See Ref. No. 4362Football trophy in the shape of a shield, which is set on a frame which is backed with red fabric. The shield has a silver coloured crown on the top with 'Football' printed below it. In the centre of the shield is a disc with a black background with three footballers in silver with goal posts also in silver. There is a green 'grass' on the bottom of frame with 'B.H.M.F.C. Lightning Premiership' printed on it.'Football' B.H.M.F.C. Lightning Premiership 1970trophies & awards, sports, education

Purchased at Op Shop in Forest HillA pair of probably 1950s gloves in sheer nylon with red printed hailespot. The cuff has a scalloped hemmed edge of red with three lines of elastic shirring. Plaquet opening fastened with pearl shaped button fastened with fabric loopcostume accessories, glove accessories

Used by Whitehorse Historical Society. Origin unknownDark brown torso length mannequin with wooden base and neck and arm holes. Shaped with bust narrow waist and bustle to hip in length. Brown cotton fabric. Below front neck is material sign printed: JA Walker Manufacturer, Melbourne.J A Walker Manufacturer Melbournemodel making, mannequins/dummies

Simple day dress constructed from feedsack cotton fabric: Short, puffed sleeves, small opening with slight V neck and pointed collar. Centre front fold with red plastic buttons - the originals were missing but these are period correct replacements that match the red plastic buckle. Two front pockets on the bodice shaped like flower pots. No openings, pops over your head. Self-covered belt has a different material underneath: a smaller blue and white floral print. None

Brown decorated timber frame, cream shadow box mounting card, booklet, photocopy text, glass. Black printed text reads -Autograph Book / Belonging to Geelong Supporter / Kenneth W. Cavey- and -Donated by / Peter Price / and Family-. There is a photocopy of a blue front cover of a booklet with the text -Autographs-. On the left of the display is an opened booklet with notes and autographs hand-written in pencil and pen. Display is protected by glass. Rear of frame has a Kardinia Picture Frames sticker and a fabric cord running horizontally which is used to hang the item.Autographs of 1934. Les Hardiman. Reg Hickey. Angie Muller. Bob Troughton. Clive Coles. Lou Daily. Alex McGregor. George Todd. George Moloney. Jack Walker. Jack Williams. Jack Metherell. Jack Carney. Len Metherell. Bill Kuhlken. Allan Everett. Jack Collins. Peter Hardiman. Tom Arklay. Joe Tucker. Jack Lyons. Norm Glenister. Gus Leishman.gfc 1934 team, geelong cats 1934

The Polish born artist, designer and filmmaker, Stanislaus Ostoja-Kotkowski (1922-1944), who arrived in Melbourne in 1949 on the 'Fairsea', a ship carrying displaced persons from Europe and the Baltic States. He sought employment in architectural and design practices, and also enrolled in classes at the National Gallery School. From 1952 until 1953 Ostoja-Kotkowski had a brief, but productive, period working as a designer in the Prestige Fabric Design Studio in Melbourne. Ann Carew, 2017The textile design has aesthetic significance as an example of the early Australian work of noted emigre artist, designer and filmmaker, Stanislaus Ostoja-Kotkowski, and it has historical significance for its association with the Prestige's Textile Design Studio, and the studio's art director, Gerhard Herbst. Small sample of pale green rayon fabric with a bold, repeating geometric pattern printed in black and white.emigre, polish, design, textile design, rmit design archives

Dr. Frances Mary Burke (1907 - 1994) was a textile designer and printer, businesswoman, artist and Australian design advocate and retailer. Burke’s modern abstract textile designs incorporated motifs and colours inspired by Australian Indigenous art, Pacific Island cultures, Australian flora and fauna, English gardens, and the sea and its wildlife. Following Burke’s death in 1994, her life-long companion Miss Fabie Chamberlain donated the contents of Burke’s studio to RMIT University.Single colour screenprint, white fabric with chartreuse coloured print of positive large format design featuring large stylised canna leaf motif.Printed on selvedge 'CANNA LEAF' a "Frances Burke" UNIT COLOUR DESIGN'textile, australian flora, rmit design archives

This light woollen evening dress is made from Peppinella, a new fabric Norma Tullo introduced into her range in 1973. The fabric was used exclusively by Tullo, and came from the wool of Peppin Merino (first introduced into Australia in 1858 by the Peppin brothers). According to the papers of the day Tullo’s 1973 winter collection featured ‘St. Trinian’s styles to garments dripping lace, in bold plain colours to floral prints.” Shirley Lyle designed the floral fabric. Norma Tullo (1935-2019) was one of the leading fashion designers of her time, establishing her label in 1956. After establishing a business the Old Metropole Arcade in Melbourne in 1956, with three sewing machines, Tullo's ready to wear fashions for young women became sought after, and her business flourished. In 1966 the Japanese department store chain Isetan Co Ltd began to mass-produce her garments for their stores across Japan. Tullo closed her label in 1977, and later worked for Fletcher Jones. Ann Carew, 2020The dress is historically significant as a dress designed by Norma Tullo, a leading fashion designer of the 1960s and 1970s. During this period the Australian Wool Industry strove to promote wool, and to develop light woollen fabrics to compete with new synthetic fibres such as rayon. The garment is historically significant for the use of a merino wool showcasing its versatility for dress fabrics. Full length woman's dress with full skirt and long sleeves, collared with open neck and pleat work on bodice. Material is predominately red with a repeated pattern featuring posie of blue and mauve flowers.Inscribed, black label on back neck left of zip, 'TULLO/IN/PEPPINELLA/AUSTRALIA MERINO WOOL'; Inscribed, white satin label on back neck right of zip, 'DRY CLEAN ONLY'; Inscribed, white satin label underneath above label, 'SIZE 12/To Fit Bust 34"/To Fit Waistwool, rmit design archives, rmit university, woman's dress, textile design, australian fashion

Rectangular medical chart made from printed and coated paper laid on white fabric (?cotton) and showing the upper part of the human body, with skeleton, organs and blood circulation. The chart is attached to two wooden batons with small metal tacks. The top baton is moulded while the lower baton is circular in cross-section. Both batons are stained black. There are two screwed metal eyelets attached to the upper baton used for hanging the chart. A short length of red cotton tape is attached to the mid point of the upper baton with a metal tack and is used for securing the chart when it is rolled up. There is the remnant of a printed paper label adhered on the reverse side of the chart at the top edge, but unable to read the writing.The artists name (J. Teck) is printed at the bottom LHS of the chart . The logo of the St John's Ambulance Association is printed on the RHS of the lower edge of the chart, along with the words 'St JOHN'S GATE, LONDON, E.C.1'medical chart, blood circulation

Rectangular medical chart made from printed and coated paper laid on white fabric (?cotton) and showing a fracture to the right leg. The chart is attached to two wooden batons with masking tape. The top baton is moulded while the lower baton is circular in cross-section. Both batons are stained black. Printed on the RHS front face of the chart at bottom edge are the words 'All rights reserved'. Printed on the LHS front face of the chart at bottom edge are the words 'RUDDIMAN, JOHNSTON & CO., Ltd., LONDON'medical chart, human body

Rectangular chart made from printed and coated paper on a fabric base. The chart is mounted at either end on timber batons using small metal tacks. The upper baton is semi-circular in cross-section while the lower baton is circular in cross-section. Two screwed metal eyelets have been attached at either end of the upper baton for use in hanging the chart. A short length of white cotton tape is attached to the mid-point of the upper baton with a metal tack. the tape is used to secure the chart after it has been rolled up.The word 'DISLOCATIONS' is written on the back at the top margin, in black and red ink. The words 'ST JOHN'S GATE, LONDON E.C.1' and a logo for the St John Ambulance Association are printed on the bottom edge at the front of the chart (RHS).medical chart, human body

Rectangular chart made from printed and coated paper on a fabric base. The chart is mounted at either end on timber batons using small metal tacks. The upper baton is moulded while the lower baton is circular in cross-section. Two screwed metal eyelets have been attached at either end of the upper baton for use in hanging the chart. A short length of white cotton tape is attached to the mid-point of the upper baton with a metal tack. The tape is used to secure the chart after it has been rolled up.The logo of the St John Ambulance Association is printed on the bottom edge of the chart (LHS) along with the words 'ST JOHN'S GATE, LONDON E.C.1'. The artists name 'J.Teck' is printed near the bottom edge of the chart in the centre. medical chart, human body, anatomy

Rectangular chart made from printed and coated paper on a fabric base. The chart is mounted at either end on timber batons using small metal tacks. The upper baton is moulded while the lower baton is circular in cross-section. Both batons are stained black.Two screwed metal eyelets have been attached to the upper baton for use in hanging the chart. A short length of redcotton tape is attached to the mid-point of the upper baton with a metal tack. the tape is used to secure the chart after it has been rolled up.A printed paper label is attached to the reverse of the chart bearing the words 'THE SKELETON'. The logo of the St John Ambulance Association and the words 'ST JOHN'S GATE, LONDON E.C.1' are printed on the botton edge of the chart (LHS). The artists name 'J. Teck' is printed just above. A second, unknown logo is printed on the top LH corner of the chart. Much of it has flaked off so it is not possible to read it.medical chart, human body, j.teck

Rectangular chart made from printed and coated paper on a fabric base. The chart shows the upper torso of a human male. The chart is mounted at either end on timber batons using small metal tacks. Masking tape has been placed over the metal tacks in an attempt to repair the chart. The upper baton is moulded, while the lower baton is circular in cross-section. Both batons are stained black.Two screwed metal eyelets have been attached at either end of the upper baton for use in hanging the chart. A short length of brown/white cotton tape is attached to the mid-point of the upper baton with a metal tack. the tape is used to secure the chart after it has been rolled up.Printed on the RHS front face of the chart at bottom edge are the words 'All rights reserved'. Printed on the LHS front face of the chart at bottom edge are the words 'RUDDIMAN, JOHNSTON & CO., Ltd., LONDON'ruddiman johnston & co, medical chart

Single white cotton sanitary towel with blue fabric loops and wrapped in white paper packaging. The packaging is printed in red and black.Southall's Compressed Sanitary Towel Invaluable to ladies travelling Size Dsouthall's, sanitary towel

This floatation bladder was made for survival whilst crossing rivers and streams. The device would have been inserted into clothing and the user would have blown air into the pipe. The pipe would have been folded in half and held in place to prevent air from escaping.Tough rectangular, flat, khaki coloured fabric and rubber bag. There is a rubber pipe at the top, right corner. There is a fabric flap at the base of this pipe which holds the pipe in a bent position. There are also inscriptions on the front/centre of the bag.The following inscriptions are at the front/cente of the bag, printed in red. The very last inscriptions ('M. KNAUSS') are printed in dark purple. 'BLADDER, FLOATATION, JUNGLE' 'THE B.F. GOODRICH CO.' 'CONTRACT W669QM21639 9-30-42' 'SPECIFICATION P.Q.D. 243' 'STOCK NO. 74-B-303' 'PHILADELPHIA QUARTERMASTER DEPOT' 'INSPECTOR______M. KNAUSS_____' floatation bladder, floatation device, world war two, ww2, wwii, second world war

Chinese book set in album case. The set of three books are printed in Chinese in red and black ink. They include text and illustrations printed on lightweight paper. The books have a yellow covers and are stitched at the spine. The album is made of firm card and is covered in a patterned silken fabric with handmade bone and fabric hinges.

A wartime letter written by Arthur Evans that was later mounted on card for display purposes. It was donated to Legacy in 1998. The letter was written on the fabric of an aircraft wing. The letter was written by Arthur Stanley Evans while convalescing in Briston in 1917. He had been injured at Bullecourt, France with the 18th-16th AIF. The letter says 'Dear Minnie, Just a line to say your nice long letter arrived yesterday and I am now waiting the money etc. Have run out of paper so am scrawling this on a piece of wing belonging to one of Fritz's tubes that I saw one of our chaps having a scrap with in the air over our lines one day. "Fritz LOST". Glad Betty liked her little gift. Will write you later. I am improving every day and expect to have leave shortly. Love to all, Arthur." Not to let war time shortages of paper get in Arthur Evans way, he improvised and his letter to Minnie, it arrived intact. The fabric would be quite durable and light. A great memento to show family and friends.Despite war time shortages a little ingenuity can overcome many difficulties.Backing, ply board. Letter and short story typed on white cardboard, cardboard fixed to ply backing. Original letter fixed to white cardboard. Lower left hand corner folded over showing the reverse side of the fabric. Original letter rectangular in shape. All of the above is surrounded by a brownish border.The letter, the story and how the letter came to Legacy is printed in brown ink. The original letter is hand written on a piece of wing fabric from a German aircraft shot down over Allied lines.souvenir, world war one

A4 size paper used by BTPS Ltd. as letterhead for period 1974c to about 1980. Has drawing of tram 27 in top left hand corner, organisational name and address and words "Ballarat Tourist Tramway" on base. Printed in green ink, on white paper, with watermark "Plus Fabric". 296.1 - as above, but with a "Burnie Superfine Bond" watermark.trams, tramways, btps, ballarat tourist tramway, letterhead, letters

A4 size paper used by BTPS Ltd as letterhead for period 1980 to 1995. Has drawing of No. 31 in top left hand corner, organisation name and address in top, and "Ballarat Vintage Tramway" on base printed in green ink Watermark "Plus Fabric". trams, tramways, btps, ballarat vintage tramway, letterhead, letters

Roselia Isabell Welch was an actress born 16 November 1838, probably in England. Father John Murrell Welch, mother Angela Towsey. Dress has been worn by her descendants.|This decorative day dress was worn by Roselia Welch to the 1872 Melbourne Cup. Roselia made her Cup Day dress by hand - she may have used a published dress pattern but her skill as a needlewoman is evident as the entire surface is decorated with narrow hand beaded black braid applied in a fern-like motif over the blue cotton fabric of the dress creating a lace-like effect.Dress worn by Roselia Isabel Welch to the 1872 Melbourne Cup. White lining inside dress, blue lining inside train. V neck, front hook and eye opening. Handmade hook holes down centre front. Set in sleeves with black piped armhole seams. Fitted bodice with black piped seams Flat front skirt, full bustle area at back with centre back opening. Floor length train. Blue printed label on lining of centre back panel, right side. Upper case letters 'SUP' visible. Brown tape at waist with hook. Two pairs of tapes either side of back opening for bustle. Black lace around neck, sleeve, train and back opening edges. Black cotton loop in centre of train. Inset pockets right side at hip level and very small one left side at waist level. Entire surface of dress decorated with black braid hand stitched in a fern-like pattern.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.

Frances Burke: Designer of Modern Textiles Australia’s most influential and celebrated textile designer of the mid-20th century, Frances Burke (1904-1994), employed Australian native flora, garden flowers, marine subjects, Indigenous culture and increasingly, abstract motifs in her stunning modern fabrics. A confident, determined designer and businesswoman; Burke made the shift from fine art to design in 1937. While she began by designing dress fabrics for Melbourne’s fashionable Georges Department store, printing them on linen using lino blocks, she was an early adopter of the screen-printing process and during the war years began printing on cotton. Burke’s furnishing fabrics took their place in influential modern buildings Australia-wide through collaborations with leading architects and interior designers. They included Robin Boyd’s 1949 House of Tomorrow, Roy Grounds’ Quamby flats, Guilford Bell’s Royal Hayman Island Resort for Ansett Airlines, and Yuncken, Freeman Brothers, Griffiths and Simpson’s Canberra Civic Centre Theatre. In the post-war period, Burke made regular trips to the United States and Europe, on her return advising homeowners and manufacturers on the latest trends in products, colours and home design in lectures and interviews. At New Design her fabric showroom and interior design consultancy Burke introduced furniture by emerging designers Clement Meadmore and Grant Featherston in the early 1950s and presented local and imported homewares, mostly from the United States. She was enthusiastic about the convenient and comfortable lifestyle experienced by ordinary American women. Her fabrics and advice were regularly featured in Australian Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and the newspapers of the day. Some of Burke’s designs had remarkable longevity. Tiger Stripe (1938) for example, continued to be produced in a wide range of colours until 1970 and Crete (1946) remained a popular choice for interiors into the 1960s. Drawing from a rich variety of sources including Indigenous culture in Goanna (c.1954) and Pacific Island tapa cloth designs in Bird and Tree (1940), Burke also looked to Japan in designs such as Plum Blossom (1948) and Zen (1965). She loved exploring the potential of native flora, seen in designs including Waratah (1955) and Flannel Flower (1955), while garden flowers were the source for many other designs including Belladonna (1940), Periwinkle (n.d.) and Rose (1947). Burke’s clever interplay of a single striking printed colour with lively gestural lines revealing the white base fabric, gave her designs a vibrancy that characterised the optimistic post-war era. This can be seen in Burke’s fabrics for Hayman Island including Angel Fish and Seapiece (both 1949) which expressed the freshness and excitement of the luxurious new tropical resort and led to further commissions. Burke’s three decades in business (1937-1970) were an unparalleled success in the story of Australian design. Her fabrics have been collected by the NGA, the Powerhouse Museum, NGV, RMIT Design Archives and Sydney Living Museums in addition to Ararat Gallery TAMA. Written by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs.