Manjimup resident honoured: annual prestigious log chop competition named after town legend

A respected Manjimup man has been honoured after his death earlier this year by the community he “loved”.

A sign was erected in Neil Halden’s honour, formally naming a section of Coronation Park in Manjimup after him.

The section of the park on Giblett Street is known for hosting the annual log chopping competition, an event Neil held close to his heart.

The sign was unveiled on December 14 at the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival, where Neil’s friend Peter ‘Chook’ Clarke delivered a moving speech in front of Neil’s family, friends and fellow log chop community.

Mr Clarke said he could not think of a better way to honour his long-time friend.

“We had to do something,” he said.

“He has given so much to the Manjimup community and the log chopping community, we needed to honour him.”

Mr Clarke said it was fitting Neil be eternally remembered with the Neil Halden Log Chopping Arena named in his honour, as he and his family were major supporters of the sport for more than 20 years.

Neil was also a strong supporter of the Manjimup Speedway, the Lower South West Football League and the Rotary Club of Manjimup — where he was awarded the prestigious Paul Harris Fellowship in 2022 for his commitment to the Manjimup community.

Neil’s wife Jill Halden said he was very passionate about the Manjimup community.

“A love of his community, our community, drove him,” she said.

“We, Wade (Neil’s son) especially, definitely intend to continue his legacy.”

Mrs Halden said Neil’s love for log chopping was born out of his friendship with Mr Clarke and the young adults coming through Tyrepower, a business he ran with his son Wade.

“The opportunity arose to get involved and it’s what he wanted to do,” she said.

“It started with some log chop events in conjunction with Fonty’s Pool but when that waned we used to do a log chop wherever we could fit them.”

The Halden’s played a large role in having the annual log chopping event moved to Coronation Park on a permanent basis, which went through the Shire of Manjimup for approval.

“The choppers were over the moon,” Mrs Halden said.

Mrs Halden said herself and Neil had a fabulous time supporting the log chopping community over the years.

“We certainly had a lot of fun with it — it was awesome,” she said.

Saturday’s unveiling was followed by the annual log chopping competition, where 26 entrants competed across 12 categories.