Summary

Patch presented in 2009 by the Warragul Women on Farms Gathering committee for the Women on Farms Gathering perpetual banner. This is the patch used to represent the 20th anniversary of the Women on Farms Gathering, which was held for a third time in Warragul in 2009. It is sewn onto the extension for the perpetual banner along with patches from other Gatherings. The theme for the Warragul Gathering was 'Celebrate Farming Women - Water Our Future'. The patch is now attached to the banner extension which is used at the Gathering each year.

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 and addressing the absence of rural women in mainstream histories and museums. 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.

Physical Description

Square with appliqued sections depicting landscape with printed green and brown fabric hills, the green hill for the hills of Gippsland and the brown hill for the hills burnt in the tragic fires of February, 2009, blue cloudy sky and printed fabric water in foreground, for the rivers and dams of Gippsland. A windmill, incorporating the number 20, is couched in metallic blue thread (this patch represents the 20th Gathering) and text is embroidered with couched silver, blue and gold metallic thread. It reads, 'WARRAGUL/2009/CELEBRATE FARMING WOMEN/ WATER OUR FUTURE.'

Significance

The Warragul Patch symbolises West Gippsland - The hill of green grass, for the green hills of Gippsland and the burnt hill, so that we will never forget the tragic fires of February, 2009; The Windmill for the water, a precious resource, in rivers, dams and resevoirs.
Designed and made by Megan Jenkinson.

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