March 6, 2014
A group of Cherbourg women has been working hard to pull apart the threads that make up their lives, and then put them back together … all sewn neatly on to two dozen tea towels.
The results of their efforts were officially unveiled on Wednesday morning as part of Cherbourg’s International Women’s Day celebrations.
The “Many Threads” sewing group began meeting at The Ration Shed at Cherbourg last year just to share and learn sewing skills.
However after attending a three-day workshop, they started work on a history project to depict the experiences of their mothers and grandmothers on tea towels.
The journey of discovery was led by Kate Raffin and Grace Bond.
The Ration Shed museum co-ordinator Robyn Hofmeyr said there had been “lots of tears and lots of laughter” along the way as the sewing group members talked and sewed and remembered stories.
The result is a collection of framed tea towels which includes photos and letters, found objects and decorations to describe different chapters of their relatives’ lives.
The exhibition of their completed works – officially opened on Wednesday by Cherbourg elder Bessie Bond – is now hanging in its own special room at The Ration Shed.
A short video documentary about the project also made its official debut.
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The International Women’s Day celebration also included entertainment, guest speakers extolling women’s achievements, and a high tea.
A large crowd of visitors crammed into the The Ration Shed’s meeting room and verandah to take part.
School student Taylah Stanley explained the history of International Women’s Day before Shauni Stanley, 18, from Murgon, shared her experiences overseas as a Rotary Exchange student … ice-skating, ice fishing and ski-ing in Canada as well as visits to Arizona, California and the Grand Canyon.
She told the women present that “anything is possible for the women of today” but emphasised that what she had experienced would not have been possible except for the Cherbourg women of the past.
“The strong, proud, hard-working Aboriginal women that struggled, survived and triumphed over the hardships they faced in order for my generation to have the many opportunities and blessings we have today,” she said.
Cherbourg Mayor Ken Bone also praised the women of Cherbourg, especially the women at The Ration Shed, church and hospital.
“These are places that make you proud to be in Cherbourg,” he said.
Mayor Bone suggested a woman should run for mayor: ‘It’s about time I retired and gave it to the ladies of the community, You can make a difference,” he said.
He later confirmed to southburnett.com.au that he did not plan to contest the next mayoral election because of his age (he is currently 70) however he may stand for a councillor’s position.
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