Alex Gardner

Picture by Vanessa Marie Photography.

Part of my spare time is spent pursuing historical interests, covering a broad period of history from about the 8th century through to the 14th and 15th centuries. As a result of this, I am currently a member of the Medieval Archery Society, which is based in South Western Sydney. I am also a member of Stoccata, which is based throughout Australia.

Whilst I have previously been in groups that do live-steel re-enactment combat and living history covering the 8th to 10th centuries, my current focus roughly covers the 14th century, specifically historical archery and blacksmithing. I also do Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), which covers sword-fighting of various styles and time periods.

Re-enactment is what introduced me to blacksmithing and archery. I have also been able to get hands-on with different arts and crafts in order to create things I need/use for the hobby. This has ranged from woodworking to sewing, as well as other random skills that have come up over the years.

As part of this hobby, I regularly attend, and camp at, various Medieval Festivals and other events held throughout Australia. I also host and manage the Medieval Archery Society’s website, in addition to performing the technical implementation of its current design.