The Valley Worsted Mills were established in 1924 on Swanston Street in South Geelong and quickly grew to become the largest and most modern textile mill in Australia, employing roughly 500 workers at its peak. Built out of distinctive red Geelong brick with iconic Art Deco white trimmings and a sawtooth roofline, the massive 11-acre complex served as a major manufacturing cornerstone during the height of the region's historic wool boom. The mill operated at high production for nearly 50 years before merging with John Foster & Son in December 1973, subsequently closing down entirely in the mid-1970s. The donor's father Stan Hoyle, and grandfather Cliff Hoyle, both worked there at the time.Black and white panoramic photograph attached to backing board. Photograph shows a group portrait of male factory workers outdoors.back: [handwritten] Valley Worsted Mills / Geelong 35 1936-37valley worsted mills, swanston street geelong, geelong, woollen mills, depression, 1930s, working life, panoramic, employees, staff, portrait, textile industry, great depression, stan hoyle, cliff hoyle

The Valley Worsted Mills were established in 1924 on Swanston Street in South Geelong and quickly grew to become the largest and most modern textile mill in Australia, employing roughly 500 workers at its peak. Built out of distinctive red Geelong brick with iconic Art Deco white trimmings and a sawtooth roofline, the massive 11-acre complex served as a major manufacturing cornerstone during the height of the region's historic wool boom. The mill operated at high production for nearly 50 years before merging with John Foster & Son in December 1973, subsequently closing down entirely in the mid-1970s. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the female workforce at Valley Worsted Mills and other local Geelong textile factories became more vital than ever. Because women were historically paid significantly lower wage rates than men for equivalent labor, local mills increasingly relied on them to keep operating costs low during severe economic strain. These young women, often referred to affectionately as "mill girls," typically started working as young as 14 to 16 years old. They filled specialized, highly skilled roles as menders, warpers, and weavers. For many families in the Geelong region, the steady industrial employment of these women provided a crucial financial lifeline when male breadwinners faced widespread unemployment. Beyond their grueling factory shifts, the mill women maintained a vibrant social culture, even forming organized recreation groups like the Valley Worsted Mills Women’s Basketball team during this era. The donor's father Stan Hoyle, and grandfather Cliff Hoyle, both worked there at the time.Black and white panoramic photograph attached to backing board. Photograph shows a group portrait of female factory workers outdoors.back: [handwritten] Valley / Worsted Mills Geelong / 34 - 40 / Ada? Stan?valley worsted mills, swanston street geelong, geelong, woollen mills, depression, 1930s, working life, panoramic, employees, staff, portrait, textile industry, great depression, female workers, mill girls, social culture, stan hoyle, cliff hoyle

Group photograph showing Valley Worsted Mill staff at the Swanston Street complex in Geelong. The mill complex was built in 1924 and was considered to be the largest and most modern textile mill in Australia at the time. The mill operated for about 50 years and at its peak employed around 500 people.Black and white panoramic photograph mounted on boardvalley worsted mill, geelong, industrial history, wool industry, textile industry, workers, staff photo, textile mill, employee

Group photograph showing Valley Worsted Mill staff at the Swanston Street complex in Geelong. The mill complex was built in 1924 and was considered to be the largest and most modern textile mill in Australia at the time. The mill operated for about 50 years and at its peak employed around 500 people. Black and white panoramic photograph mounted on boardvalley worsted mill, geelong, wool industry, textile industry, industrial history, wool, employers, photograph, staff photo

Copy of Godfrey Hirst family videos/photograph on CD. Including 1951 floods at Mill. All video content filmed at Godfrey Hirst Woollen Mill, Swanston Street, South Geelong. Godfrey Hirst's children. Family home in Newtown and holiday home in Eastern View.Compact disc (CD) containing colour video footage. Film has no audio content. Visual content outlined below: 00:00 – 00:05 – External view of brick building – Godfrey Hirst & Co. Pty. Ltd. 00:05 – 00:10 – Exterior garden setting, three men in suits with fabrics and object 00:10 – 00:28 – Exterior garden setting showing eight women, most likely on a break from working at the Godfrey Hirst factory. The footage shows them all getting up and walking back towards the building at the end. 00:28 – 00:38 – Exterior garden setting, showing seven men in white shirts and ties seated and standing around a table, turning pages on a folder on the table. 00:38 – 00:52 – Interior factory setting, showing four men in coats handling green and red wool. 00:52 – 1:08 – Three men in suits in an exterior garden setting looking at paperwork. 1:08 – 1:23 – Four men in coats in a garden handling coloured wool samples. 1:23 – 1:42 – Four men in suits in a garden setting handling woven fabric. Two of the men are holding pipes. 1:42 – 1:57 – Interior factory setting showing men operating machinery. 1:57 – 2:05 – Exterior factory setting showing a man driving machinery carting wool bales. 2:05 – 3:14 - Flood scenes, showing the exterior of the Godfrey Hirst building with a man rowing a boat down the street, and a horse and cart in flood waters. There are scenes of flooded streets, exterior of flooded buildings and people standing in flood waters. 3:14 – 3:40 - Interior building views of flood waters in factory with people, machinery, equipment and textiles in flood waters. 3:40 – 4:03 - Exterior views showing a tractor, boat, horse and people in flood waters. 4:03 – 7:02 Exterior setting showing crowds of people watching a fashion parade. The fashion parade is of women in various clothing, including suits jackets, skirts, coats and hats. 7.02 - END"Hirst family films 1936-1964 Incl. Godfrey Hirst and co P/L Woollen mills"geelong, godfrey hirst & co. pty. ltd., family films, factory, flooding, 1950s, wool processing, fashion, textiles, horse and cart, wool bales, transport, machinery, fashion parade, working life

These metal time card racks were used at Foster Valley Mill, Geelong. Three metal racks with numbered cream cards and slots. Front: [embossed] IBMvalley worsted mill, foster valley mills, geelong, working life, time card racks, international business machines corporation, ibm, textile industry

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows warping. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, warping, warping machinery

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows warping. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, warping, warping machinery

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the carding machine. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, carding

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows several Noble combs. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.textile mills, valley worsted mill foster valley mill pty ltd, combing, noble comb

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows several Noble combs. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, combing, noble comb

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows twisting and twisting machinery. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, twisting

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows twisting and twisting machinery. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, twisting

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the winding of the warp. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, winding, winding machinery

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows rows of weaving looms. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, weaving looms, weaving machinery

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning mule for woollen threads. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - woollen

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the spinning machinery for producing worsted thread. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, spinning machinery, yarn - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the dyeing room with the dyeing vats. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, dyeing

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and shows the dyeing room with the dyeing vats. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.valley worsted mill, dyeing

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and probably shows the finishing area for worsted cloths. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.textile finishing, valley worsted mill, cloth - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and probably shows the finishing area for worsted cloths. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.textile finishing, valley worsted mill, cloth - worsted

This photograph shows the interior of the Valley Worsted Mill in 1923. The mill was first established at this time, and the photo shows the interior after tooling up but prior to the mill actually commencing operation. This photo is one of 31 in total and probably shows the finishing area for worsted cloths. The donor worked at the Valley Mill for many years. This mill still exists in Swanston Street, Geelong and is now being used by Melba Industries (an Austrim-Nylex company) to produce Jumbuck Nylon wool packs.Interior of Valley Worsted Mill, c.1923.textile finishing, valley worsted mill, cloth - worsted