Historical information

Mr Perkins joined the police force in his early twenties and apart from an 18-month posting in Melbourne, spent the rest of his career serving communities in country Victoria. He was a keen fisherman and hunter- his first love was sitting on the banks of the Murray River with a fishing rod in his hand. Family camping trips were spent by the river where everyone slept on stretchers with several army blankets underneath and a wheat bag wagga on top. This wagga is made from two standard sized jute wheat bags split and hand bound along the seams. It is typical of a basic wagga made by shearers, farmers and swagmen. The paint stains on this wagga display signs of later use as a painting drop sheet by descendants who inherited the quilt.

Physical description

Quilt made of two standard size jute wheat bags (a bushel = 150lbs) split and hand bound along seams. It is an example of the basic type of wagga made by shearers, farmers or swagmen. Another use for the wagga was as a 'drop sheet' when doing house painting- possibly explaining the paint stains on the wagga.