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. Wool has been renowned for its excellent properties for thousands of years, by people from all over the world. Not only good for thick winter woollens, it can help keep you cool in summer, as well as being durable and resistant to water, fire, ultraviolet light, stains and odour. In a world where wool garments all had to be washed by hand, the invention of machine-washable acrylic fibres and widespread adoption of washing machines in ordinary Australian homes in the 1950s and 60s posed a major risk to the wool industry, and by extension the entire Australian economy. With the price of wool falling, the CSIRO and the Australian Wool Board worked together from the 1950s on a number of developments to keep Australian wool competitive and desirable to the public, many of which came out of the Geelong research labs. While progress had been made in the preceding decades, 1970 saw a major breakthrough; the invention of a new method of making wool washable and shrink-proof, most commonly known as ‘Superwash’. It is a technology that is still highly used to this day, and is very recognisable to those who use commercial wool yarn to knit or crochet. 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.Blue wool turtleneck ‘skivvy’ jumper in all over rib pattern with long sleeves. .2) swing tag with woolmark logo for ‘Superwash Wool’1.)[white label at back neck with blue writing] KATHRYN REGD. (Woolmark Logo) PURE NEW WOOL Superwash SIZE 2 HGT. 92cm MADE IN AUSTRALIA 2.)[retail swing tag for ‘Superwash Wool’] [OBVERSE] [woolmark logo] [handwritten in blue pen] 314 [printed] PURE NEW WOOL [handwritten] 2 Superwash Wool Machine Washable [INTERNAL] [woolmark logo] PURE NEW WOOL YOU ARE NOW THE OWNER OF A SUPERWASH WOOL GARMENT That has been specially treated to withstand a lifetime of machine washing. SUPERWASH WOOL has all the desirable qualities of wool – soft handle, comfort, warmth and style. Not all wool knitwear has the SUPERWASH treatment so remember always to look for the special “SUPERWASH” label and swing ticket. To was SUPERWASH WOOL just follow the instructions of the garment label. [woolmark logo] PURE NEW WOOL SUPERWASH WOOL THE WOOL YOU WASH IN THE MACHINE.knitwear, children's knitwear, clothing, children's clothing, jumper, manufacturing, fashion textile production, machine knitting, csiro, national wool board, superwash, australian wool innovation

The board game, titled The Storyteller, was created by Geelong Wathaurong/Ngarrindjeri man Glenn Shea, who was a youth justice worker at the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative when the game was created. The idea for The Storyteller evolved through Glenn's personal experience of working with Aboriginal adolescents and young people. Board game based on Indigenous education. White box with an oval shaped design on the front depicting the face of a man in red.The Storytellergames, board games, first nations, aboriginal, identity, place, belonging

Part of a collection of items donated by Mrs Robyn Adams. Mrs Adams' is the daughter of Victor Clyde, a wool grower who owned and used the items in the donated collection.Paper booklet, 28 pages. Front cover is blue and white with black and red text and a colour sketch of a blue and green fly. Title reads - This is / "Lucy" / THE GREEN BLOWFLY / WHO STRIKES YOUR / SHEEP-. Internal pages have short text with images describing the effects of fly strike on sheep and ways to prevent it. Back cover is blank with small text in the centre reading -Printers: / COLOURSTONE PTY. LTD. / SYDNEY.-fly strike, mrs robyn adams, australian wool board

Photograph was found by a friend of the donor. Rear of photo has a stamp for "Ritter-Jeppesen Studio, 111 Lonsdale Street Melbourne", which would indicate that it was made between 1940-1962. Image appears to be of staff working at mending tables in an unknown woollen mill.Black and white photo attached to a light brown backing board. Photo shows women seated at desks in an unknown woollen mill, presumably working on 'mending' cloth. Roof appears to have a sawtooth design.

Display board was once property of Port Macquarie Historical Society & Museum, but they de-accessioned it in 2016 before donating it to the National Wool Museum. Reason for de-accession was that it no longer fit with their collection aims, nor was it relevant to their location. Item appears to have been made in 1963, or at least using wool samples from 1963. Wool samples were grown by a S.F. PICKER at 'BIGGA' in New South Wales. No further information was given by donor.Light brown timber framed display board with glass cover. Light brown backing board with 25 wool samples taped to the board, each with a paper lable with printed text. Main label reads -WORLD RECORD PRICE / 1963...468d / SUPER FINE MERINO. / COUNT. 74/80. / GROWN BY. / S.F. PICKER. BIGGA. / N.S.W.-wool samples, wool sorting, wool breading

Photocopy of the original board report for the Woollen Cloth Factory (later Federal Woollen Mills and Classweave) in North Geelong. Original document dates from February 14, 1917. Unclear what year this photocopy is from. Item was discovered onsite when Classweave Industries closed down in 2001. Watermark across the pages of the report read PROVISION OF A COPY OF THIS RECORD HELD BY THE AUSTRALIAN ARCHIVES DOES NOT AUTHORISE ITS PUBLICATION OR REPRODUCTION. Report signed at final page by James Smail, manager.Pale yellow paper document with black text. 6 pages, stapled together at top left corner. Text describes the Woollen Cloth Factory site and its creation, as well as staff numbers, wages and expenditure. Report is signed by site manager James Smail. Certificate of Incorporation on back page.

Weaving samples sent from Mr FK Brodie from Gordon Institute of Technology Textile College to the Australian Wool Board, then returned, in 1963.Weaving samples sent from Mr FK Brodie from Gordon Institute of Technology Textile College to the Australian Wool Board, then returned, in 1963.weaving, brodie, mr fred k. - gordon institute of technology, textile department farnworth, mr arthur j - australian wool board

History of high tallies made by well known shearers, written by Geoff Wilson, Australian Wool Board."High Tallies and the Men Who Made Them"shearing, australian wool board, wilson, mr geoff

Long coffee coloured wool lace evening gown with long sleeves and short train. According to the donor (see correspondence in supp. file), this gown was made from Australian wool woven in Bradford and made up in Paris. It was given to the Melbourne Legacy Wives Association by Mr Ken Clarke (former head of the Wool Board and a Legatee) for use in a parade of garments by the Legacy Wives Association.Long coffee coloured wool lace evening gown with long sleeves and short train. Bodice of long coffee coloured wool lace evening gown with long sleeves and short train.fashion, lace

Book entitled "Handbook for Woolgrowers" issued by the Australian Wool Board, 1950.Book entitled "Handbook for Woolgrowers" issued by the Australian Wool Board, 1950.wool growing, australian wool board, woods, mr george

Information booklet about the economics of wool grwoing, produced by the Australian Wool Board.Information booklet about the economics of wool grwoing, produced by the Australian Wool Board.agriculture - industrial relations, australian wool board, woods, mr george

"Tally Hi" crutching - Australian Wool Board."Tally Hi" crutching - Australian Wool Board.shearing animal health crutching, australian wool board, shearing, animal health, crutching

The Australian Wool Board promotional caravanRitter-Jepperson Studios...wool marketing fashion, australian wool board australian wool board - wool marketing committee, retsol rugs, wool marketing, fashion

The Australian Wool Board promotional caravanRitter-Jepperson Studios...wool marketing fashion, australian wool board australian wool board - wool marketing committee, wool marketing, fashion

The Australian Wool Board promotional caravanRitter-Jepperson Studios...wool marketing fashion, australian wool board australian wool board - wool marketing committee, wool marketing, fashion

The Australian Wool Board promotional caravanRitter-Jepperson Studios...wool marketing fashion, australian wool board australian wool board - wool marketing committee, retsol rugs, wool marketing, fashion

NSW Western Land Board: list of Western Land Leases, 1909Australian Mercantile Land and Finance Co Ltd annotationsland enclosure pastoral industry - settlement sheep stations - history, nsw western land board, land enclosure, pastoral industry - settlement, sheep stations - history

Associated documents from Mr R Lloyd provide further informationL K Wigginssheep stations - management wool growing squatters, new zealand wool board, lloyd, mr robert, sheep stations - management, wool growing, squatters

Acquired when "Classweave Industries" closed downFramed image First Board of Directors Mr R Vincent, Director; Mr James Robertson, Director and General Manager; Mr James Dyer, Chairman of Directors; Mr J M Badger, Secretary; Mr W Stawell, Director; Mr S E Price, Director; Mr D McLennan, Director; Mr J Solomon, Director.woollen mills - history woollen mills textile mills - staff, classweave industries pty ltd federal woollen mills ltd, woollen mills - history, woollen mills, textile mills - staff

Donated by Mr Leslie Rourke.Officewool industry wool sales wool marketing wool - research wool marketing textile mills textile mills, australian wool board, wool industry, wool sales, wool marketing, wool - research, textile mills