6th generation blacksmith Josef Balog was born in Croatia and raised in Austria, the sixth generation of a family of blacksmiths who originally came from Hungary. As a child he was facinated by the magic of the forge, helping his father by operating the bellows. At the age of fifteen "when I was strong enough", he took up the hammer and began a career in the ancient art. Josef also served an apprenticeship as a welder and boilermaker, and it was in this capacity that he migrated to Australia in 1972. He continued to practice his craft, however, in his spare time. In those days blacksmithing was largely a lost art in this country and in the 80s Josef was attracted to work as 'the village blacksmith' at Sovereign Hill in Ballarat. At Ballarat, over the next decade, he demonstrated his skills to hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Hand forged wrought iron work. Today Josef has built a new workshop and forge on the family's Mundrakoona Estate. Here visitors can see him craft traditional ironwork using the old world techniques of joining the metal by riveting or forge welding - techniques he perfected when working in Austria restoring Baroque gates to their former glory. Josef's work is on display in public buildings and private homes around Australia and in many countries overseas. Decorative gates, balustrades, window boxes, wine racks and candelabra can be made to order, or purchased from the Cellar Door at Mundrakoona all year round. His handcrafted items will stand the test of time and be used for generations to come. Click here to see a portfolio of Josef's work.

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