ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection
HMSS 0238 Wrap Up Canberra Records
Call Number | HMSS 0238 |
|---|---|
Collection | Wrap Up Canberra Records |
Date Range | 2003-2011 |
Quantity | 0.45m (3 manuscript boxes) |
Access Conditions | open |
| Copying Conditions | with attribution |
Related Collections | HMSS 0291 Our Community Remembers Saturday January 18 2003 HMSS 0314 Mt Stromlo Observatory, the Aftermath HMSS 0332 Keira Bulbs 2003 Bushfire Photographs HMSS 0343 ACT Bushfire Support Unit Photographs and electronic documentation HMSS 0358 Sarah Sowry 2003 Bushfires Diary HMSS 0462 Bibaringa Homestead Photographs - Before and After the 2003 Bushfire |
Wrap Up Canberra was a response by a group of Canberra women to the devastation of the 2003 Bushfires.
A group of friends, who 15 years earlier had created patchwork quilts and organised an exhibition and sale of quilts to fundraise for an ill friend, formed to co-ordinate the knitting of woollen patchwork rugs to support Canberrans who lost their homes in the January 18 fire.
The women recognised that many people in Canberra, other parts of Australia and even overseas were keen to do something practical to help those who lost everything. The intention was to create 530 woollen patchwork as a tangible keepsake representing the support of the Canberra and wider community.
A set of simple instructions for the knitting and crocheting of woollen squares to be patched together to make the rugs was developed and distributed.
18cm squares were knitted or crocheted in woollen 8ply yarn. Approximately 63 were sewn, knitted or crocheted together to create rugs approximately 160 cm x 125cm in size.
The committee of Dianna Budd, Rosemary Cutter, Chris Faulks, Dianne Firth, Rosanna Hindmarsh, Diana Lampe, Sally Milner, Patti Mulcare and Jane Smyth received more than 45,000 squares to create over 800 rugs.
More than 2,200 individual knitters and crocheters contributed to the project from all over Australia as well as from Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The rugs were exhibited at Parliament House, Canberra between 6 and 8 September 2003. Bushfire affected families were invited to the exhibition and to express interest in individual rugs. The exhibition was opened on Friday 5 September by Marlene Jeffrey, wife of the Governor General. It was her first official function and fulfilled while she was recovering from surgery.
The rugs were distributed through the ACT Bushfire Recovery Centre in late 2003.
Box Number | Description | Number of Files | Date Range |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Correspondence - mostly printed emails | 1 file | 2003 |
1 | Follow-up and Delivery - documenting transfer of responsibilities to the ACT Bushfire Recovery Centre and other agencies | 1 file | 2003-2011 |
1 | Exhibition - arrangements for exhibition held Parliament House Canberra September 2003 | 1 file | 2003 |
1 | List of Contributors | 1 file | 2003 |
1 | Correspondence - mostly with contributors to and recipients of rugs | 1 file | 2003 |
1 | General Housekeeping - may include financial records | 1 file | 2003 |
2 | Publicity and Stationery - examples of promotional materials and stationery | 1 file | 2003 |
| 2 | Photographs - 909 photographs: the rugs, colour prints of the exhibition and of members of the group. | 1 cd 14 prints | 2003 2003 |
3 | Rug - Wool and acrylic rug comprised of hand-knitted squares crocheted together. | 1 file | 2003 |