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

Ertoel Wheels made a wide range of looms, chairs, drum and hand carders, and spinning and weaving accessories. Small drum carder, designed to be used on a table and operated by hand to card wool and or other fibres in preparing them for spinning or felting. This wooden carder has two cylindrical drums covered with coarse or fine metal “tines” designed to rake through and comb the natural fibre. The manufacturer's name 'Ertoel Wheels' is glued at one end"Ertoel Wheels"wool carding, drum carders, carding equipment