Combing removes the short or broken fibres and draws out the long fibres into even strands suitable for spinning. The process is necessary to produce long and soft strands needed for worsted yarn. These machines remove the short fibres and blend the remaining long fibres together to form the top. The short fibres that are removed, known as the noil, are used in the woollen system. The long fibres are drawn together, ready for spinning. To retain as many of the valuable long fibres as possible, a skilled operator always needed to be on duty in the factory to precisely set the machine. Machine has been completely rebuilt and set up by Nick Sokolov of Comb Research and Development with the help of Bruce Hill and others. NSC Schlumberger Comb PB25L machine No 3953, year of manufacture 1964. A rectilinear version of the Noble Comb, this machine separated long and short fibres. Donated to the National Wool Museum by Port Phillip Wool Processing Pty Ltd in 1993.French comb machine. 1962 Shlumberger and Co, France Model PB 251 NO. 3953.french comb, wool processing, textile industry, factory, machine, comb, restoration, fibres

Prestige Limited was formed in 1922 by George Foletta to manufacture fine silken hosiery. The company had acquired the Atlas Knitting and Spinning Mills Pty Ltd which had been established in 1920 and produced "Prestige hosiery" from 1921. Prestige Limited merged with Holeproof Hosiery Company (Australia) Pty Ltd in 1964. Both were taken over by Pacific Dunlop in 1968. The Prestige name was dropped in 1978/79. George Gotardo Foletta (1892-1973), hosiery and knitwear manufacturer, was born on 30 January 1892 at Northcote, Melbourne, eldest son of Victorian-born parents Henry Gotardo Foletta, a stonemason of Swiss extraction, and his wife Gertrude, née Bright. Henry repaired the depression-ravaged fortunes of his family by starting a successful fancy goods commission-agency.....George persuaded the demoralized board to restructure around a quality-first marketing policy. By 1924, when George A. Bond & Co. Ltd ( Sydney) was liquidated, Prestige was back in the black. About this time the company became the first Australian knitter to make fully-fashioned silk stockings, outselling the best imported brands and giving Prestige dominance of the local hosiery market. With the arrival of British-trained Leslie Gough in 1926, Prestige entered its period of greatest expansion. By 1933 it was spinning its own silk yarn, had diversified into lingerie and commenced business in New Zealand; three years later it was spinning imported rayon filament into hosiery yarn.A pair of unworn lady's brown nylon 'service weight' stockings made by 'Prestige' Pty Ltd. in the original boxBox Lid: House of / Prestige / ‘monogram’ / WONDERSOFT / SERVICE WEIGHT “FOOT COMFORT’ NYLONS. Box inside lid : ‘monogram’ / You will have day long comfort when your feet are cushioned / with the softness and the smoothness of ‘Prestige “Foot Comfort” nylons. The secret is in the Nylon soles / …and you will find these “ Foot Comfort” / soles in ultra sheer, sheer, service sheer / and service weight nylons. / by Prestigeclothing, stockings, nylons, prestige hosiery pty ltd, melbourne, bentleigh, cheltenham moorabbin

Collector says: I can still recall one of my earliest childhood memories, of my nana's bright aqua shoes against the checks of our family travel rug on summer picnics. Maybe that's when this collection planted its seed in me - 40 years later I start my first blanket collection after stumbling across old Onkaparinga travel rugs. I would go to a vintage market in Collingwood every month and almost always found a good one, amassing enough for the entire household. Everyone had their favourite, even the cat had his own – a small red tartan one just for him.Collector's note: "For more than 100 years blankets were made all over Australia in over 100 woollen mills. My aim, is to preserve 100 examples of these wonderful pieces of history. Ten years ago I started collecting the iconic Onkaparinga travel rugs, so that on movie nights at home there would be plenty to go around. Everyone had their favourite; even the cat had his own – a small red tartan one. Keeping an eye out for those travel rugs at op-shops and markets, collectable stores and bazaars, led to noticing vintage blankets. I'd never really thought about them before or paid much attention though of course I had grown up with them at my grandmother's. When I discovered my first Laconia cream blanket with blue stripes, my eyes just went gaga. Well that was it, I was hooked and since then over 500 blankets have passed through my hands. These common, everyday items, found in all households for so many decades, were traditional engagement gifts. Pairs were prized wedding presents turning into family heirlooms. They were fashionable dressers of beds, givers of warmth, bestowers of security and reliability. The comfort found in these objects resonates with almost all of us; we grew up with them ourselves or fondly recall them in a grandparent’s home. There is no modern replacement with the integrity of these old blankets, many of them now older than most of us. They are romantic, sensible, special, familiar, nostalgic and nothing else feels so appropriate in so many situations. No offense to the great Aussie doona, but from hippie to hipster, at a music festival, picnic, campsite or couch, a vintage blanket is something coveted by all. This industry that employed tens of thousands and must have been such a huge contributor to the economy is almost completely lost now. Blanket Fever is an ode to everything that came before: the land, the sheep, the shearers, the hands, the mills, the weavers, the designers, the distributors, the department stores. To the grandparents that gave them, the people that received them, the families that kept them; thank you. I’m passionate about my collection of Australian blankets manufactured in mostly Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania from the 1930s to the end of the 1960s. The collection has blankets from each of these four decades representing the styles and fashions of their time and includes dated advertisements which help determine the eras the blankets are from."Fringed plaid travel rug, brown, yellow and blue Onkaparinga/washing instructions/use A.W.C. approved wool detergent/warm machine wash on short gentle cycle/or warm hand wash/DO NOT BLEACH/warm rinse well on gentle cycle/normal spin/DO NOT TUMBLE DRY/dry in shade - gently pull to shape/dry cleanable (A) - in emblems: The Woolmark pure new wool, Woven in Australia, F 472wool, blanket, blanket fever, travel rug, onkaparinga

Collector says: "I can still recall one of my earliest childhood memories, of my nana's bright aqua shoes against the checks of our family travel rug on summer picnics. Maybe that's when this collection planted its seed in me - 40 years later I start my first blanket collection after stumbling across old Onkaparinga travel rugs. I would go to a vintage market in Collingwood every month and almost always found a good one, amassing enough for the entire household. Everyone had their favourite, even the cat had his own – a small red tartan one just for him."Collector's note- "For more than 100 years blankets were made all over Australia in over 100 woollen mills. My aim, is to preserve 100 examples of these wonderful pieces of history. Ten years ago I started collecting the iconic Onkaparinga travel rugs, so that on movie nights at home there would be plenty to go around. Everyone had their favourite; even the cat had his own – a small red tartan one. Keeping an eye out for those travel rugs at op-shops and markets, collectable stores and bazaars, led to noticing vintage blankets. I'd never really thought about them before or paid much attention though of course I had grown up with them at my grandmother's. When I discovered my first Laconia cream blanket with blue stripes, my eyes just went gaga. Well that was it, I was hooked and since then over 500 blankets have passed through my hands. These common, everyday items, found in all households for so many decades, were traditional engagement gifts. Pairs were prized wedding presents turning into family heirlooms. They were fashionable dressers of beds, givers of warmth, bestowers of security and reliability. The comfort found in these objects resonates with almost all of us; we grew up with them ourselves or fondly recall them in a grandparent’s home. There is no modern replacement with the integrity of these old blankets, many of them now older than most of us. They are romantic, sensible, special, familiar, nostalgic and nothing else feels so appropriate in so many situations. No offense to the great Aussie doona, but from hippie to hipster, at a music festival, picnic, campsite or couch, a vintage blanket is something coveted by all. This industry that employed tens of thousands and must have been such a huge contributor to the economy is almost completely lost now. Blanket Fever is an ode to everything that came before: the land, the sheep, the shearers, the hands, the mills, the weavers, the designers, the distributors, the department stores. To the grandparents that gave them, the people that received them, the families that kept them; thank you. I’m passionate about my collection of Australian blankets manufactured in mostly Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania from the 1930s to the end of the 1960s. The collection has blankets from each of these four decades representing the styles and fashions of their time and includes dated advertisements which help determine the eras the blankets are from. "Fringed travel rug, red, blue, green and blackOnkaparinga/washing instructions/use A.W.C. approved wool detergent/warm machine wash on short gentle cycle/or warm hand wash/DO NOT BLEACH/warm rinse well on gentle cycle/normal spin/DO NOT TUMBLE DRY/dry in shade - gently pull to shape/dry cleanable (A) - in emblems: The Woolmark pure new wool, Woven in Australia, F 472wool, blanket, blanket fever, travel rug, onkaparinga

"Sheep to suit" -The Melbourne College of Textiles, 1984. The story of the Melbourne College of Textile's World Record of 1hr, 32 minutes, 33.52 sec on June 24, 1982, recorded by the Guinness Book of RecordsBooklet describing the 'Sheep to Suit' event for the Guiness Book of World Records.textile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles australian wool corporation sunbeam corporation limited, carding, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Grey jumper, which formed part of the uniform for the 1987 Melbourne College of Textiles "Sheep to Suit" team and which was worn by John Hawthorne who took part in the event.Worn by participant in the 'Sheep to suit' event. Worn by participant in the 'Sheep to suit' event.Textiles/TAFE [Japanese characters]textile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles, carding, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Black track pants, which formed part of the uniform for the 1987 Melbourne College of Textiles "Sheep to Suit" team and which were worn by John Hawthorne who took part in the event.Worn by participant in the 'Sheep to suit' event.textile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles, carding, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Roger de Stoop came to Australia during the Second World War when the de Stoop spinning & weaving factory in Belgium was closed during the German occupation. He had previously met Dick Best, an Australian who wanted to establish a textile factory in Australia and in 1950 they built a factory at Blackburn North importing the weaving looms and many of their skilled workers from Belgium. Housing for the workers was built near the factory.Black and white photograph of Belgian family groups in front of one of the houses erected for the de Stoop workers. Roger de Stoop is in the centre of the photograph in a dark suit and tie.de stoop, roger. de stoop aust pty ltd. de stoop and best textile factory. weaving mills. belgians in australia

This tea towel was manufactured in 1978 in Ireland and shipped to Australia. This was in a period when the C.W.A. was the major women's organisation which had the greatest influence amongst rural women (especially in isolated areas). This was a period when broad based communications were mainly by radio,women orientated magazines and the telephone. The relay of television to "remote" rural areas was not yet established. The CWA was therefore a very important organisation that catered exclusively to women's needs. The C.W.A. motto "Honour our God, Loyalty to the throne, Service to the country, Through country women, For country women, By country women." The atmosphere was one of "sisterhood" and covered nearly all the needs of rural based women. This one organisation incorporated knowledge and learning targeting women who physically may be isolated but not mentally. On the tea towel are portrayed all the activities that would be beneficial to rural women.This tea towel with its respective motifs is very significant to the Kiewa Valley as it related especially to women who felt the limitations of social interactions within a rural area. This tea towel represents a era where communications was relatively based on radio, magazines, books and limited telephone access. Within these restrictive interactive communication levels, the isolation of a "back o' Bourke" location applied tremendous mental fatigue on women more than on men.This CWA Victoria Golden Jubilee (1928-1978) tea towel is made from Irish flax at the Blackstaff Flax Spinning and Weaving factory. It is therefore of high quality and very durable. The major colours projecting from a light blue background are red, yellow, green, orange and black. The motives portrayed the activities of the CWA in 1978. These activities are embroidery, crocheting, dress making, knitting, cooking, art, macrame, drama, music, patchwork, toy making and community relief, pennies for friendship, emergency relief and welfare, residential club flats, the thanks giving and Papua New Guinea.The main or central theme of this tea towel is presented in the central area within three rings. "1928" on the left and "1978" on the right. On the top part "GOLDEN JUBILEE" and at the bottom "COUNTRY WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA" There are various shapes representing the activities listed above.cwa promotional material, cwa golden jubilee, women only organisations, country women's association

This rug was a gift and gesture of friendship from the local Muslim community to the City of Greater Bendigo. It was presented to Mayor, Cr Rod Fyffe on behalf of the people of Bendigo at a 2016 'Thank You Bendigo' dinner. In 2014 approval for a planning application from the Bendigo Islamic Association to build a community centre and mosque in East Bendigo prompted a series of public protests that captured widespread media attention. During this tumultuous period the Council identified the need for a community-wide plan to promote diversity and help address potentially divisive cultural issues. These events led to the COGB becoming the first local government area (LGA) formally accredited under Australia’s Welcoming Cities Standard. Community leaders emerged who wanted to show that the anti-mosque protesters did not reflect the views of the majority of Bendigo residents. The community lead ‘Believe in Bendigo’ movement gained momentum, and the Council and other local organisations joined forces to present a unified message that Bendigo residents do not tolerate racism. Muslims have made Central Victoria their home since the Goldrush, contributing to the community and the economy for the past 120 years. Traditional Islamic rugs, especially their patterns and motifs are intrinsically linked with the design of the Bendigo Mosque and Bendigo Islamic Community Centre providing important points of reference for the architects of the project. Typically, mosques are linked with specific cultural groups but not in the case of Bendigo where the Muslim community is made up of multi-ethnic groups. This meant the building's design was not fixed to a specific style or cultural iconography but instead needed to encompass many. The small local Muslim community selected a specific Australian architect because of their interest and knowledge of Islamic design and iconography gained through family collection of Islamic textiles. In thinking about the design of the mosque and community centre the architects wanted to acknowledge the role of Afghans in Australian history, especially tribal Afghans who helped build connections across the interior of Australia between First Nations communities, European settlers and Central Asian migrants. The gift of this Turkmen rugto the Bendigo community thus symbolises collaborative partnerships across faith and cultural groups based on friendship and mutual benefit. A Turkman rug was specifically chosen as it is the pinnacle of nomadic arts of the Islamic world. It was also important to the architects and the local Muslim community that the gift was a female artistic product as it was mainly a female Muslim architecture team that designed the mosque in Bendigo and there was a desire to select something that celebrated female artistry. This hand-woven rug is an engsi, made for a woman in preparation for marriage. Design work and weaving is a shared experience, between many generations of women and each rug hold the personal story of the woman it is made for and her family and thus holds deep symbolic meaning. There are often songs and poetry that are recited as the rug is made – helping the makers to memorisze the mathematical structure of the design. An engsi is put on the doorway to a yurt as part of a wedding ceremony. During the ceremony the groom turns the engsii upside down to check the quality of the rug makers weaving skills. The nomadic lifestyle of Yomut Turkman tribes determines the size of the rug as the loom can’t be carried. Its size is also restricted by the dimensions of the doorway of the yurt. This rug is dated as c 1880 because of the types of patterns used, the use of natural dyes (synthetic dyes were introduced to the area in 1890s) and with the smoother weaving on the back indicating the quality of craftsmanship dating to this time period. The Yomut engsi rug was made in Turkmenistan c1880 by Yomut Turkmen Tribes people and is designed to fit over the doorway of a yurt during a wedding ceremony. The main field motif is related to Turkoman jewelery design. The women and girls of the tribe spin the wool and design and weave the rugs. The men shear the sheep, dye the wool and clip the rug after it has been woven. The word “Turkoman” is thought to have been derived from Turk-iman, meaning the first nomadic Turkic tribes that began to follow Islam. Dyes used are natural including orange from madder root. bendigo mosque, bendigo islamic association, city of greater bendigo community partnerships, city of greater bendigo community groups

James Murgatroyd worked in textile mills in England, Victoria and NSW. His son Fred worked as a loom tuner at Yarra Falls, Tweedside and Collins mills in Victoria as well as in Sydney, and studied at Leeds University.The Murgatroyd CollectionF Murgatroydtextile machinery textile mills weaving mills textile mills - staff textile mills, federal woollen mills ltd tweedside woollen mills yarra falls mill collins bros mill pty ltd, spinning machinery, spinning, murgatroyd, mr fred murgatroyd, mr james, textile machinery, textile mills, weaving mills, textile mills - staff

"Sheep to suit" -The Melbourne College of Textiles, 1984. The story of the Melbourne College of Textile's World Record of 1hr, 32 minutes, 33.52 sec on June 24, 1982, recorded by the Guinness Book of RecordsBooklet describing the 'Sheep to Suit' event for the Guiness Book of World Records.This record was broken in 1987 by "The Melbourne College of Textiles" for the Japanese programme "These Wonderful People" Time 1 hour 27 Minutes 59.32 secs. Time difference = 6 Minutes 04.13 secstextile production fashion shearing weaving sewing textile mills textile mills, melbourne college of textiles australian wool corporation sunbeam corporation limited, carding, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing, textile mills

"An account of research studies and mill processing trials on four apparel wools"- J H Wakelin and W von Bergen 1953 : Wool research project, summary report for the period October 1948 to October 1952.merino sheep wool - characteristics wool - chemistry textile research textile calculations textile fibres, dyeing, spinning, carding, yarn - worsted, merino sheep, wool - characteristics, wool - chemistry, textile research, textile calculations, textile fibres

DCPU (Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniform) Work dress trousers. Colours - light to dark green through to mid to dark brown. Gore-Tex (Polyester/laminate) type fabric for wet weather. Worn as overpants. Drawstring cotton cord at waistband, with plastic look clip. Two side pockets, at ankles loop and hoop adjustable strap. White colour polyester fabric manufacturers label, inside back waist band.Manufacturers information on label - black ink print. " REFLECTIVE/ IMAGES/ O/N G5.202857/ N/S/N 8405/66/145/7099/ AUG 2003/ BATCH: 912726/0004/ SIZE: XL- 82 CM/ NAME:/ SERVICE/ CARE INSTRUCTIONS/ DRY CLEANABLE/ MACHINE WASHABLE 40dc/ DO NOT BLEACH/ DO NOT SPIN DRY/ DO NOT WRING/ HANG TO DRY/ LIGHT/ COOL IRON".uniform, army, work dress, dpcu, trousers

This is an exercise book, probably purchased from a local stationers, which was used at the Warrnambool Woollen Mill in the 1930s to record weekly operations in each of the Mill’s departments. The Warrnambool Woollen Mill was established in 1910 in South Warrnambool by a local company, with the building erected on a site that formerly housed another woollen mill destroyed by fire in 1882. The Warrnambool Woollen Company operated successfully for many years with over 700 employees in the 1940s and a good national reputation for quality goods. It made blankets and other woollen goods and was the first company in Australia to manufacture electric blankets. In the 1960s the mill was sold to the Dunlop Company and for the next thirty years it was bought and sold several times, finally closing in 2000 after 90 years of operation. This exercise book is of some importance as it belonged to the Warrnambool Woollen Mill, a dominant and important industry in Warrnambool for most of the 20th century. Many present and past residents of Warrnambool and district were employed at the Mill. It is one of many items in our collection that outlines the mill’s day-to-day operations and contains information that may be useful to researchers. This is an exercise book which belonged to the Warrnambool Woollen Mill and appears to be two exercise books joined together as there is a black cover in the middle of the pages. The original black covers at the front and back are missing. The pages are lined in blue and most used pages have ruled red lines. The entries are in black ink and include the date and other information on the processes of the spinning, carding, scouring etc. The page edges on the right have been serrated in an oval shape to make tabs for the various departments in the Mill – Engineers, Scouring. Dyeing, Warehouse etc. and the book contains weekly entries regarding Mill operations from 1930 to 1936.Edge of book: ‘Records’warrnambool woollen mill, history of warrnambool

Stereoscopic views. Kilburn Brothers Littleton , N H. 1. Trinity college Dublin. 2. Brooklyn Bridge, scene of the accident , May 30th 1883. 3. Spinning Room , Mechanics Mill, Fall River Mass. 4. Bay Grove Hill, Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, N Y. 5.Crossing the Great Suspension Bridge, by rail. 6. Dining Hall , Grand Union Hotel, Saratoga, Largest Dining Hall in the World. 7. Phantom Leaves. 8. Full Moon. 9. Merced River, Yo-Semite , Cal. 10. I Breathe Inspiration. 11. United States Hotel Park, Saratoga.Kilburn Brothers Littleton N H.photography, viewers

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning mule for woollen threads. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - woollen

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

I have lived in Box Hill now City of Whitehorse since 1970 I have belonged to Box Hill Spinners and Weavers Inc. since 1990.During the 90s' Box Hill Spinners and Weavers participated in the Annual Sheep and Woolcraft Show, at that time held in the Melbourne Showground. As well as submitting individual entries we always entered the Group Competition, known as the '5 articles' the entry had to have 5 separate articles made by a group and displaying different woolcraft techniques . In 1997 our Box Hill entry focused on 'The Planets' featuring five capes. The red one representing Mars the red planet. It was woven. The dark cape represented Jupiter. It was also woven. the Neptune cape was felted in blue and greens. The Earth cape featured knitting and crochet. My contribution was the Venus cape featuring spinning from raw merino fleece and silk. Once completed this wool/silk yarn was fashioned using hairpin lace. I was adept at spinning by this time but knew nothing about the old technique of hairpin lace. Box Hill Spinners and Weavers won First Prize. Margaret Dimelow.Cream coloured cape spun from raw merino fleece and silk, technique is hairpin lacecostume, female