d ever seen and I knew I needed one of those in my life. One quickly turned to two and two turned to 30, and then I met the infamous axe man from Ipswich, Steve Lehmann. Before his untimely death a couple of years ago, Steve took me under his wing, taught me a lot and allowed me to add to my collection through his.
You have roughly 120 axes in your collection – what makes an axe worthy of incorporating? Are there any qualities you look for when inspecting a potential new addition?
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I now look at axes in two ways. There’s axes for my personal collection, which need to have great provenance, unusual design and great condition. Then there’s axes I sell through my antique stalls – those are always vintage, usually restored and re-handled by myself, and are either super useable, very collectable, or both.
Of your impressive collection, are there any individual axes that hold a special place of significance for you?
There’s a couple in the collection that Steve and I both worked on that are obviously very close to my heart, then there’s the big old broadaxe at the end of the collection. That axe handle has had so many nails pounded into the eye to try and keep the axe tight and keep it working. I love it so much – the idea that the old fella using that axe just wouldn’t give up. Mind you, he was probably only a couple of days’ ride from a hardware store!
Collecting axes has led you to an interest in the broader field of ‘garagenalia’, an umbrella term that encompasses signs, petrol tins, rusted and restored tools, oil drums and tin toys. Can you articulate what makes these pieces alluring to you and to those that obtain a piece from your Urban Lumberjack stalls?
For one thing, its quality – the way these things were made and the fact that they survive and are supremely useable still is a testament to lost art and craftsmanship. I also think nostalgia plays a huge part. If I had a dollar for every time someone’s told me they remember grandad using an axe like that, or he had a sign like that, which he used to fix a hole in the chook shed …
There’s also the cool factor – this stuff just has it in spades. One statement piece can transform any interior, be it rustic or minimalist modern.
In what ways do you think collecting is a form of expression and what do you think a collection can communicate about a person?
Collecting absolutely allows me to express myself in so many ways. My collection is a glimpse into the person I am, my loves, my aesthetic and my madness! I crave the freedom and creativity it gives me to be able curate my stalls – not just with the physical items, but I love the art of the display and it’s something I’m constantly tweaking and trying to improve.
Finally, are there any other collections featured in the Precious exhibition that you are impressed by?
From go to whoa, the whole Precious exhibition is just astounding. I’m naturally drawn to the exceptional groupings of antique tins and vintage toys, the extraordinary items from the Queensland Maritime Museum, and the quirky little trench art shoehorn collection of my wife Lizzie. But by far the most impressive part of the exhibition is the incredible and tireless work of the MoB team who have put together a truly world-class exhibit.
Mikey’s collection features as part of Precious, the new exhibition at Museum of Brisbane – open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.