Learn with John Shaw and David Fleming in Victoria next April

Coming to Australia in April, 2026: David Fleming, USA (left) and John Shaw, New Zealand

Woodworkers need travel no further than central Victoria next April to learn from two internationally renowned makers, both of whom have a special connection to the legendary James Krenov.

Way back in 1984, John Shaw travelled from his home in New Zealand to study with James Krenov at The College of the Redwoods in California for what was a life-changing experience. Since then, John has spent a lifetime as a highly respected furniture designer maker and influential teacher.

Above left: Cabinet by David Fleming in Honduras Mahogany, Douglas fir, Japanese Mulberry paper. On the right, John Shaw's kauri corner cabinet.

An even closer connection exists for David Fleming who decades ago took a break from his life of subsistence hunting and fishing in the Arctic to study furniture making with James Krenov from 1984 to 1986. In 1993, David and his family relocated from Alaska to Arizona, where he continues to be a full-time furniture maker and educator. In his spare time, he is an avid photographer of birds and other wildlife.

Inside the Newstead Wood School workshop in central Victoria

Together John and David will offer a 10-day course at Newstead Wood School. ‘Composing a Cabinet – A thoughtful approach’ will take a direct cue from Krenov’s seminal book A Cabinet Maker’s Notebook.

Newstead is a two hour drive from Melbourne, or accessible via train to nearby Castlemaine. The Newstead Wood School offers six bench spaces for students, an on-site sawmill and collection of air-dried timber, as well as a dedicated space for traditional timber framing education.

The school is owned and run by fine woodworker Lachlan Park, whose making philosophy and class offering has been shaped by his studies at RMIT School of Design and the Centre for Fine Woodworking in New Zealand.

The 10 day course runs from 13 to 24 April, 2026. Learn more at www.lpwoodwork.com/courses/composing-a-cabinet

Photos courtesy Lachlan Park, Newstead Wood School