Made Local: Carding & Teasing at Australia's Oldest Woollen Mill
For National Recycling Week, we weave our way into the making of recycled blankets at the country's oldest woollen mills
Australian-owned and run Waverley Mills is our vast country’s oldest continuously operating woollen mill. Established in Tasmania in 1874, it has trail-blazed its entire existence, with the latest recycling innovation saving more than 60 tonnes of mixed yarn that would have otherwise gone to landfill. Here, we look at the manufacturing cycle to understand the provenance of the beautiful blankets and throws that are found in many Australian homes and linen cupboards.
At the time, building a woollen mill was a leap of faith – Bulman was chasing the lucrative £1,000 bonus being offered by the Tasmanian government for the first person or company to produce goods worth £1,000 made from Tasmanian wool.
In 1872, that ambition led him to England, Scotland and Ireland where, not without drama, he recruited master weavers and ordered the machinery be delivered to the colony more than 10,000 miles away.
For 146 years the mills, housed in the main in two historical red-brick buildings (a third was added in the 1920s), have been producing wool textiles; made from merino that’s so robust, and woven so tightly (at least 465 grams per square metre), the blankets they are fashioned into have been routinely handed down from generation to generation.
In 1872, that ambition led him to England, Scotland and Ireland where, not without drama, he recruited master weavers and ordered the machinery be delivered to the colony more than 10,000 miles away.
For 146 years the mills, housed in the main in two historical red-brick buildings (a third was added in the 1920s), have been producing wool textiles; made from merino that’s so robust, and woven so tightly (at least 465 grams per square metre), the blankets they are fashioned into have been routinely handed down from generation to generation.
The blankets, throws and scarves (in multiple colour ways and designs) begin in the paddock, with farmers like Roger Bignell (pictured). Bignell runs Kananga Grazing, a 2,900-hectare farm in north-east Tasmania that is home to a merino flock of 8,000, with 4,000 bred for wool. Here, merino ewes are mated to rams to produce wool averaging 18 micron. This means their wool is so soft and fine it feels silky smooth against the skin.
Find interior decorators near you on Houzz for advice on how to weave sustainable natural fibres into your home decor
Find interior decorators near you on Houzz for advice on how to weave sustainable natural fibres into your home decor
The wool, often sourced from a broker, sometimes direct from farmers – and always Australian – arrives at the mills in bales.
Alpaca spinning frame
Next, the wool is put on the carding machine, which disentangles, cleans and blends fibres to produce a continuous strand.
The strands are split into thick cones of wool called doffs. From here, they go onto a spinning frame, which has the capacity to make wool into yarn of different weights.
Next, the wool is put on the carding machine, which disentangles, cleans and blends fibres to produce a continuous strand.
The strands are split into thick cones of wool called doffs. From here, they go onto a spinning frame, which has the capacity to make wool into yarn of different weights.
Recycled blankets by Nina Hamilton
Since the 1960s the mill has also been recycling its own waste, but more recently it has developed processes that allow it to recycle cast-offs, such as denim offcuts from cult jeans company Nudie, and cotton towel remnants from Sheridan, into beautifully soft recycled blankets and throws.
Browse beautiful country-style Australian homes
Since the 1960s the mill has also been recycling its own waste, but more recently it has developed processes that allow it to recycle cast-offs, such as denim offcuts from cult jeans company Nudie, and cotton towel remnants from Sheridan, into beautifully soft recycled blankets and throws.
Browse beautiful country-style Australian homes
To accommodate recycled fabrics, the carding team mixes recycled material with virgin strands into fibre at the beginning of the manufacturing process.
These collaborations, and the re-carding of countless pairs of jeans and towels, plus their upcycling program have closed the manufacturing loop on industry waste streams and saved more than 60 tonnes of mixed yarn that would have otherwise gone to landfill.
These collaborations, and the re-carding of countless pairs of jeans and towels, plus their upcycling program have closed the manufacturing loop on industry waste streams and saved more than 60 tonnes of mixed yarn that would have otherwise gone to landfill.
Recycled throw by Nina Hamilton
The company’s master weavers, carders, spinners and dyers swap jobs regularly and the company recruits and trains people into these specialised skills, just as it has always done.
“It is a great responsibility and a great pleasure to be producing sustainable textiles,” says Cuccurullo. “It’s a big thrill to produce what is essentially Australian-made slow fashion.”
Your turn
To mark National Recycling Week, tell us in the Comments below what changes you have made at home to benefit the environment. And remember to like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Curious what innovations the design industry is involved with in terms of recycling and sustainability? Find out here In Conversation With Cradle to Cradle Founder Michael Braungart
The company’s master weavers, carders, spinners and dyers swap jobs regularly and the company recruits and trains people into these specialised skills, just as it has always done.
“It is a great responsibility and a great pleasure to be producing sustainable textiles,” says Cuccurullo. “It’s a big thrill to produce what is essentially Australian-made slow fashion.”
Your turn
To mark National Recycling Week, tell us in the Comments below what changes you have made at home to benefit the environment. And remember to like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Curious what innovations the design industry is involved with in terms of recycling and sustainability? Find out here In Conversation With Cradle to Cradle Founder Michael Braungart
Down by the banks of Distillery Creek in north Tasmania, on eight hectares, sits Australia’s oldest continuously operating woollen mills.
The whirr of the carding machine and the clank of the dobby looms have been heard in this valley since 1874, when Scotsman Peter Bulman began producing tweed, blankets, felted cloth, shirting, and flannel on the banks of the creek.