Now is the perfect time to be a tourist in your own backyard, with no better place to start than at your very own museum, Geelong’s iconic National Wool Museum.
While we wait for Victoria’s restrictions to lift and for the museum to re-open you can visit the online exhibitions Geelong Heritage Collections, We The Makers and We The Makers Create – you can even join in and participate in one of the online workshops.
Geelong Heritage Collections is the digital gateway to the City of Greater Geelong’s extraordinary heritage collection.
There are 50 handpicked treasures from the collection curated by the themes: War, Wool and Work.
The oldest artefacts in the collection date to the 1790s. There are mayoral chains, industrial machines and extensive maritime and wool collections.
This exhibition is ideal for history buffs and lovers of Geelong. In time, more Geelong regional treasures will be added.
Digital exhibition We The Makers is a designer showcase of sustainable fashion.
The 21 makers respond to the challenges we face as a global community of consumers and produce solutions in the fashion industry.
You can view their impressive works online, find out how they combat fast fashion and ‘meet the makers.’
We The Makers Create builds on the designer showcase. It’s a chance for you to be inspired, learn new skills and start to help reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
Learn skills such as mask making, mending, natural dyeing and more.
Whether you’re a beginner or professional, learn at your own pace to create something wonderful to show off to your friends and family.
The National Wool Museum is also hosting a series of live online events in November. Watch the pre-recorded courses on the We The Makers Create website at your own pace, then take the opportunity to meet the artists behind the event in small group sessions to ask your burning questions.
These events will be run on Zoom in a meeting-style format where all attendees can use their cameras and will be given the opportunity to speak directly with the artist.
Courses include ‘How To Build a Sustainable Wardrobe with Courtney Holm’, ‘Creative Mending with Ruth Woods’, ‘Refashioning with Ana Fernanda Covarrubias’, ‘Electrical Jewellery with Vivian Qui’, and ‘Natural Dyeing with Tamara Leakcock.’
National Wool Museum director Padraic Fisher said people should visit the website to find out more details and plan their virtual and future visits.
“The National Wool Museum is your museum, we thank the entire Geelong community for over 30 years of enduring support, your patience and spirit of togetherness during these hard COVID times,” he said.
“We have been hard at work giving the place a spruce-up and updating our wool, fibre and textile galleries in preparation of re-opening, please keep a lookout for re-opening announcements. We look forward to welcoming you back.”
Mr Fisher said the National Wool Museum is busy planning for its reopening and has two remarkable exhibitions lined-up.
The first is How Cities Work from Sydney Living Museums, adapted from Lonely Planet Kids’ bestselling book by illustrator James Gulliver Hancock.
The other is Wildlife Photographer of the Year, which returns to the National Wool Museum as its exclusive Victorian venue.
The museum shop is already open and a must-visit for locals and those passing through, featuring quality and local products including Emu Ugg boots, beautiful merino and possum clothing, wool socks, hats and gloves, souvenirs and much more – just in-time for your Christmas shopping bargains.
