Geelong was once the ‘Wool Capital of the World’, an industry centred on colonialism and, with its decline, an assumption that the region had lost an essential part of its role in textiles. However, wool is only one facet of Geelong’s long history and exciting future in fibre and fabric. This talk will look at the rich heritage and innovation of textiles in the Geelong Region, from the continuous evolution of possum fur cloaks to the research and development of frontier textiles.
Josephine Rout recently joined the National Wool Museum as Senior Curator. Previously, she was a Curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum in the Asian Department specialising in Japanese Fashion and Design. She holds an MA in History of Design from the Royal College of Art, UK, and is author of Japanese Dress in Detail (Thames & Hudson, 2020).
Image: Image of The Federal Woollen Mills display from the 'Made in Australia' Exhibition held at Geelong, July 1928. National Wool Museum Collection.
