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. A Nobel Comb separates short (Noils) fibres while also blending long (Tops) fibres together. The long fibres are used for worsted materials while the short fibres are used for woollen fabrics. Woollen materials are soft, bulky and fuzzy, such as a picnic blanket; whereas worsted materials are fine, smooth and crisp, such as a suit jacket. The Valley Worsted Mills in Geelong, now the Little Creatures Brewery, ran 12 noble combs up until 1981. Gold plaque on display with machine until 2018 read: G.H. Mitchell & Son, Adelaide have celebrated 125 Years of involvement with the Australian Wool Processing Industry by contributing the funds necessary to restore The Carding Machine, Noble Comb & The Gill Box.Noble Comb with plates - 'Prince Smith & Sons, Burlington Shed, Keishley' (One plate located on each gear box). 'Prince Smith & Sons, Burlington Shed, Keishley' (One plate located on each gear box).wool manufacturing, noble comb, textile industry, geelong, little creatures brewery, valley worsted mills, fibres, wool, factory

The former Albion (West) Woollen and Worsted Mills is a functional structure which has been built in stages, possibly dating from the 1880s, with the earliest sections near to the Barwon River.The Worsted mill operated for about 50 years and at its peak employed around 500 people. In 1973 the mill merged with the British John Foster and Sons Company under some controversial stock and shareholding issues. The mill continued for a short period before closing at a time when much of the Australian textile industry was finding it difficult to compete with overseas operations. In the 30 plus years after the closure, the site was used for several ventures, including the Mill Vintage Markets and a vehicle trim manufacturing operation. In 2011 the site was purchased by Little Creatures of Western Australia to become their main brewery for the eastern states of Australia. Now owned by the Lion Group, Little Creatures started their 60 million dollar transformation of the old mill in 2012. Finally, in 2013 these former walls of industry were soon rattling away to the sounds of a different type of industry, as the first bottles of beer made their way out of the Geelong Little Creatures Brewery. The remaining building of the former Albion Woollen and Worsted Mills has historical significance as one of Geelong's major woollen mills. The venture has operated on the same site for more than a century. The Albion Woollen Mill was one of the four key sites along with Victoria, Barwon and Union Mills that was established in the late 1860s to mid-1870s. These mills were in constant operation on the west side of the Barwon Bridge over the last century and led to Geelong's fame as milling and scouring locality. The Albion Mill was probably the most successful survivor of the early private company operations. It was regarded as a model mill in the late 1880s and was, from all accounts, well-planned and organised with machinery on a par with the great mills of England. It produced high-quality tweeds. Together with the (now demolished) Union Mill it was regarded as the borough's principal industry over the 1870-1900 period and was one of Australia's most significant producers of tweed by 1900. These two mills were more successful, competitive and long-lived than the Barwon and Victoria Mills. The remaining building form is an important reminder of the private ventures of both the Albion and Union Mills and represents a key site of spinning, carding and finishing as well as scouring and dying that occurred in the lower section near to the river. The loss of the adjacent former Union Mill is unfortunate because the complex, together with the former Collins Union Mill office building, was an important reminder of the success of these industries and the reputation they earned for the Geelong region as a centre for quality textile products. Company seal embosser hand operated matte black & brass colour Western District Worsted Mills emblem on frontflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village