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Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
From the collection of Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
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Textile - Tapestry, 1988

  • The coloured tapestry section shows river's mouth, hills, lighthouse, vessels in the sea

    The far left panel of upright tapestry

  • Vessels on the sea, whaling in action, seals on rocks

    The centre panel of the upright tapestry

  • A sextant is shown n front of a vessel in the bay, cliffs on the right with indigenous symbols

    The upright right panel of the tapestry

  • The whole of the the coloured tapestry depicting Warrnambool's history

    Panorama of the complete tapestry

  • The engraved plaque recognises the crafts people who created the work.

    Untitled image

  • The label tells the story of a thousand years of Warrnambool's history

    Untitled image

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    Video- "The Tapestry"

  • The coloured tapestry section shows river's mouth, hills, lighthouse, vessels in the sea
  • Vessels on the sea, whaling in action, seals on rocks
  • A sextant is shown n front of a vessel in the bay, cliffs on the right with indigenous symbols
  • The whole of the the coloured tapestry depicting Warrnambool's history
  • The engraved plaque recognises the crafts people who created the work.
  • The label tells the story of a thousand years of Warrnambool's history

Historical information

A thousand years of Warrnambool history has been documented in this creative tapestry, woven in 1988. The Tapestry 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 10 meters long and 70 cm deep and took 7 months to create.

The tapestry introduces the seafaring theme of the Center 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 of 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 prior to 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, includinghand-dyed dyed wool, were prepared for a cost of $33,000.

(This information is from Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village's Exhibit fact sheet)

Physical description

Tapestry of the early history of Warrnambool area, rectangular in shape. Materials include cotton and wool, some of the wool being hand dyed. Made 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"

Subjects

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