Over the years, Museums Victoria has acquired a range of domestic textiles dating to the 19th and early 20th centuries which have been made by women for use in the home. These include two quilts dating to the 1840s and 1850s, which were brought to Australia by British immigrants, and a range of handicrafts made between the 1930s and 1960s. This lecture will discuss the women who created these items, and the utilitarian and expressive role these objects played within the home environment.

Dr Laura Jocic is a curator and historian with a specialisation in dress and textiles.