An interest in medieval weapons inspired Beaconhills College student William Daly to create a hand-crafted long bow for his Year 9 ‘Personal Best’ project.

William said he was keen to branch out and try his hand at woodcarving, helped by handy access to an English yew tree growing in his grandmother’s garden.

“The reason why I chose to hand carve a wooden long bow was primarily because I had insanely easy access to all the resources needed for this project to piece together,” William said.

His project took 40 hours to complete and involved chopping the branch, stripping and drying it ready to shape.

He said bending the wood to attach the string and create the powerful tension needed was a challenge.

Unlike the Swiss folk hero of the same first name, William won’t be shooting any apples balanced on someone’s head, but definitely plans to put his project to good use.

Personal Best is a popular element of Beaconhills College’s Year 9 Program. Students have a term to create something that represents their personal passion, with projects as diverse as each student’s interest.

The Berwick Campus projects were on display for parents to view at the Year 9 Centre on Thursday 29 July. They ranged from a handmade Indigenous-themed jigsaw puzzle to artwork, costumes, electric bikes and a vintage-look clock.

One student even flew to Cambodia to help her grandparents with charity work, raising funds and providing basic food, clothing and school essentials for people in need.