Pokerwork was a popular home craft in the 1930s. This small domestic piece using plywood is typical of objects made at home or school in that period.One of two matching circular pieces of ply, Incised, painted and lacquered with holes top and bottom for ties with image of Kookaburra and leaves. Incised to lower centre of cover 'd'oyleys'.painted and lacquered with image of Kookaburra and leaves and Incised to lower centre of cover 'd'oyleys'.mary burke, donald, taffe, ballarat, pokerwork, craft

Belonged to Mary Gilbert who was a passionate local historian. She was awarded a British Empire medal in recognition of her work for education and the community. . Mary Isabelle Gilbert was born in 1905 in Orbost, Australia. She was born to John Gilbert and Annie Cameron Gilbert, and had seven sisters and one brother. Four siblings died at a young age. .She was a teacher historian loved and respected by her family and the wider community.This item has aesthetic significance. It was owned by Mary Gilbert, a prominent Orbost personality, the first curator of the Orbost Museum. Handmade, tall carved wooden vase painted red. Bush scene painted black with pokerwork.vase ornament-wood gilbert-mary

A wooden carving of a lizard carved in one piece of wood with its tail and body in a straight line. It has pokerwork of bands with dots inside.sculpture carving aboriginal goanna

Beige silk parasol printed with bold zig-zag design in brown, orange, yellow and turquoise. Metal spokes tipped with white bakelite. Wooden handle decorated with pokerwork design painted red. Wooden ball covered in silk thread and twisted cotton cord hanging from handle.Cast in metal spokes: THE ARMSTRONG REGD BRITISH MAKE Woven label, blue on white cotton attached to spoken: Perfectionparasol, the armstrong, 1920s

irish, celtic, pokerwork, picture frame, arts and crafts,

Timber note pad holder with a pictorial representation of the Ballarat Avenue of Honor burnt into the timber (poker work). ballarat avenue of honor, ballarat avenue of honour, ballarat arch of victory, arch of victory, world war 1, world war one, world war i, pokerwork

In May 1931 the Australian government announced a 20% reduction in expenditure, cuts to wages and pensions, and increased taxation. Despite workers striking, wages were reduced and working hours increased. The economy plunged into depression. Workers blamed the hardships on greedy bankers and the rich elite. The unemployed’ home-made, designed, knitted, painted and created things like pegs, pincushions, soaps, kitchen utensils and Pokerwork art, to sell door-to-door or in the streets. ‘Make Do and Mend’ was the mantra of the time. Making and mending clothing at home became a means to save money and an income offering services mending, altering or making clothes for the working people. Making over garments had been a time-honoured tradition since pioneer days. During the Depression clothes were a luxury and new fashions were created by altering old clothes. A best dress became a housedress, a church suit became a mine suit. Old shirts became new aprons, old trousers became new hats. Magazines and newspapers published Instructions on making and mending clothing and these became curriculums for sewing classes. Darning, mending, patching, saving fabric for rags, patches or upcycling became a necessity. Having a Sewing machine like this 1927 Singer housed in Oliver Gilpin’s store at Coal Creek Community Park and Museum could be the difference between survival and starvation The popularity of publications such as ‘Make do and mend’ lasted through the Second World War and into the 20th Century. Hand operated Singer sewing machine with wooden cover, circa 1927Y4476618