Summary

Quilt block created for the 1998 Ouyen Women on Farms Gathering. This quilt block was handmade by a local Gathering participant and signed by each member of the 1998 Ouyen organising committee. The central image of a harvester pays homage to the local wheat and grains industry in the Mallee region within which the Gathering was held.

Part of Museums Victoria's Invisible Farmer Project Collection. The Invisible Farmer Project was the largest ever study of Australian women on the land, uncovering the histories and stories of Australian women in agriculture. It began as a pilot project (2015-2016) and evolved into a three year (2017-2020) nation-wide partnership between rural communities, academic, government and cultural organisations, funded by the Australian Research Council.the absence of rural women in mainstream histories and museums.

Physical Description

Square cotton patch with yellow and green flowering gum pattern overlaid with twenty white calico segments machine sewn in a circular pattern, each with the signature of committee members. The central six-sided piece is a photographic image featuring a harvester. Names included are: Colleen M Morrish (Ouyen), Lois O'Callaghan (Ouyen), Gaye Lamb (Palinyewah), Carolyn Balint (Ouyen), Betty Thomas (Ouyen), Deidre Hall (Mittack via Ouyen), Jennifer Edelsten (Hopetoun), Shirley McIIvena (Ouyen), Merril Boland (Wagant via Ouyen), Kathryn Coleman (Ouyen), Marion Morrish (Tiega via Ouyen), Karen Crook (via Ouyen Kulwin).

Significance

This object was collected by a member of the organising committee for the 1998 Ouyen Gathering. It represents and celebrates the voluntary work of those women who worked on the committee to bring about the Gathering. A key feature that unites all Victorian Women on Farms Gatherings is the voluntary nature of these events. A committee of women from the local region usually come together approximately one to two years prior to the Gathering to begin planning and organising, which includes securing a venue, sponsorship, accommodation, catering, publicity, tours, workshops and speakers. This quilt block represents the voluntary contribution that these women have made not only to the 1998 Ouyen Gathering itself, but also to their local communities and more generally to the wider rural women's movement in Australia.

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