Wangaratta Woollen Mills Factory Interior

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These images by various photographers are taken inside the Wangaratta Woollen Mills, sometimes featuring workers. They are from a personal album created by Gordon Williams, a former workers at the mills, and therefore some information, including some of the dates and creators of the photographs, is not known.

Wangaratta Woollen Mills Limited began in 1919 with a share float by local businessmen to create employment and attract workers and their families to the town. One of the men, William Callander, comes up with a bold plan to promote the project. His two daughters Alma and Lena take to the skies in an open biplane, seated on kerosene tins, to scatter leaflets across the region.

By 1922 the Wangaratta Woollen Mills was operational, and its powerhouse supplied all the electricity to the town of Wangaratta.

The Woollen Mills were famous for the quality of their woollen yarns, and in the 1950s became involved with synthetic yarns. Well known as a factory with a family atmosphere, and often employing many members of the same family, the Mill had many sporting and social clubs. The Mills became Australian Country Spinners (ACS) in 1991.

Further Information

This photograph was taken by Cliff Bottomley. Bottomley was an official Department of Information photographer in the Second World War, stationed in New Guinea. He also worked for the National Archives of Australia.

Detail

Wangaratta Woollen Mills Factory Interior

Contributor

Rural City of Wangaratta

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Do not download, copyright restrictions.

Copyright

From the collection of Gordon Williams, courtesy Ian Payne

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