The Australian Lace Guild

Editorial Assistant, Katrina Wang, examines lace-making’s unknown origins, pulling loose the myths to reveal the women who wove history in thread.

Lace making has an incredibly rich history and is more than just a simple, decorative hobby. When making lace by hand, it quickly becomes evident the unparalleled skill required; endless patience, great skill and attention to detail, the intricacies of the art making is one of the hardest needle arts there is. Like a spider spinning and weaving its silk, lace results in a web-like pattern, a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread and with various sub-categories. The two main are needle lace and bobbin lace, with other types falling under other handcrafts like knitted lace categorised as knitting and crocheted lace, well, under crocheting. Now, what makes lace, lace? As defined by the Powerhouse Museum, it is a "decorative openwork fabric in which the pattern of spaces is as important as the solid areas.” This is necessary to distinguish itself from other types of thread-work like embroidery and weaving which don't result in that openwork fabric [1].

Its origins are hotly debated but like many other crafts around the world, it has been developed and discovered across various cultures. Unfortunately, due to the delicate nature of lace, most of the historical evidence is scarce. Nowadays, where you might imagine lace as bright white thread in pretty patterns, either for long veils or draped across wedding gowns, it once could be found as accessories on caps, ruffs, headdresses and handkerchiefs. Formerly made from gold, silver and silk, until sumptuary laws deterred such luxury, its popularity was seen in fashion and home decor–and later, oil paintings from the 17th century as realistic portraits became the trend. Indeed at one point in time it was for men and women (as evidenced by its once-popularity in the Catholic Church), by the 19th century men stopped wearing lace due to its perception of feminine seductiveness [2].

Bookmarks from NSW Lace Guild on Instagram, @nsw_lace_guild

As many crafts of such nature evolve, it became a status symbol for the wealthy such as in the Catholic Church in Italy and like many textiles arts, it was primarily a female-dominated craft. However, during the turn of the century where machines became more readily available, where once ladies could have a secure economic income from their lace-work, it was replaced by machines spitting out pre-made designs based on their work. As expected, the lace industry declined from there as machines mass-produced beautiful delicate patterns. The history of places across many countries—such as England and Belgium— [3]. Now, why should we care about this gentle, dying craft? After all, what history does Australia have in lace making—or better questions yet, what benefit, what value does it have? For those who call Australia home, the harm British colonisation committed against the original custodians of this land—the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples—is unforgettable. Through colonisation and its immigrant settlers, British crafts came to Australia, and with it various crafts that are now all but invisible. From Britain to France, from Spanish to Maltese, the heritage of lace in Australia came from this melting-pot of cultures and people [3]. Heritage skills from learning to live off this land sustainably to lace making, they're survival depends on visibility.

The Rare Trades Centre in Australia promotes these declining crafts and in it is a course for beginners in bobbin lace making, hosted by members form the Australian Lace Guild. Founded in 1979 and continuing to host events promoting the continuation of this craft, the existence of this organisation promotes and preserves this craft for personal enjoyment. Inspiring and connecting lace makers from all over Australia and teaching the slow, delicate but soothing process of lace making, its presence is one that I recently discovered [4].

Lace history, types of lace, patterns, quarterly magazines and grants and scholarships for this craft, the Australia Lace Guild hosts workshops and monthly meetings in both rural and regional areas across all the states of Australia. As all art does, it tells a story. History woven into interlocked lace, an example of the many intersections of history is Tasmania and the small number of women determined to preserve Indigenous Australia motifs in lace. Local fauna and flora were painstakingly woven, the crafts briefly reviving during the 1880's before war and its horrors stripped interest away in favour of survival. Ada Wilson is one such lacemaker and designer, with her works and designs donated and still preserved in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Unfortunately due to the war, her and her committee's dream of a local school of lace were short-lived [5].

Example of Ada Grey Wilson’s work. Needlerun lace fan leaf: kangaroo apple and kangaroo.

I write this article now to shine a spotlight on this overlooked history, to encourage all you dear readers to consider what you might have missed- what other crafts do you not know? History cradles us and in the works left behind we see the intersection of ourselves and the world.

by Katrina Wang

References:

[1] All about Lace | Australian Lace Guild. (2020, February 10). Australian Lace Guild | to Promote Lacemaking in Australia; https://australianlaceguild.com.au/about-lace/all-about-lace/ 

[2] Frost, P. (2000) Miller’s collecting textiles. London: Miller’s.

[3] Studio, A. Q. (2021). Historical Australian Lace[1]Art EssayMarie-Therese Wisniowski. Blogspot.com. https://artquill.blogspot.com/2014/01/historical-australian-lace-1-art-essay.html

[4] About the Australian Lace Guild | Australian Lace Guild. (2025, May 16). Australian Lace Guild | to Promote Lacemaking in Australia; https://australianlaceguild.com.au/welcome-to-the-australian-lace-guild/about-the-australian-lace-guild/

[5] 110 Years of Tasmanian Decorative Arts 1803–1930. (2026). Tas.gov.au. http://static.tmag.tas.gov.au/decorativeart/objects/textiles/P1938.49/index.html