Ivan Halbert has many strings to his bow, not the least of them making violins.
The former farmer was inspired to try making a musical instrument while travelling around Australia.
He took lessons from a master craftsman in Queensland and never looked back.
"The first one took me about three years to make as I was still farming," Ivan said.
"Now it takes 120-130 hours to make one."
After selling the family farm where he had lived for 66 years, Ivan and his late wife Dawn moved to a five-acre property in Mount Helena.
A London flame tree growing too close to the house had to be removed, so Ivan had the wood slabbed to use for his late-life hobby.
"There is enough wood from it to make 5000 violins but I might not last that long," he said. "It is fantastic wood. My grandson also used it to make a crossbow and arrow for a school project."
There is enough wood from it to make 5000 violins.
- Ivan Halbert, violin maker
Since last year Ivan, 84, has lived at Baptistcare's Yallambee Retirement Village.
A friend in Parkerville lets him store his wood and tools in a shed on his property.
Ivan has sold some of his violins for around $3000 and has also donated one to Wesley College, his old school.
"I don't play the violin myself, but I sing in a choir and am a member of a barber shop quartet," he said.
Ivan has also made a monochord, a multi-stringed instrument that a friend uses for sound healing.
As well, he plays tennis, participates in a local men's group and recently competed in the national clay target championships in Roma, Queensland.
