Kathryn Knitwear, founded by Robert Blake, manufactured high quality children’s knitwear in Melbourne from the 1940s – 1980s. Robert Blake began manufacturing children’s knitwear in his bedroom in Strathmore using a hand powered machine in the late 1940s. The operation moved to Ascot Vale and Essendon, before eventually establishing a factory in Moonee Ponds in the early 1950s. The business continued to expand, necessitating a move to a new factory in Broadmeadows. By 1962, the Broadmeadows factory was producing an average of 20,000 garments per month, which increased to 24,000 by 1964. Robert Blake’s Son, Brendan recalls that “The Kathryn brand was famous around Australia, anywhere children needed to keep warm and dress smartly. It also won a number of wool fashion awards”, including the 1969 Wool Awards, which was held by the Australian Wool Bureau and published in Women’s Weekly. The Kathryn range was designed for durability, comfort and care, without sacrificing style. They used patterning techniques that increase stretchiness, comfort and fit, as well as integrating decorative elements into the fabric to prevent them from being bulky, uncomfortable or tight. Making longevity of style a priority, Brendan Blake remembers that “there was one particular garment that was in the range for at least thirty years”. He also recalls “In the past, when women have found out that I was associated with Kathryn Knitwear, they would often relate to me the story of a garment they had purchased or received as a gift and, when their child had grown out of it, they would hand it on to another child. Several ladies have told me of purchasing garments for their daughters’ glory box, or saving a particular garment after their daughter had grown out of it. Brendan Blake: “At the peak of their operation they employed approximately two hundred people, mainly women and girls. A family would often seek to send their daughter to work in this company because they knew they would be looked after and safe. One lady wrote to me telling me that working at the Moonee Ponds Factory prior to getting married was the happiest time of her life.” In 1963, workers at the Kathryn factory earned £13 per week, which was 8 shillings and 8 pence higher than the minimum weekly wage for female workers in the textile manufacturing industry (£12 11s 4d). By 1970, the Kathryn Knitwear brand expanded from children’s knitwear into womenswear under the brand name ‘Lady Kathryn’, and for boys and men under ‘Robert Blake’. Continuing to diversify their distribution, they also began exporting ‘Kathryn’ garments to New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and Japan. ‘Kathryn Knitwear’ was well-known for their early adoption of modern materials and techniques that had broad appeal to their customer base. This is shown in their early use of the acrylic fibre ‘Orlon’ in the 50s and 60s and ‘Superwash’ wool in the 1970s. Many of Kathryn Knitwear’s styles, particularly those that were long running staples of the brand, were available in both wool and Orlon to suit the consumer’s preference. Far from the humble origins of one man in his bedroom with a hand-cranked machine; at its closure in 1980, the Broadmeadows factory of ‘Kathryn’ housed more than 100 machines, including 53 sewing machines and 45 knitting machines. Robert Blake was “a passionate advocate for wool and Australian Made” throughout his whole life. A strong thread that ties through the lifespan of Robert Blake and Kathryn Knitwear is a balance between adopting new innovations without sacrificing the core values of durability, comfort, care and style that had made the brand so well known. Their legacy forms an integral part of both Australian social and manufacturing history. The ‘Embassy’ brand was a house brand of Coles stores from 1929-1994, and manufactured a wide variety of household goods. The manufacture of this specific style of notebook can be dated to between 1947 and 1953.Notebook with handwritten instructions, formulas and sketches detailing patterns for samples. ‘Embassy’ exercise book cover is printed with a blue checked pattern on a background that was originally likely white, but appears cream due to discolouration. The centre of the front cover has a trapezoidal label that provides space for handwritten labels, and features a map of Australia inside a red circle, as well as the manufacturers branding. The 64 internal pages are printed with blue lines as a writing guide.[Obverse] Embassy EXERCISE BOOK NAME [handwritten] Mrs Maley GRADE [handwritten] Sample Book SCHOOL 64 PAGES BEST QUALITY PAPER BLUE RULED – 26 LINES TO PAGE [sample of internal pages] [left page] Notes: 34” = 3 garments out of 40” Length 32” = 3 “ “ “ 38 “ “ 30” = 28” = Cut together (26” = 4 garments “ “ 33” “ (24 = 4 garments “ “ 33” length Blue 36” Red 36 ½“ Green 36” Royal 35 ½” [right page] Design Esquire (Width 35 ½ - 36) Size 34” Width Yardage Size 32” Width Yardage Sample cotton 90 ribs for 28” Size 28” (sample size) Width cut to 20 ½ (double) Yardage 34 ½“ for 2 garm. Size 26” Width Yardage Size 24” Width Yardagebusiness, business history, manufacturing, knitting machine, fashion textile production, business archives, manufacturing documents, embassy brand, coles

An immaculate collection of newspaper articles & statistics compiled by Joan MacKenzie of the 1958 VFL seasonThe book contains an almost complete record of Carlton FC's 1958 season by Newspaper articles and self penned tables and statistics. The start of the 1958 season was tumultuous with infighting and committee factions. This period is superbly captured by the compiler of the scrap book. The 1958 season was not a successful one for Carlton; 1958 Summary In his final season, Ken Hands stepped down from the captaincy that he had held for the previous 5 and a half years. Unforunately, Carlton carried its losing form of the end of the 1957 season into 1958. The club would win only one of its first seven games, and that was against the previous years wooden spoon winner, Geelong. By the end of round 7, the Blues would sit dead last on the premiership table, and any chance of a finals appearance was gone. The club managed to turn its fortunes around from round 8, though, winning four games in a row and 7 of its last 11 games. This lifted us to seventh place on the ladder with an 8 win, 10 loss record for the year. This improved form would lay the foundation for 1959, Carlton's best year of the 1950's, when the club would win its first eight games, finish second on the ladder, and reach a Preliminary Final. A Lined Blue & Red Embassy Exercise Book. Embassy was Coles's Generic Brand.

Ric Rac trims were popular as a decorative element on girls' dresses and in craft projects during the 1950s and 1960s which is when these packets probably date from. Although there are no donation details regarding these trims, they were in the same package as an embroidery thread wheel and garters which all seem to date from a similar period.These Ric Rac trims were a popular decoration on girls' dresses in the mid-20th century.Three packets of partly used Ric Rac trim - a flat piece of braided trim, shaped like a zigzag. Two are branded 'Ric Rac' and the third is 'Embassy'. The Embassy packet and one of the Ric Rac packets have sky blue trim and the other Ric Rac packet has some light green trim and yellow trim.On front of Ric Rac packet: 'COTTON / Ric Rac / GUARANTEED FAST COLOURS / SKY 6 YDS. / COLOUR LENGTH / MADE IN JAPAN' On front of Embassy packet: 'Embassy / QUALITY / RIC-RAC / BRAID / GUARANTEED FAST COLOURS / 6 Yds / MADE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA' On back of Embassy packet: ' 362/21 / sky'ric rac, sewing, craft, 1950s-1960s