The Parliament House Embroidery - WA's stories

The WA view of the Making of the Parliament House Embroidery 1984-1988 - a talk by Gaynor Ashford

When the new Parliament house in Canberra opened in 1988, one of the major artworks on display was a gift from the Embroiderers’ Guilds of Australia. The proposal to make a commemorative embroidery acknowledging the Bi-centenary was made in 1980. By 1984 a designer was chosen and the States’ Guilds set to work. Kay Lawrence’s design emphasised the common elements of experience rather than the differences. The 16metre long banner began with the Aboriginal people’s harmonious relationship with the land through to changes brought by European settlement. Each state’s section was 2 metres long.

One of Gaynor Ashford's first projects for the EGWA was to Archive the paper records of this huge project. More than 1000 letters, notes and progress reports were organised. There were no fax machines or emails, all documents were handwritten, typed or copied on a Gestetner machine. It was fascinating, with formal salutations becoming informal over the years and titbits of gossip added. Then towards the end of the Covid years another box came to be added to the Archive and this box contained some new information as shared between the EGWA members. She would like to share these stories with everyone.

Date: 2 May

Time: 10am - 12pm

Venue: Guild House, 565 Canning Hwy, Alfred Cove

Cost: $20.00, includes morning tea

About Gaynor Ashford:

Gaynor Ashford joined the Textile Collection group of the Embroiderers’ Guild of WA in 2006. She completed the Certificate of Museum Studies and studied at the Conservation labs of the WA Museum. She also volunteered at the Anglican Archives and the Sisters of Mercy Archives. She enjoys the work of textile conservation where all manner of textiles are prepared for safe storage, for display and exhibition. The stories these objects tell give depth to the history of life in Western Australia from a piece of lace collar belonging to a fine lady or a tea cloth embroidered in the long hours aboard an emigrant ship to an embroidered laundry apron and the exquisite embroidery challenges made by members who worked for the family by day and stitched as a pleasure for themselves in the evening.

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