Her grandfather was a drover and the source of Cas’ skills in leather working.

Not scared to get her hands dirty as a child, Cassandra would go out hunting with him and help mount his prized catches. 

“There was only me and my sister, so I got to be the tom boy,” Cassandra said.

Cassandra’s passion grew, and she moved from pigs to other animals she hunted such as foxes.

While her eagerness for hunting dwindled, but her passion for taxidermy remained strong, as she yearned to learn more. 

“I think I have gone too soft now, I can’t even squash a spider,” Cassandra said.

Cassandra was taught by her father up to the age of 18, before she studied to further develop her skills.

She began selling her finished products on the back of a modest display at the local hardware store, where she worked full time.

Word of mouth grew and so did her business, and now her hobby has become a profession.

“I would never ever have thought this would have been my full time profession,” Cassandra said.

“I am totally consumed by it, I lay in bed and plan how to put my next piece together.”

Cassandra quickly realised she had to be a Jack of all trades when building the dioramas.

Starting with a timber base she recreates landscapes to portray the the particular animal’s natural environment. 

She also took part in a veterinary course recently to help her reconstruct the Maned Wolf for Altina Wild Life Park’s museum display.

“You can learn a lot from the animal when you skin it off,” Cassandra said.

“Maned Wolf have the longest legs compered to their bodies.

“Gino wanted to display a skeleton, which I had never done before.

“This was a big job, I mounted the skin on a standing form to show its legs.

“Then all the bones had to be cleaned and processed before putting it back together.

“I have recently built a diorama of a fox sneaking up on a rabbit, that was sent to Western Australia. 

Cassandra’s work travels near and far, one of her pieces have been sent as far as Europe.

“You never know what you have to do next.”