An Horace Partridge Co., Wimbledon model tennis racquet, with string whipping and hide reinforcements around shoulders, and deep-grooved octagonal handle. Decal of model name features across throat on obverse; decal of manufacturer, with partridge and rising sun trademark, across throat on reverse. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Ink, Leather, Gut, String, Clothtennis

An Horace Partridge Co., Wimbledon, American Tate Expert tennis racquet, with string whipping and hide reinforcements around shoulders, open throat, and fine-grooved octagonal handle. Decal of model name features across the lower head on obverse and reverse; decal of manufacturer, with partridge and rising sun trademark, across shaft on reverse. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Ink, Leather, Gut, String, Clothtennis

An unstrung, DWG & Co. flat-top tennis racquet, presented as a trophy, with ribbon collar, leather crown protector, and unique wood mosaic inlay along length of shaft and handle. Manufacturer's details impressed across throat on reverse. Silver plaque nailed to throat on obverse, featuring the engraved inscription: TOURNAMENT/SHARON SPRINGS/JULY 15TH 1885/SINGLES/WON BY/VALENTINE/G. HALL. Valentine Hall went on to win the Men's Doubles in 1888 and 1890 at the U.S. Tennis Championships. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Leather, Ribbontennis

A John Piggott 'The J.P. Champion' tennis racquet, with solid, convex throat, cloth tape shoulder supports, and fine-grooved handle with fan-tailed butt. Model name in decal features along throat on obverse. Impressed manufacturer's details feature across throat on reverse. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Gut, Cloth tape, Inktennis

An unstrung John Piggott 'The Gripwell' tennis racquet, with solid, convex throat, and furrowed handle with rounded butt. Model name in decal features along throat on obverse. Manufacturer's details in decal feature across throat on reverse. Initials 'AS' burnt across throat on reverse. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Inktennis

A Sykes National Special tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, string shoulder whipping, and fine-grooved handle. Model name features on throat on obverse, manufacturer's details on throat on reverse. Impressed initials E.A.M. feature along right side of handle. Manufacturer's details also on butt cover. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Ink, Leather, String, Guttennis

A Sykes National Special tennis racquet, with solid convex throat, string shoulder and crown whipping, and fine-grooved handle. Model and manufacturer's details feature across crown and throat on obverse. Manufacturer's details also on butt cover. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Ink, Leather, String, Guttennis

An F.H. Ayres wooden tennis racquet, with large transitional flat-top head, solid convex throat, and fine-grooved octagonal handle. Manufacturer's name along lower throat on obverse (in duplicate), and across butt cover. Illegible model name across crown. Retailers details along lower throat on reverse. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Leather, Gut, Inktennis

An unstrung Atlas 'Club' tennis racquet, with cloth tape reinforced shoulders, plastic ribbon whipping on shoulders and shaft, and a fine grooved handle. Model name and emblem on throat on obverse, manufacturer's logo across the shaft, and 'A' trademark on butt cover. Materials: Wood, Lacquer, Glue, Metal, Leather, Nylon, Ink, Plastic, Cloth tapetennis

A recording of a speech by the Governor General of Australia, Sir William Slim, about the importance of Legacy in Australian society. It was recorded in 1953.A common means of recording speeches of this period. Sir William Slim was the Governor General at this time. Importance of Legacy to Australian society. A black vinyl disc with a recording in a brown paper sleeve.Paper cover, Orthoacoustic, manufacturers 5 points as to the advantage of orthoacoustic recording. Storage instructions when not in use. Name and address of manufacturer. Label, AWA, no AW 2067, "Legacy Speech" by the Governor General of Australia Sir William Slim. Written in ink, Sydney Legacy Week 1953 33 1/3 RPMspeech, governor general

This tankard mug was produced by Legacy to honour Legatee Syd Birrell possibly after he was awarded the MC. Legatee Birrell was President of Melbourne Legacy in 1949. The maker was the firm of EG Greenway, a pottery manufacturer in Blackburn, which was connected to Legatee Herb Greenway.Shows the high regard Legatee Syd Birrell was held in by the other legatees.Cream Ceramic mug with handle, with a relief portrait of Captain Syd.H. Birrell MC on one side and relief image of the Legacy Torch and Wreath of Laurel.Underneath etched - Capt Syd. H. Birrell MC. 23.2.46 Label affixed - E G Greenway Australiasouvenir, founding legatee, syd birrell

This ceramic tankard mug was produced for Melbourne Legacy to honour their Patron. The Patron of Legacy is usually the Governor of Victoria, since the very early days of Legacy. It appears to be taken from a photo of General Sir Dallas Brooks KCB, KCMG, DSO, KStJ., who was Governor of Victoria from 1949. The date made is unknown but it believed to be early 1950s. Similar mugs were produced to honour Legatees Stan Savige and Syd Birrell and were estimated to have been produced in late 1940's or early 1950s. A similar one was made for the Queen's coronation in 1953. The maker was the firm of EG Greenway, a pottery manufacturer, which was connected to Legatee Herb Greenway.Shows the importance of the patron that he was commemorated in a ceramic mug along with Syd Birrell and Stan Savige and the Queen.Cream ceramic mug with handle, with relief portrait of the patron of Legacy, under which is etched 'Our Patron' on one side, with a relief symbol of the Legacy Torch and Wreath of Laurel on the opposite side.'Our Patron' is etched under the relief portrait. Underneath etched makers marking, E.G. Greenway Pty Ltd. Australiasouvenir, patron, dallas brooks

The Female Relative's Badge was issued to the wife and/or mother, or to the nearest female relative of soldiers, nurses and masseurs who had left Australia for active service abroad during the First World War. The service number of the relative is inscribed on the back of the badge. A bar(s) suspended below the badge was issued for each additional relative, son or daughter serving. (taken from awm.gov.au). The provenance of this badge is unknown. A search on the defence force numbers has been unsuccessful to ascertain the owner of the badge. More research would be required.Shows the importance placed on having relatives serving in the Defence Forces.Silver badge with blue enamel and safety chain. A.I.F. in cutout script in the centre of an oval. Oval has blue enamel with silver text "Issued by the Dept of Defence to Women of Australia". An enamelled scroll beneath this contains the word "For Duty Done". The badge is surmounted by a King's Crown. A brooch fastening and a safety chain are attached to the back, the original safety pin is missing. Two bars are suspended from the bottom of the badge indicating a total of 3 relatives serving overseas. Defence force numbers 33370, 20232 and 20233 inscribed on back. Manufacturer mark "WM Mclean & Co / Melb / STG SIL"female relative's badge, world war one

Appears to be a gas mask made in 1939 for protection against possible gas attack in World War II. Unknown provenance. Willow, the manufacturer of the metal canister, is an Australian family owned and run business, since 1887 and based in Melbourne. From their website: "During the second World War the factories almost exclusively produced munitions, working two shifts. They mainly made mess tins, rocket cylinder covers, small arms ammunition boxes, gas mask respirator cylinders and soldier’s cake tins."An example of war time equipment for personal protection.Rubber face mask with hose to a metal cannister.On the base of the metal cannister: "No. 4A / Willow / 1939 / WAD 8". equipment, world war two, mask

Six issues of "Tram Tracks - The Electric Traction Monthly" of the Australian Electric Traction Association. Each issue has a standard cover, of the magazine name etc, featuring "Wee Folks Productions" models but are in different colours, all have been saddled stapled with two staples, except No. 6. The Volume and date details have been over printed. Back covers inside back covers have the same advertisements but the font varies vary. The six issues contain advertisements for the Wee Folks productions, Hartleys Sports store, Hearns Hobbies, Wattle Park, Johnson's Variety Store, Barnes Tennis Centre, The Model Dockyard, Robilt Models, Meadmore Model Engineering and Austral Bronze Pty Ltd, Hearns Hobbies, Christie Scale Model Railway and Equipment, Herbert Small (Meccano), the American Subscription Agency, Manufacturers' Mutual Insurance Ltd. 2465.1 - Vol. 2 No. 1 - 16 pages, Jan 1947, with cover printed in red. Has articles on the tram / car debate, Dunedin Tramways, Overlapping fare sections, type of trucks under Sydney tramcars, Brisbane Electric Railway (Power station), The Balmain Counterweight and Trolley buses in Australia. News items include Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, SEC, Hobart, VR, Adelaide, Kalgoorlie, Broome, electric trains in Melbourne and Sydney, and AETA notes. Photos include Sydney O, OP and P, VR PERM 63 and interior photo of a MMTB W4 class tram. 2465.2 - Vol. 2, No. 2 - 16 pages, Feb. 1947, with cover printed in dark blue. Has articles on Brisbane 400 class tramcar, Adelaide to Glenelg Brighton - Le Sands tramway, Melbourne Suburban railways, Diesel Electrics on the Southern Railway (US)and Birney Safety Car. News items include Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, VR, Fremantle and AETA notes. 2465.3 - Vol. 2, No. 3 - 12 pages, Mar. 1947, with cover printed in brown. Has articles on why NSW trams lose money, Duncan and Frazer, new trams in Johannesburg, Melbourne Suburban railways, and Sydney New Railway (Eastern Suburbs). News items Sydney, Melbourne, SEC, VR and Adelaide and AETA notes. 2465.4 - Vol. 2, No. 4 - 16 pages, Apr. 1947, with cover printed in green. Has articles on Duncan and Fraser (continued), In search of Ancient Warriors (old trams), Brisbane Electric Railway and some unusual fares arrangements. News items include Brisbane, Newcastle, Melbourne, Sydney, SEC, Launceston, Kalgoorlie, overseas, and AETA notes. Editorial looks at claims that the SW6 cars are the finest in the world, back numbers (notes that Tram Tracks started with a mimeographed club news sheet and now have circulation of nearly 200), costs of production etc. Has photographs of the interior of a SW6 850, a plan for Melbourne underground railway, the VR power operations room at Flinders St., Hobart trolley bus and a cartoon about Sydney traffic. 2465.5 - Vol. 2, No. 5 - 16 pages, May 1947, with cover printed in red. Has articles on Australian Light railways, Sydney's relief lines and the start of an article on NSWGT 600/1200V tramcars. Has news items on Brisbane, Sydney, MMTB, VR, Geelong, Ballarat, Launceston, Hobart and AETA notes. Editorial notes the first anniversary of the magazine and has a number of letters regarding this, content and the tram/car debate. 2465.6 - Vol. 2, No. 6 - 20 pages, June 1947, with cover printed in blue. Has articles on Cremorne bridge replacement (with photos), Neutral bay line and Tramcar transmission gears. News items include photos of MMTB track replacements, crowded trams, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and a photo of a Sydney tram passing under the new bridge work for Circular Quay station. 2465.7 - Vol. 2, No. 12 - pages 1-12, cover has an advert for Hartley Sporting Goods. Has cartoon on fares on Sydney trams by Peterson, not regarding retirement of Mr. H. Bell of MMTB, Melbourne Latrobe St and bus construction, Sydney tram cartoons from Emile Mercier, electric trains and other tramway news. (Item added 24-3-18 - from consolidation of Melbourne Tram Museum and BTM collections) trams, tramways, electric traction, aeta, models, australian tramways, duncan fraser, cartoons

Souvenir Teaspoon featuring Ballarat tram No. 33 in a Square inset at the top of the tea spoon, contained within a plastic case. The teaspoon made by Perfection Plate, of the Galaxy style or type. The teaspoon made by Perfection Plate, of the Caprice style or type. The case is clear plastic, hinged on the left hand side, with a clip on the right hand side and wrapped in plastic. Inside and on top of the case for display purposes is a folded sheet of cardboard, printed with a decorative design on the spoon side and a short item about Australia - the island continent. On the base of the item is details of the manufacturer, and web site. The teaspoon is silver plated, with the tram in a picture 22mm round. Tea spoon is 116mm long x 25mm wide. Case is 163mm high, 43mm wide, by 16mm deep. Made early 2000's. See Reg Item 3205 for an earlier example of this teaspoon. trams, tramways, teaspoons, sales items, btm

Souvenir Teaspoon featuring Ballarat tram No. 26 in a round inset at the top of the tea spoon, contained within a plastic case. The teaspoon made by Perfection Plate, of the Caprice style or type. The case is clear plastic, hinged on the left hand side, with a clip on the right hand side and wrapped in plastic. Inside and on top of the case for display purposes is a folded sheet of cardboard, printed with a decorative design on the spoon side and a short item about Australia - the island continent. On the base of the item is details of the manufacturer, and web site. The teaspoon is silver plated, with the tram in a picture 22mm round. Tea spoon is 116mm long x 25mm wide. Case is 163mm high, 43mm wide, by 16mm deep. Made early 2000's. See Reg Item 3207 for an earlier example of this teaspoon. trams, tramways, teaspoons, sales items, btm

BTPS Postcard, featuring No. 27 and 38 in Wendouree Parade (Reg. Item 1781) that has been manufactured or stamped into a 24 piece jigsaw by Resort Puzzles Pty Ltd. of Lithgow, c1988. Card after stamping has been mounted onto a sheet of brown cardboard then enveloped with a sheet of clear light weight plastic and onto the rear, a printed white sheet of paper has been glued or fixed onto it. The pre-printed sheet of paper acts as the rear of the postcard for mailing purposes, providing a stamp location, address and writing area. The printed details give information about the manufacturer, phone number and on the top left hand corner has the words "Greetings from Australia" and has been translated under that into oriental characters.trams, tramways, btps, jigsaw, postcard, wendouree parade

BTPS Postcard, featuring trams No. 26, 27 and 33 over three separate images Wendouree Parade (Reg. Item 1657) that has been manufactured or stamped into a 24 piece jigsaw by Resort Puzzles Pty Ltd. of Lithgow, c1990 Card after stamping has been mounted onto a sheet of brown cardboard then enveloped with a sheet of clear light weight plastic and onto the rear, a printed white sheet of paper has been glued or fixed onto it. The pre-printed sheet of paper acts as the rear of the postcard for mailing purposes, providing a stamp location, address and writing area. The printed details give information about the manufacturer, phone number and on the top left hand corner has the words "Greetings from Australia" and has been translated under that into oriental characters.trams, tramways, btps, jigsaw, postcard, wendouree parade

The celebrated EMU CREEK BUSH BAND is a social group, which fosters junior members, has the promotion of authentic Australian Traditional Music as its aim. This is played on acoustic instruments featuring the 'squeezeboxes' i.e. the German system concertinas and button accordions along with fiddle, mandolin or banjo mandolin and whistles. Piano, banjos, guitars, double bass, washboard or lagerphone and drums play rhythm. Based in Central Vitoria. https://www.bendigobushdance.org.au/layout.php?p=1Sky blue windcheater with the logo "The Celebrated Emu Creek Bush Band" printed centre front. The Band's symbol of the head of an emu is in a circle enclosed by the Band's name in blue and yellow lettering. Clothing label identifies the manufacturer - "L. Baker,". Includes Phone number. Reverse of label gives care instructions and "Made in Australia".colonial dance, bush dance, old time dance, emu creek bush band, peter ellis collection.

In 1919, Australian schoolchildren received a special commemorative medal to mark the end of World War I. This medal, known as the “Peace of 1919” medallion, was issued by the Defence Department and distributed to schoolchildren throughout Australia. The medallion is circular with a plain edge and an integral suspension loop. On the obverse side, it features a symbolic female figure of Peace, holding a sword and standing on a plinth marked “PEACE 1919.” A dove flies behind her, and two figures freed from shackles are at her feet. The reverse side showcases a central panel surrounded by laurel leaves, topped by the King’s Crown with the word “VICTORY” over rays of the rising sun. A sailor and a digger stand at ease on either side of the panel, which bears the inscription “THE / TRIUMPH / OF / LIBERTY / AND / JUSTICE.” Below the leaves, a small panel displays the words “THE PEACE OF 1919” and the manufacturer’s name. The medallion was issued to commemorate the signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty in 1919, which officially ended World War I. Originally, the medals were suspended from a narrow piece of red, white, and blue striped cotton ribbon. This medallion served as a reminder to a generation of the service and sacrifice of Australians during the war. It symbolized the achievement of peace, albeit at great cost. Each child in Australia aged 0-14 years (and up to 16 if their parents were in the armed forces) received this small but meaningful token of remembrance12. Small medallion with faded red, white and blue ribbon with pin. Female on the front. Wreath on back with two males either side with uniformmedals, 1919, ww1

Set of three manufacturer's serial plates from GE 247-A motors used in tramcars. Manufactured in Australia under licence from General Electric of the USA. Known as "railway motors" in the USA. Used extensively in Australian tramway systems. The company changed its name a number of times. 1 - Associated General Electric Industries - Serial Number A1307 2 - Australian General Electric Limited - A2349 3 - Australian General Electric Pty Ltd - A10253 - has the GE logo.Yields information about the Australian Company who made tramway motors in SydneySet of three metal (brass or steel) manufacturers plates for GE 247-A motorsge 247 motors, tramways, trams, motors, general electric, australian made

Inside helmet inscribed with Pearce and manufacturers label "Staggs Australia" .Goggles inscribed with Jenkins 36936

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.