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.Strip of knitted fabric samples showing the nine wool colour options for Kathryn knitwear for the winter season of 1980. Label printed in pale blue paper lists season and colour names and is attached to sample strip with two metal staplesKATHRYN WOOL WINTER 1980 COLOUR SWATCH RED BROWN RUST DEEP RED GREEN NAVY BLUE SHADOW SKY BLUE MAGNOLIAfabric sample, textile sample, fabric swatch, textile swatch, fashion textile production, textile manufacturing

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.Strip of knitted fabric samples showing the 14 wool colour options for the ladies' line of Kathryn knitwear for the winter season of 1980. Label printed in pale blue paper lists season and colour names and is attached to sample strip with two metal staplesLADIES WOOL COLOR SWATCH WINTER 1980 RED BLACK MAGNOLIA OYSTER SILVER BLUE SHADOW NAVY TEAL GREEN BRACKEN RYE BROWN BURGUNDY DEEP REDfabric sample, textile sample, fabric swatch, textile swatch, fashion textile production, textile manufacturing

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.Strip of knitted fabric samples showing the nine wool colour options for the boys line of Robert Blake/Kathryn knitwear in the winter season of 1980. Label printed in pale blue paper lists season and colour names and is attached to sample strip with two metal staplesBOYS WOOL WINTER 1980 COLOR SWATCH RED BURGUNDY BROWN RYE PEBBLE OYSTER NAVY BLUE SHADOW DENIM GRANITE GREYfabric sample, textile sample, fabric swatch, textile swatch, fashion textile production, textile manufacturing

A Textile Designer’s Fabric Sample Book is an important tool for keeping a record of past designs. This is useful in order to showcase a designer’s previous work; functioning like a portfolio or a résumé. They also serve as a source of inspiration, sometimes even providing a template to re-release iconic designs. The National Wool Museum has a large collection of Fabric Sample Books. They reveal the colour and daring designs produced by textile mills across various time periods. This Fabric Sample Book is from the 1920s and gives us insights into design trends that are now over a century old.The cover of this book has a brown/grey marble. It carries many marks and oils from the hands, after more than a century of use. A strip of red tape has been added to the spine of the book in order to give it integrity. The book internally has white pages that have turned a brown/cream with age. These pages have a faint blue line printed horizontally across them, to assist with handwriting. The contents of the pages are fabric samples which have been staple to them, as well as handwriting with a blue ink. The pages also include technical drawings, relating to the fabric samples and how such samples were woven together.textile design, textile manufacture

Sample of woollen fabric, with tag, produced at the Valley Worsted Mills, Geelong.9080.1 - piece of grey woollen fabric 9080.2 - paper label with printed and handwritten text, with metal eyelet at the topfront of label: [printed] VALLEY / GUARANTEED / PURE / AUSTRALIAN / WOOL back of label: [printed] VALLEY WORSTED MILLS LTD. / GEELONG / Piece No. / Quality / Yards / Strings back of label: [handwritten] 3.7 mts / 2 1/2 YRDSvalley worsted mills, geelong, wool, textiles, woollen fabric sample, fabric tag, production tag, wool mill, textile industry

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.Kathryn Knitwear Colour swatch booklet from 1961. Booklet has navy text printed on a grey background, and opens to reveal two vertical swatch cards made of white card, one on each side of the fold line. Swatch cards have headings printed in capitals in red ink denoting the fibre and series of the below samples. Each swatch card has 15 samples of yarn wrapped around it, and each shade labelled in black ink in capital letters. There is an additional knitted swatch stapled to the top right corner labelled ‘Arctic White’.[Obverse] Robert Blake Pty. Ltd. KATHRYN Shades 1961 [Internal] KATHRYN Shades 1961 ARCTIC WHITE [Left side] WOOL Standard Shades WHITE PINK LEMON BLUE LIPSTICK EMERALD ROSE PINK AQUA ROYAL RED CELTIC TAN KASHA BROWN GREY [Right side] WOOL Fashion Shades MINT WILD RICE GERANIUM PINK LONDON BLUE TREE FERN ANCIENT GOLD ORLON WHITE PINK LEMON BLUE OATMEAL EUCALYPTUS CABER TAN YACHT BLUE REDfabric sample, textile sample, fabric swatch, textile swatch, fashion textile production, textile manufacturing

Fabric sample book produced by Ernest Waddington with specifications circa 1930. Such a book would work as a catalogue of a designer’s previous Mastercards. Mastercards are specification sheets that are sent to mills in order to produce commercial amounts of fabrics for tailoring into final products, such as suits. Keeping a catalogue of previous designs is useful for designers to take inspiration from in future designs and for re-releases of iconic designs. This sample book is also notable because of its period of creation. It was created in the Great Depression. Despite societies psyche at this time, there is a surprising amount of colour and what may be viewed as daring designs. Large, light brown book bound with string containing fabric samples and notes. Pages stitched at borders. Large cream paper label with "Patterns" written diagonally across, pasted on cover.E. Waddingtonweaving textile design textile mills textile mills, waddington, mr ernest, weaving, textile design, textile mills

Jane McGrath made this quilt 30 years ago from a tartan fabric sample book (c.1990). It was one of her first quilts. Jane was inspired to quilt by her mother Shirley Critchley. Jane recalls her mother being a very talented quilter, with one example being the “Unpicked Jumper Wagga” which can be found within the National Wool Museum’s Collection (REG 8283). Shirley taught Jane the basics in quilting and assisted her in preparing this quilt. The quilt is backed with material from disused woollen skirts. Jane could not recall what material was used for the internal insulating fabric. Jane donated the Tartan Fabric Sample Quilt to the National Wool Museum in 2021. The quilt had been languishing in her cupboard for many years and had found its way to the op-shop pile, as her children had no desire to inherit her quilts. The top layer of the quilt consists of five distinct rows of tartan samples appliqued together. The rows of tartan samples are broken with a boarder of white, grey, and brown fabric which runs in parallel lines. This fabric is also used to bind the quilt together at the edges. The internal insulating fabric of the quilt is not known. The backing fabric is a grey coloured wool originating from disused skirts. The Tartan samples contain stripes of varying width and colour. The samples have been arranged so that the stripes run diagonal on the quilt. Many different colours have been used. The predominant colours are red and black, with lessening amounts of blue, yellow, white, green, and grey featuring. quilts, tartan fabric samples, upcycle, shirley critchley/jane mcgrath collection

For nearly a century, Paris was the most important centre for textile design. From all over the world textile entrepreneurs came to Paris for inspiration. From the 1930s, style services developed in Paris in which companies collected the latest textile samples and circulated them around the world. Subscriptions to this service was expensive, but it not as expensive as going to Paris and other places where new trends arose. Textile designers, in Geelong and Melbourne, subscribed to books such as John Claude Freres books to get the latest colour fashions.Unbound book comprised of 114 separate pages of fabric samples from John Claude Freres.fashion, john claude freres

‘The Fading Dream of Australian Home Ownership’ was made by Judy Turner in 1989 for her son Nicholas (then 14 years) after a family discussion about mortgages and rising interest rates (17% at the time), out of concern for his generation. “Perhaps this will keep my son warm when he can’t afford a house”, wrote Judy at the time. As a quilting teacher for over thirty years, Judy was well aware of the ‘wagga’ tradition of making do with what you have and reusing resources to make something useful. The quilt was made using approximately 270 different men’s woollen suiting samples. The fabrics in the quilt were a gift from Micheal Haze who was a travelling men’s ware salesman and friend of the artist’s late husband. The suiting samples were used just as they were, without cutting, and are stacked liked house bricks. The pieces have been machine pieced and tied. The quilt has woollen backing, with no batting. Judy’s son Nicholas, always interested in drawing, and keen to see what his mother was making, helped with the drawing and design of the house. The quilt has been exhibited in Canberra, Armidale and Sydney and featured in publications in Australian and Japan. Judy’s work has been exhibited Nationally and Internationally, including in Japan, Korea, Germany, Switzerland and the United States of America. Judy’s work has featured extensively in publications around the world, and has received many awards. Her work is held in public and private collections across Australia and the USA. As well as a successful career as an artist, Judy spent three decades imparting skills to the next generation as a patient and skilled teacher. ARTIST STATEMENT The medium of my artistic practice is quilt making and my focus is the use of colour and speedy, accurate and efficient methods of making successful quilts. In 1995 I developed an original technique of applying woollen yarn to a woollen background, focusing on the subtle blending of colour to express an idea. Author of Awash With Colour (1997) and co-author with Margaret Rolfe of Successful Scrap Quilts (2002).Folio page depicting three items attached to a black card background. One item is a red, blue, black and white textile sample, another is a hand drawn sketch of a house, the third shows hand written text on lined paper in black ink.Front: [handwritten] Final / design / for housequilt, wagga, home, house, housing affordability, design

Collected by Charles Honybun. Part of Honybun collectionSample of W W I camoflague fabricSample of doped canvas fabric from W W I German aircraft. Rectangular shape of Fabric in green, purple and yellow with hole for tag in one cornermilitary history, army, air force, ww1, charles henry honybun

Long crinkle cut blue fabric sample with label stamped in ink. A brown paper tag is attached with string with hand written blue text.front: [tag] SW3 Dyed / Blue 4 / 37 ½ lln(?) – 70 yds / PeNo 678 front: [label] TRADEMARK / PHYSICIAN / REG No 76880 / SPOTLESS FINISH / CHILLPROOF / GUARENTEED PURE VIRGIN WOOLwool, fabric, blankets, sample, physician, collins bros mill pty ltd

Fabric samples produced by Aoki International, Japan and sent to Keith Jackson at Victorian Producers' Co-operative Limited.Fabric samples produced by Aoki International, Japan and sent to Keith Jackson at Victorian Producers' Co-operative Limited.Geoff, This is for Keith Jackson fron Aoki International (Vivo textil) Regards, Paul FINE WOOL 152 AOKI INTERNATIONA Vivo Textile Co. Ltd. C. Migutani Vivo Textileweaving textile design, aoki international limited, jackson, mr keith - victorian producers' co-operative limited, weaving, textile design

Book of fabric samples produced by Yarra Falls Pty Ltd, Melbourne.Large cloth and leather bound book of fabric samples, text and figures. Spine and corners of red leather and rest of cover dark green. Book manufacturers label past on inside cover. Two small white labels with numbers pasted on spine.Arbuckle Waddell Pty. Ltd. Printerstextile production textile design textile mills, forrest, mr craig - yarra falls pty ltd, melbourne, victoria, textile production, textile design, textile mills

This book dates from the 1940s and was part of the Running Stitch collection of quilts, probably because it was common for women to acquire these books from travelling salesmen. This sample book is an example of the type made by textile mills and given to tailors to sell fabric for made to measure suits. With little money to spare during the austere years of the war, women often acquired these books from tailors when the fabrics were no longer available. They made use of the fabric sample pieces to make quilts. The Australian Woollen Mills was an example of a woollen mill which went into worsted production making good quality English-type suiting. They were very successful until the 1960's when the oversupply of worsted fabrics from Europe and Asia led to the decline of the industry in this country. This book was displayed in the Running Stitch exhibition "Wool Quilts Old and New" of 1985 where it was catalogue entry number 40.Australian Woollen Mills Crusader fabric sample book, c.1940sKnight / QUALITY SELECTED / SUITINGS / of / Crusader / CLOTH / NEVER SOLD OUT Crusader / CLOTH / Makes the best suits "Crusader" / WORSTEDaustralian woollen mills pty ltd running stitch group, cloth - worsted, running stitch collection

Donor has owned the fabric sample since 1975. The family story is that the fabric sample was presented to the donor's mother Zoe Smith in 1954/55 when she was a teacher at Camberwell Primary School. One of her pupils brought the sample as a gift, telling Zoe that it was from the Royal Train when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip toured Australia in 1954, one year after the Coronation. The family believed that it was a cushion cover from the Royal Train. Further research suggests that it is a fabric display of the Royal Coat of Arms produced to mark the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. See website below https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/queen-elizabeth-ii-coat-arms-fabric-489239608Royal blue background with the Coat of Arms framed by a circle of floral emblems. "Elizabeth R" is printed below the Coat of Arms. Fabric sample is hemmed on four sides, stitched by hand.elizabeth r, queen elizabeth 2, 1953 coronation, coat of arms, wall hamging

Part of a collection of books, fabric samples and documents from the working life of Ray Smith. Ray began his career at the age of 15, working at the Albion Woollen Mills in Geelong in 1953. Over the next five decades, Ray furthered his education in textile design, weaving design, knitting and later computer aided design, including qualifications from Gordon Textile College, City and Guilds of London Institute, The Textile Institute, Melbourne Institute of Textiles and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). After ten years at Albion Woollen Mills, Ray went on to hold fabric design positions at Prestige Fabrics and Yarra Falls, working up to management roles in both the Weaving and Fabric Design Divisions, and then as Product Development Manager at Yarra Falls until 2000. Ray shares some career highlights below: In 1977 and 1978 I won the Wool Corporation’s Celsius 30 Awards as Yarra Falls Designer. (See photos attached.) These awards came with study trips to the major Textile Centres and Trade Fairs around the world. This was proven to be beneficial and Yarra Falls sent me overseas every year for the next 22 years. On stopovers in Hong Kong we appointed an agent and took part in Textile Trade Fairs at Interstoff Asia and exhibited designs in 1991, 92, 93, 94. I created a pattern book for a chain of shops called “Kwun KeeTailors” for their customers to select our fabrics to be made up into suits for the tourists. I also had several trips to New York to try to export to America with some success. I was commissioned by the Melbourne College of Textiles to write a Woven Textile Design Course to be taught under the outreach program. This was eventually translated into Spanish to be used by developing textile industries in South America.A collection of fabric samples from Yarra Falls, including twenty three sets of woollen fabric samples on black backing card, three sets of woollen fabric samples on white backing card and one Yarra Falls fabric label.PURE NEW WOOL / Yarra Falls / MELBOURNE AUSTRALIAray smith, yarra falls, mills, textile design, fabric design, geelong, geelong advertiser, fabric samples

About the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games donor Doug Pleasance wrote- During the 1980's the Australian wool industry was at its most prosperous times with record numbers of sheep producing wool receiving ever increasing values due to the success of the Reserve Price Scheme, and the overall guidance of the Australian Wool Corporation (AWC). As a humble technician, my role was a low profile newly created position of Controller, Technical Marketing where wool was to be marketed on its technical properties, as distinct from the Product Marketing Group which exploited the traditional high profile approach of marketing wool's superior fashion attributes. The Woolmark was the tool central to this approach. The 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games saw an evolutionary change in designer selection. A Declaration of Interest Form was communicated to over forty potential designers. The task and especially tight timelines that were involved deterred many aspirants, however, there remained eight designers with the potential we were seeking. These eight designers were paid $3,000 per submission and the winning designer, Wendy Powitt, was paid $15,000. For the first time the judging panel included two athletes, one male swimmer and one female basketballer, their influence was pivotal. The ensemble consisted of three elements- 1. The Official Uniform which was used for travel and all official functions. This included: a tailored blazer and trouser/skirt (all water repellent) by Fletcher Jones, pure wool olive-green faille fabric by Foster Valley, cotton PE formal shirt by Pelaco, pure wool knitwear by Spangaro, printed wool tie by TD Noone, wool nylon socks by Holeproof and footwear by Hush Puppy. 2. Opening Ceremony Uniform a lightweight wool fabric printed with floral designs that had been inspired by the work of Australian artist Margaret Preston. This included: Lightweight W/PE shorts by Fletcher Jones in Foster Valley Fabric, socks by Holeproof and footwear by Hush Puppy. 3. Village Clothing was designed to be highly visible garments to make it easy to spot the Aussie and helped to contribute to good team spirit. This included: A pure wool shirt featuring blocks of contrasting colours, and a newly developed stretch 50:50 wool/cotton fabric by Bradmill was made into shorts and jeans by Fletcher Jones.8144.1 - Men's cream coloured shorts. Manufactured from a cotton and wool blend fabric. 8144.2 - Cream fabric sample with labels attached. 8144.3 - Cream fabric sample. 8144.4 - Cream fabric sample.8144.1 - On label- FLETCHER JONES 60% Wool, 40% Cotton 8144.2 - Stapled label- WOOL COTTON 50:50 STRETCH1992 barcelona olympics, sport, athletes, fashion, design, uniform

About the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games donor Doug Pleasance wrote- During the 1980's the Australian wool industry was at its most prosperous times with record numbers of sheep producing wool receiving ever increasing values due to the success of the Reserve Price Scheme, and the overall guidance of the Australian Wool Corporation (AWC). As a humble technician, my role was a low profile newly created position of Controller, Technical Marketing where wool was to be marketed on its technical properties, as distinct from the Product Marketing Group which exploited the traditional high profile approach of marketing wool;s superior fashion attributes. The Woolmark was the tool central to this approach. The 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games saw an evolutionary change in designer selection. A Declaration of Interest Form was communicated to over forty potential designers. The task and especially tight timelines that were involved deterred many aspirants, however, there remained eight designers with the potential we were seeking. These eight designers were paid $3,000 per submission and the winning designer, Wendy Powitt, was paid $15,000. For the first time the judging panel included two athletes, one male swimmer and one female basketballer, their influence was pivotal. The ensemble consisted of three elements- 1. The Official Uniform which was used for travel and all official functions. This included: a tailored blazer and trouser/skirt (all water repellent) by Fletcher Jones, pure wool olive-green faille fabric by Foster Valley, cotton PE formal shirt by Pelaco, pure wool knitwear by Spangaro, printed wool tie by TD Noone, wool nylon socks by Holeproof and footwear by Hush Puppy. 2. Opening Ceremony Uniform a lightweight wool fabric printed with floral designs that had been inspired by the work of Australian artist Margaret Preston. This included: Lightweight W/PE shorts by Fletcher Jones in Foster Valley Fabric, socks by Holeproof and footwear by Hush Puppy. 3. Village Clothing was designed to be highly visible garments to make it easy to spot the Aussie and helped to contribute to good team spirit. This included: A pure wool shirt featuring blocks of contrasting colours, and a newly developed stretch 50:50 wool/cotton fabric by Bradmill was made into shorts and jeans by Fletcher Jones.8124.1 - The blouse is cream with an Australian floral design inspired by the work of artist Margaret Preston. The blouse has a scoop neck, cream buttons and small triangular cut outs on the sleeves. The shoulder seam runs to the points of the triangle and another across the back of the shoulders to create a rounded design. 8124.2 - Floral print fabric sample, this sample is cut in the shape of the front panel of the blouse but is unsewn. 8124.3 - Floral fabric sample. 8124.4 - Floral fabric sample. 8124.5 - Floral fabric sample.BARCELONA 19921992 barcelona olympics, sport, athletes, fashion, design, uniform

Textile sample from an opera cloak made in England c.1820 from wool clipped from Macarthur's merino sheep in 1816. Macarthur is recognised as the pioneer of the wool industry that was to boom in Australia in the early 19th century and become a trademark of the nation. Macarthur was responsible for the first bale of Australian wool to be exported. The British woollen mills were desperate for wool at the time because of the Napoleonic blockade, and the Australian bale sold for a record price. Australia needed a product to sell in European markets which did not perish during long sea-voyages and which offered high value per unit of weight. Wool also had a ready market in England because the Napoleonic Wars had increased demand and cut English cloth-makers off from their traditional source of quality wool, Spain. Australia's first $2 banknote featured John Macarthur thanks largely to his establishment of wool as the backbone of the early Australian economy. The cloak was passed down through the family to Harold Lethbridge with whom the main part of the cloak resides, in Narrandera. The fragment was passed to Lethbridge's niece who gave it to the donor's mother who passed it onto him and then it was donated to the National Wool Museum. The cloth fragment was tested by Gordon Institute of Technology in 1974 showing the wool to be very fine (15-16 microns) which is consistent with the pure lineage of Macarthur's sheep. The cloth fragment was framed in 1952 and remains in the original frame to this day. Red fabric sample folded in half and mounted in the centre of a brown metal frame.'ARCO' MADE IN ENGLANDmacarthur, wool industry, australian economy, opera, cloak, textile, textile industry, 19th century, merino sheep, woollen mills, new south wales

Fold out card brochure containing blanket fabric samples in a range of colours.front: [printed] Eagley / LUXURY / BLANKETS / FASHION / PIECEGOODS / PIECEGOODS front: [handwritten] Range / 1670eagley woollen mills, samples, fabric, brochure

Fold out card brochure containing blanket fabric samples in a range of colours.front: [printed] Eagley / LUXURY / BLANKETS / FASHION / PIECEGOODS / PIECEGOODS front: [handwritten] Range / 1523eagley woollen mills, samples, fabric, brochure

Ten striped blanket samples held together with split pins. Colours include brown, pink, blue and cream. Each sample has an ink printed Physician label and a Physician sticker with a number.wool, fabric, blankets, sample, physician, collins bros mill pty ltd

Four page fold out booklet containing coloured fabric samples and printed text. front: [printed] Fashion Shades / Autumn 1933. / SANDOZfabric samples, textile industry, fashion, sandoz, switzerland, autumn

Part of a collection of books, fabric samples and documents from the working life of Ray Smith. Ray began his career at the age of 15, working at the Albion Woollen Mills in Geelong in 1953. Over the next five decades, Ray furthered his education in textile design, weaving design, knitting and later computer aided design, including qualifications from Gordon Textile College, City and Guilds of London Institute, The Textile Institute, Melbourne Institute of Textiles and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). After ten years at Albion Woollen Mills, Ray went on to hold fabric design positions at Prestige Fabrics and Yarra Falls, working up to management roles in both the Weaving and Fabric Design Divisions, and then as Product Development Manager at Yarra Falls until 2000. Ray shares some career highlights below: In 1977 and 1978 I won the Wool Corporation’s Celsius 30 Awards as Yarra Falls Designer. (See photos attached.) These awards came with study trips to the major Textile Centres and Trade Fairs around the world. This was proven to be beneficial and Yarra Falls sent me overseas every year for the next 22 years. On stopovers in Hong Kong we appointed an agent and took part in Textile Trade Fairs at Interstoff Asia and exhibited designs in 1991, 92, 93, 94. I created a pattern book for a chain of shops called “Kwun KeeTailors” for their customers to select our fabrics to be made up into suits for the tourists. I also had several trips to New York to try to export to America with some success. I was commissioned by the Melbourne College of Textiles to write a Woven Textile Design Course to be taught under the outreach program. This was eventually translated into Spanish to be used by developing textile industries in South America.Card folder featuring pale blue and white clouds and sky motifs, with a thermometer on the cover. Folder holds eleven circular black cards, eight have wool fabric samples attached.Front [printed]: Celsius 30 / SPRING SUMMER / 74 / SPRING SUMMER / A Woolblendmark fabric developed especially for summer.ray smith, yarra falls, mills, textile design, fabric design, product development, wool corporation, fabric samples, 1970s fashion

Myersons tailors shop operated at 269 Lonsdale Street Melbourne during the 1940s. Three Myerson suit or costume fabric samplers: small fabric samples stapled to a cardboard card. On front of samples: "Suit or Costume/Built to your measure for/£3/with Free O'Coat/If overcoat is not required you can/have Free Trousers or Free Skirt/ Tell your friends about Me. They will appreciate it/ MYERSON 269 Lonsdale St., -Melbourne- / One door down from Swanston Street." On back of samples: Tell your friends/about Me/ They/will appreciate it/MYERSON/269Lonsdale St.,/One door down from Swanston Street" (Same inscription on the £4 UK Pounds and £5 samples )

Seat fabric sample brown vinyl as used in the first batch of Z class trams. Has a pink backing.trams, tramways, z class, public transport, equipment, seats, fabric

Folded card brochure with printed blue text on the back and front. Fabric samples attached with hand written text on the inside.front: [printed] ALBANY / FASHION SUITINGSsamples, fabric, brochure, albany woollen mills, school uniforms

Folded card brochure with printed blue text on the back and front. Fabric samples attached with hand written text on the inside.front: [printed] ALBANY / FASHION SUITINGSsamples, fabric, brochure, albany woollen mills, school uniforms