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.Typewritten letter in black ink on cream paper, with a hole punched in the upper left hand corner. Letter has initially been printed as a form with dotted lines, that have later been printed over.MELBOURNE SCHOOL OF TEXTILES 35.1288 23-35 Cumberland Road, PASCOE VALE, W.8. 20TH March, 1964 Messrs. Robert Blake Pty. Ltd., 6 Hall Street, MOONEE PONDS. Dear Sir Re: …. THOMSON N. …. The abovenames student, a member of your organization, has been absent from the following classes: Thursday / 19/3/64 / Certificate Course We are very keen for these classes to be a success, and would be obliged if you to see that he attends regularly in future. Yours faithfully, MELBOURNE SCHOOL OF TEXTILES. [SIGNATURE] O. C. RIEGULHUTH, ACTING PRINCIPAL.business, business history, manufacturing, knitting machine, fashion textile production, business archives, manufacturing documents, textile education, melbourne school of textiles, vocational training, training, education, school

Neck tie, part of the outfit for the "Sheep to suit" record attempt, Melbourne School of Textiles,1982.Part of the 'Sheep to Suit' event outfit.Gary David/ highest quality/MADE IN AUSTRALIAtextile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Suit pants, cream, natural, wool. Part of the three piece suit which set the "Sheep to suit" record by Melbourne College of Textiles in 1982Part of the 'Sheep to Suit' event outfit.A product of the Clothing School, MELBOURNE COLLEGE OF TEXTILES/ PURE WOOLtextile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles australian wool corporation sunbeam corporation limited, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Suit jacket, cream, natural, wool and cream silk lining. Part of the three piece suit which set the "Sheep to suit" record by Melbourne College of Textiles in 1982Part of the 'Sheep to Suit' event outfit.A product of the Clothing School, MELBOURNE COLLEGE OF TEXTILES/ PURE WOOLtextile production fashion shearing weaving sewing, melbourne college of textiles australian wool corporation sunbeam corporation limited, spinning, highlights of the national wool museum: from sheep to suit - exhibition (22/09/2001 - 02/12/2001), textile production, fashion, shearing, weaving, sewing

Awarded to Donald Neil Symons for excellence in Scripture during his final year at Ballarat College. Neil was educated at Ballarat College (Dux 1933) and Ormond College, Melbourne University. He became a Clothing industry leader and was Fletcher Jones' distinguished successor as chief executive of the FJ organisation, and a prominent advocate for the Australian textile and clothing industries, decentralised industry and government support of employee share ownership schemes. Small, maroon leather-bound book with gold title and detailing on spine and gold school crest on front cover; plain endpapers; bookplate inside front cover.Book plate inside front covers: school crest / Ballarat College / Sixth Form / Scripture Prize / (Gift of Mrs T R Cairns) / Awarded to / D N Symons / A Richardson, BA / December 1930 Principaldonald-neil-symons, fletcher-jones, cairns

Awarded to Donald Neil Symons for excellence in Scripture during 1926 at Ballarat College. Neil was educated at Ballarat College (Dux 1933) and Ormond College, Melbourne University. He became a Clothing industry leader and was Fletcher Jones' distinguished successor as chief executive of the FJ organisation, and a prominent advocate for the Australian textile and clothing industries, decentralised industry and government support of employee share ownership schemes.Thick, maroon leather-bound book with gold lettering on spine, black wording and detail and gold school crest on front cover; bookplate inside front coverBookplate inside front cover:School crest / Ballarat College / IVA Form / Scripture Prize / (The gift of Mrs Cairns) / Awarded to / Neil Symons / A Richardson BA / December 1926 Principaldonald-neil-symons, cairns, scripture, book prize

Awarded to Donald Neil Symons for excellence in Scripture during 1926 at Ballarat College. Neil was educated at Ballarat College (Dux 1933) and Ormond College, Melbourne University. He became a Clothing industry leader and was Fletcher Jones' distinguished successor as chief executive of the FJ organisation, and a prominent advocate for the Australian textile and clothing industries, decentralised industry and government support of employee share ownership schemes.Medium-sized, maroon, leather-bound book with gold-lettering and decoration on spine and gold school crest on front cover; bookplate inside front coverBookplate inside front cover: School crest / Ballarat College / Sixth-Lower Form / Dux Prize / Awarded to / D N Symons / A Richardson BA / December 1930 Principaldonald-neil-symons, dux, 1930s, fletcher jones

Awarded to Donald Neil Symons for excellence in Scripture during 1926 at Ballarat College. Neil was educated at Ballarat College (Dux 1933) and Ormond College, Melbourne University. He became a Clothing industry leader and was Fletcher Jones' distinguished successor as chief executive of the FJ organisation, and a prominent advocate for the Australian textile and clothing industries, decentralised industry and government support of employee share ownership schemes.Small, maroon, leather-bound book with gold lettering and detail on spine and gold crest on front cover; book plate inside front coverBook plate inside front cover: School crest / Ballarat College / Third Prize / (Lower division) / Awarded to / N Symons / A Richardson BA / December 1927 Principaldonald-neil-symons, fletcher jones, 1920s, book prize

Embroidery thread is useful for craft and sewing projects. Semco was a Melbourne firm which in 1923 opened a factory in Cheltenham Road, Black Rock. It moved to George Street, Sandringham, and amalgamated with Coats Paton in 1983. There are no donation details with this Semco wheel, but it was in the same package as some Ric Rac trims and garters which date from around the 1950s to 1960s.Embroidery and sewing skills have been traditionally valued for women and these were often taught to girls in schools.Small cardboard Semco Rayon Crochet wheel wound with gold embroidery threadOn front: 'Semco / RAYON CROCHET / (50 YARDS) / GUARANTEED / FAST / COLOURS'sewing, craft, 1950s-1960s, semco

Embroidered by Lesley Uren for an exhibition at The Meat Market Craft Centre in 1998The Princess Theatre was built in 1854 and rebuilt in 1886 to a design by noted Melbourne architect William Pitt. The Princess Theatre is the oldest surviving entertainment venue on mainland Australia. The theatre is built in an elaborate Second Empire style, reflecting the opulence of the "Marvellous Melbourne" boom period. Lesley Uren is an important exponent of metal thread embroidery (Goldwork) and a founding member of the Embroiderers Guild Victoria and was awarded an OAM in 2013. Lesley is a prolific embroiderer with many of her works hanging in exhibitions, museums, schools and churches across Australia.Embroidered picture of the front of The Princess Theatre, Melbourne: worked in gold metal threads on grey silk fabric.Princess Theatrearchitecture, building, melbourne

The Polish born artist, designer and filmmaker, Stanislaus Ostoja-Kotkowski (1922-1944), who arrived in Melbourne in 1949 on the 'Fairsea', a ship carrying displaced persons from Europe and the Baltic States. He sought employment in architectural and design practices, and also enrolled in classes at the National Gallery School. From 1952 until 1953 Ostoja-Kotkowski had a brief, but productive, period working as a designer in the Prestige Fabric Design Studio in Melbourne. Ann Carew, 2017The textile design has aesthetic significance as an example of the early Australian work of noted emigre artist, designer and filmmaker, Stanislaus Ostoja-Kotkowski, and it has historical significance for its association with the Prestige's Textile Design Studio, and the studio's art director, Gerhard Herbst. Small sample of pale green rayon fabric with a bold, repeating geometric pattern printed in black and white.emigre, polish, design, textile design, rmit design archives

Michael O’Connell (1898-1976) arrived in Melbourne in 1920 with no professional training apart from that of a soldier on the Western Front. During the 1920s however he discovered a talent for design and, returning from a visit home to England via France and Italy in 1929, focussed on textile design with his wife Ella. This fragment of a wall hanging shows clear indebtedness to the School of Paris, Matisse in particular, and other designs from the early 1930s indicate that O’Connell was familiar with the work of Raoul Dufy who had created some successful and popular fabric designs for Paul Poiret.Textile piece featuring women and geometric patterntextile design, rmit design archives, mid-century modern

This certificate is part of a collection of archival documents including letters and certificates that relate to Charles Tansley. Charles Tansley was a wool classer mainly in Victoria, but also worked in Tasmania and New South Wales. In his career, he also worked as a wool valuer with Elders in Geelong. Charles was born in Melbourne in 1898 and was educated in England at Bedford Modern College. He was sent home from England due to WW1 and was not enlisted due to health reasons. Charles married Mary Brownjohn in 1924, and together they moved to Geelong in the late 1920s. This certificate shows qualifications gained by Charles in Woolsorting from the Victorian Department of Education.Cream certificate with black printed text and black handwritten text. Certificate has been repaired with sticky tape at the back.Front [printed]: Government of Victoria / DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION / TECHNICAL SCHOOLScharles tansley, woolclassing, wool classer, farming, sheep, wool, agricultural industry, estates, tasmania, new south wales, pastoral industry, textile industry, education, reference letters, working life, geelong, training, mary brownjohn

This certificate is part of a collection of archival documents including letters and certificates that relate to Charles Tansley. Charles Tansley was a wool classer mainly in Victoria, but also worked in Tasmania and New South Wales. In his career, he also worked as a wool valuer with Elders in Geelong. Charles was born in Melbourne in 1898 and was educated in England at Bedford Modern College. He was sent home from England due to WW1 and was not enlisted due to health reasons. Charles married Mary Brownjohn in 1924, and together they moved to Geelong in the late 1920s. This certificate, dated 1918, shows qualifications gained by Charles in Woolsorting from the Working Men's College in Melbourne.Cream certificate with brown printed text and black handwritten text.Front [printed]: The Working Men's College / MELBOURNE / The Technical College and School of Mines for the Metropolitan District / EXPERT'S CERTIFICATE / DEPARTMENT OF SHEEP AND WOOLcharles tansley, woolclassing, wool classer, farming, sheep, wool, agricultural industry, estates, tasmania, new south wales, pastoral industry, textile industry, education, reference letters, working life, geelong, training, mary brownjohn

This spinning wheel originates from New Zealand; however, it has no distinguishing features relating to its creator such as an inscription, so its exact maker is not known. Gill Stange remembers buying the wheel on Bridge Road in Richmond, approximately 30 years ago. Gill had joined her local Spinners and Weavers Guild after the Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983. She was a then resident of Mount Macedon and lost everything in the fires. Moving to Melbourne to get away from the scene of much pain, Gill was also in need of a new hobby to help occupy her mind. That is when spinning and weaving entered her life. The local Spinners and Weavers Guild was a great support network for her and with their recommendation, she purchased her own spinning wheel. Her passion was started, and the wheel was to become a treasured item in Gill’s home. She had several spinning wheels within her possession over the years, however, this wheel was her first and always her favourite. When the time came for Gill to downsize, there was simply no longer room for her spinning wheel. This is when she decided to donate the wheel to the National Wool Museum. Gill remembers one highlight was weaving a tablecloth from a traditional German design. It took her two years to complete, with Gill spinning all the wool herself on this wheel. The tablecloth won the first prize in the Melbourne Show in 1987. Gill also used the wheel to teach programs to school children on how to spin and knit wool. She would take the easily transported little wheel, and its accompanying seat, with her to schools. Its small size enabled her to teach children to knit and spin, bringing others the joy that spinning had brought her. Not just limited to schools, Gill also taught programs with the wheel here at the National Wool Museum. It is a fitting home for the wheel, which Gill donated to the National Wool Museum in 2021.Dark varnished wood in a Castle style spinning wheel. The wheel has 8 small spokes which meet a thick outside rim. The outside rim has four golden disc weights on the bottom edge, to aid in the turning of the wheel. The spinning wheel has four legs of turned wood giving a sculptural form, a design pattern which is continued throughout. The wheel has a single medium sized foot pedal. This pedal is well worn with varnish missing from years of use. The wheel is completed with its accompanying chair. Made of the same dark varnished wood, its legs are also of turned wood, continuing the design pattern and uniting the two objects. The chair is very simple outside of the legs, with a medium size base and a thin backrest ending in a rounded head. The chair’s varnish is also starting to fade from years of use. The chair is small, designed to keep the spinning wheel operator at the appropriate height when spinning on the equally small and compact Castle style spinning wheel. Additional parts were donated with the Spinning Wheel. - 3 x Lazy Kates - Spare Maiden. - 450mm Niddy Noddy - Steel teeth brushspinning wool, spinning wheel, ash wednesday, mount macedon, textile production

Gifted by P.L.C. School Craft Dept. Melbourne by courtesy of Miss Lexie Luly, Art Mistress P.L.C. 1970. See attached letter.Cream even weave linen with cross stitched religious text, house, and ships, flowers and animals. Border of flowers. Pale wooden frame. "Tis religion that can give sweetest pleasures while we live tis religion must supply solid comfort when we die" Hannah Kefford Angell Aged 8 years 1843embroidery, samplers, mid 19th century, cross stitch

Sara Lindsay is a Melbourne-based artist, curator and educator. She worked as a weaver at the Victorian Tapestry Workshop (now the Australian Tapestry Workshop) from its foundation in 1976 until 1990. Alongside her art practice, Lindsay has lectured at the Tasmanian School of Art, held the role of Curator of Textiles at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, then the position of Production Manager at the Australian Tapestry Workshop. Since 2013 she has mentored three Karen refugee women from Myanmar, assisting in their professional development and furthering their tapestry skills. In 2023 Lindsay began the Ararat New Settlement Weaving Program, teaching and mentoring culturally diverse settlers from refugee and migrant backgrounds in the Ararat region. The artwork exhibited here is part of body of work exploring Lindsay’s family’s historical ties to Sri Lanka. Her British grandfather managed a tea plantation in Ceylon’s hill country during the 1920s and 30s, where her mother was born before returning to England after his early death in 1937. After her first visit to Sri Lanka in 2005, Lindsay developed works that responded to this journey. She chose a quiet, contemplative approach to reflect on the complexity of colonial histories. Research into her family history led her to delve deeper into Sri Lanka’s complex history as a trading nation and to expand her materials to speak to this layered past. The use of cinnamon in this work connects to the story of 17th-century weavers from Southern India who were displaced from the Kingdom of Kandy and sent to the southwest coast to become cinnamon peelers under Portuguese and later Dutch rule. The finely woven ticking strips seen here reference the thick cotton fabric once used to cover mattresses and pillows aboard cargo ships transporting spices from Sri Lanka - a subtle reminder of the human stories woven into trade routes and colonial histories.

Sara Lindsay is a Melbourne-based artist, curator and educator. She worked as a weaver at the Victorian Tapestry Workshop (now the Australian Tapestry Workshop) from its foundation in 1976 until 1990. Alongside her art practice, Lindsay has lectured at the Tasmanian School of Art, held the role of Curator of Textiles at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, then the position of Production Manager at the Australian Tapestry Workshop. Since 2013 she has mentored three Karen refugee women from Myanmar, assisting in their professional development and furthering their tapestry skills. In 2023 Lindsay began the Ararat New Settlement Weaving Program, teaching and mentoring culturally diverse settlers from refugee and migrant backgrounds in the Ararat region. The artwork exhibited here is part of body of work exploring Lindsay’s family’s historical ties to Sri Lanka. Her British grandfather managed a tea plantation in Ceylon’s hill country during the 1920s and 30s, where her mother was born before returning to England after his early death in 1937. After her first visit to Sri Lanka in 2005, Lindsay developed works that responded to this journey. She chose a quiet, contemplative approach to reflect on the complexity of colonial histories. Research into her family history led her to delve deeper into Sri Lanka’s complex history as a trading nation and to expand her materials to speak to this layered past. The use of cinnamon in this work connects to the story of 17th-century weavers from Southern India who were displaced from the Kingdom of Kandy and sent to the southwest coast to become cinnamon peelers under Portuguese and later Dutch rule. The finely woven ticking strips seen here reference the thick cotton fabric once used to cover mattresses and pillows aboard cargo ships transporting spices from Sri Lanka - a subtle reminder of the human stories woven into trade routes and colonial histories.

Sara Lindsay is a Melbourne-based artist, curator and educator. She worked as a weaver at the Victorian Tapestry Workshop (now the Australian Tapestry Workshop) from its foundation in 1976 until 1990. Alongside her art practice, Lindsay has lectured at the Tasmanian School of Art, held the role of Curator of Textiles at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, then the position of Production Manager at the Australian Tapestry Workshop. Since 2013 she has mentored three Karen refugee women from Myanmar, assisting in their professional development and furthering their tapestry skills. In 2023 Lindsay began the Ararat New Settlement Weaving Program, teaching and mentoring culturally diverse settlers from refugee and migrant backgrounds in the Ararat region. The artwork exhibited here is part of body of work exploring Lindsay’s family’s historical ties to Sri Lanka. Her British grandfather managed a tea plantation in Ceylon’s hill country during the 1920s and 30s, where her mother was born before returning to England after his early death in 1937. After her first visit to Sri Lanka in 2005, Lindsay developed works that responded to this journey. She chose a quiet, contemplative approach to reflect on the complexity of colonial histories. Research into her family history led her to delve deeper into Sri Lanka’s complex history as a trading nation and to expand her materials to speak to this layered past. The use of cinnamon in this work connects to the story of 17th-century weavers from Southern India who were displaced from the Kingdom of Kandy and sent to the southwest coast to become cinnamon peelers under Portuguese and later Dutch rule. The finely woven ticking strips seen here reference the thick cotton fabric once used to cover mattresses and pillows aboard cargo ships transporting spices from Sri Lanka - a subtle reminder of the human stories woven into trade routes and colonial histories.

Sara Lindsay is a Melbourne-based artist, curator and educator. She worked as a weaver at the Victorian Tapestry Workshop (now the Australian Tapestry Workshop) from its foundation in 1976 until 1990. Alongside her art practice, Lindsay has lectured at the Tasmanian School of Art, held the role of Curator of Textiles at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, then the position of Production Manager at the Australian Tapestry Workshop. Since 2013 she has mentored three Karen refugee women from Myanmar, assisting in their professional development and furthering their tapestry skills. In 2023 Lindsay began the Ararat New Settlement Weaving Program, teaching and mentoring culturally diverse settlers from refugee and migrant backgrounds in the Ararat region. The artwork exhibited here is part of body of work exploring Lindsay’s family’s historical ties to Sri Lanka. Her British grandfather managed a tea plantation in Ceylon’s hill country during the 1920s and 30s, where her mother was born before returning to England after his early death in 1937. After her first visit to Sri Lanka in 2005, Lindsay developed works that responded to this journey. She chose a quiet, contemplative approach to reflect on the complexity of colonial histories. Research into her family history led her to delve deeper into Sri Lanka’s complex history as a trading nation and to expand her materials to speak to this layered past. The use of cinnamon in this work connects to the story of 17th-century weavers from Southern India who were displaced from the Kingdom of Kandy and sent to the southwest coast to become cinnamon peelers under Portuguese and later Dutch rule. The finely woven ticking strips seen here reference the thick cotton fabric once used to cover mattresses and pillows aboard cargo ships transporting spices from Sri Lanka - a subtle reminder of the human stories woven into trade routes and colonial histories.

Carole Mules (nee Anderson) was born in 1946 at the Willaura Bush Nursing Hospital to parents Arthur and Dulcie, who were working at Mt William Station a few kilometres out of town. After studying art and teaching at the School of Mines in Ballarat, Carole moved to Melbourne to raise a family where she developed her interest in photography, textiles and ceramics, while pursuing a career in community development. A move to rural SE Queensland in the early 1980s saw Carole set up art and theatre programmes, and study to gain a degree in Land Management.  Having returned to Western Victoria in the 2010s, Carole undertook further study to develop her textiles practice, and drew on the history and memories of Willaura and surrounding regions for inspiration. Carole created a rich palette of textures and colours using combinations of contact printing with native plants and found objects, freehand machine stitching, hand stitching, cut and collage, floral resist, and tying and folding fabric. 

Ian SPRAGUE (1920 - 18 April 1994) Born Geelong, Victoria Ian Broun Sprague's initial training was in Architecture, completing a degree at the University of Melbourne in 1950. After a serious car accident in England, Sprague was encouraged to take up a craft to restore the strength in his arms. He studied at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London for three years, and spent two months at the David Leach Pottery in Devon, before returning to Australia in 1962. In 1964 Ian Sprague established the Craft Centre in Toorak Road, South Yarra, and the Mungeribar Pottery in Upper Beaconsfield, with Robin Welch, Mungeribar being an Aboriginal word meaning 'red clay'. In 1981, he moved to Mooney-Mooney, NSW (Mungeribar was gutted by bushfires shortly after he left), and to Noosa in 1992. The Mungeribar Pottery mark is an impressed 'm', and Sprague's own mark is an impressed 'IS' with the S rendered in Morse code. Ian Sprague's Mungeribar apprentices were Grattan Burley, Victor Greenaway (1969–73), Christopher Sanders (1976-78}, Trevor Hanby (1978–80). In 1981, he moved to Mooney-Mooney, NSW , and Noosa in 1992. Greenaway's mark in his Mungeribar years was an impressed capital G. Grattan Burley (for six months), The Craft Centre in South Yarra was owned and stocked entirely by Ian Sprague, and he travelled all over Australia in search of the best possible textiles, glassware, woodwork and jewellery, not just pottery. The opening exhibition showed the pottery of Robin Welch. Sprague sold the Centre in 1967, but soon started a campaign for a government funded centre, eventually established as the Meat Market Craft Centre in North Melbourne. In 1971 Sprague became president of the recently created Craft Association of Victoria. Dismayed by the quality of teaching in art schools and technical colleges, he ran many workshops around the country on the textural treatment of clay. This work is part of the Jan Feder Memorial Ceramics Collection. Jan Feder was an alumna of the Gippsland Campus who studied ceramics on the campus. She passed away in the mid 1980s. Her student peers raised funds to buy ceramic works in her memory. They bought works from visiting lecturers who became leading ceramic artists around the world, as well as from many of the staff who taught there.Contemporary ArtTexture fire clay slab and partly glazed wall panel. Ian Sprague produced his hand modeleed wall panels by cutting them from fireclay blocks, heating and scraping them, and applying bold simplified motifs. A strong solution of salted wated was poured onto the rugged clay surfaceswhich produced a warm toasted surface effect. The panels show a clear understanding of the modulation of two dimensional relief sculpture. Artists stamp on lower RH cornerceramics, ian sprague, gippsland campus, jan feder memorial ceramics collection, mungeribar, meat markery craft centre, craft centre south yarra

non-fictionAnnemieke Mein creates sculptured textiles of insects and flowers and her work is displayed in Sale.mein annemieke, textle art