Historical information

This creative tapestry, woven in 1988, documents a thousand years of Warrnambool history. It hangs in the Great Circle Gallery at Flagstaff Hill and complements the theme of the display.

Three local women, with the help of Museum staff, researched and designed the tapestry, which was woven in 1988 from wool and cotton. It is ten meters long and seventy centimetres high. The beautiful creation took seven months to create.

The tapestry introduces the seafaring theme of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village, and illustrates a timeline of events dating back to the arrival of Europeans in the Warrnambool area.

It begins with the settlement of the area by Europeans and travels back in time as you walk further into the gallery, depicting shipwrecks along the coast, whaling in the area, early exploration by Europeans James Grant and Nicholas Baudin, back to the indigenous settlement of the area, represented by middens and indigenous symbols.

Interestingly, before being hung in the gallery, the tapestry was originally hung with the intention of being framed from right to left.

All materials in the cotton and wool tapestry, including dyed wool, were prepared for a cost of $33,000. The project was supported by local philanthropic groups.

Significance

The tapestry is a hand worked creation by local women. It shows a visual display of a thousand years of Warrnambool's history, connecting the land and sea to people and events.

Physical description

Tapestry of the early history of the Warrnambool area, rectangular in shape. Materials include cotton and wool, some of the wool being hand-dyed. Handmade in 1988 by local women.

Inscriptions & markings

A plaque accompanies the Tapestry "Flagstaff Hill Maritime Tapestry / 1989 / Tapestry: Woven Cotton and Wool / Mary O'Brien Gerda Shanley / Judith Stewart Beryl Conlan"