World War I display

We are hard at work putting the finishing touches to our World War I display. It takes up one entire side of the Museum, and has really brought home to us the number of significant items we have in the collection. So we might be posting about them for a while.

We have also been delighted to receive a number of items on loan - the largest being this model of a soldier in Lighthorse uniform. Thank You, to Rick Cove for the Light Horseman.

 


We have also taken the opportunity to re-display Alice Mitchell's sewing machine - this time with a younger photograph of Alice, and those of her three brothers who were killed in action - two in the same battle. As her world crashed around her, Alice just kept sewing for the troops, making a set number of items each week, many on this machine, for the entire war.




One of our other items on display for the first time, is Archie's Quilt. 

Archibald James Bower enlisted in World War I in November 1915, and was killed in action in France in August 1916. 

Before he left Australia, he drew designs on cotton for his mother, Harriet Bower nee Harper, to embroider a quilt - mainly flowers, butterflies and moths. Mrs Bower finished the quilt in white candlewicking. It was then for many years on the bed of her grandson, Archibald William Luxford. He went to sleep every night, knowing the designs were drawn by the uncle he had never known, after whom he had been named.

We look forward to telling you more about items in our exhibition - feel free to drop in 10am to 3pm on Tuesdays.