In the lead up to Australia Day this year, STIHL went on a search for Australia's best backyard with our national competition ‘This is My Backyard'.
We invited Australians to nominate their backyard as the perfect place to celebrate Australia Day, whether a tiny courtyard or balcony, or a 100 hectare property.
We sought the help of our STIHL Backyard Heroes – Matthew Hayden, Dermott Brereton, Brad Fittler, Andrew McLeod and Matthew Pavlich – who joined with us to celebrate the special spaces that make us Australian.
We launched a website www.thisismybackyard.com.au and Facebook page www.facebook.com/ThisIsMyBackYard where we saw every weird and wonderful backyard. We saw the everyday, the beautiful, the ordinary and the simple.
In the end there could only be six winners, one from each state (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA and SA) plus a People's Choice, as voted by the public on the website.
Each was awarded a STIHL Product Pack worth more than $2,200, plus a traditional Australia Day BBQ in their backyard along with 20 of their friends and family, hosted by STIHL and attended by a Backyard Hero.
Thanks to everybody that entered ‘This is My Backyard', by sharing their own backyard or voting for the backyards of friends or family.
Congratulations again to the winners:
- Matthew Costa, One Tree Hill (South Australia)
- Trish Jones, Ipswich (Queensland)
- Michael Bailey, Narre Warren (Victoria)
- Francie Andrews, Trigg (Western Australia)
- Amanda Ting, Woronora (New South Wales)
- David Richards, Wandin North (Victoria) - People's Choice Award
This is My Backyard was an opportunity to encourage Australians to get real and get outside. It was an important opportunity for us to celebrate what Australians do best - being outdoors, enjoying the company of friends and family, and having a good time in our own little pieces of paradise.
Keep your eyes on the lookout later on this year for the second reiteration of This is My Backyard.