Guide to the Records of the Parliament House Embroidery Committee

Series 1. State Guilds - Box 1-3 and Folio-Box 1

Although this was a national project, each State was responsible for embroidering a part of the tapestry, following Kay Lawrence's design.

This series includes correspondence between the committee and each State guild, as well as internal files within the guilds, such as a workshop roster, fabric samplers and members' lists and fees.

The series is split into three sub-series: A.C.T., N.S.W. and Other States.

See the folio run for a "Plaque from the South Australian Guild".

Series 2. Guild Supervisors - Box 4-6

Each of the State guilds has a supervisor who oversaw the guild's participation in the Parliament House Embroidery project.

Sub-series 1 includes correspondence between the committee members and the guild supervisors, as well as the supervisors' own files and notes.

The National Co-ordinator, Anne Richards, corresponded with the State supervisors and sub-series 2 contains her files and notebook.

Series 3. Minutes - Box 6

This series contains the minutes from the Parliament House Embroidery Committee (sub-series 1) and from the Archives Sub-committee (sub-series 2).

Both of these sets of minutes are arranged in chronological order.

Series 4. Diaries and Notebooks - Box 7

This series contains a number of working diaries and notebooks pertaining to the Parliament House Embroidery Committee as well as notebooks on the progress of the embroidery.

Series 5. Financial Records and Grant Applications - Box 7-8

The financial records, including cash receipt and docket books, cheque stubs, bank statements and paid accounts of the Parliament House Embroidery Committee, are in this series.

This series also contains files on fundraising projects and grant applications. This material is arranged in chronological order.

Series 6. Public relations - Box 8-9

This series includes master copies of pamphlets, finished pamphlets and background material as well as drafts of the public relations material.

This series also incorporates press cuttings from 1984-87, arranged in chronological order.

Series 7. Design - Box 9-10

The Parliament House Embroidery Committee set up a Design sub-committee to determine which design was to be embroidered and then hung in the New Parliament House. Once the designer was chosen, there were many notes made and correspondences about the design and the fabric and threads that were to be used to create the design. This series also contains some colour mixes as well as advice on which colours were to be used.

This series also contains correspondence, design notes and biographical details of Kay Lawrence, the designer.

Series 8. Conservation - Box 10

This series contains notes about the conservation of the embroidery, such as washing instructions. Samples were also sent to the Australian Archives for its advice, and the correspondence between the Australian Archives and the Parliament House Embroidery Committee are in this series, in chronological order.

Series 9. Mounting - Box 11

This series includes notes on the framing of the tapestry. There are also notes concerning the written plaques placed either side of the embroidery. The plaques explain what the embroidery is and who created it.

Series 10. Samplers - Folio-Box 2

This series contains thirteen fabric samples of parts of the embroidery, complete with notes on thread and colour selection and the styles of embroidery each of the individual sections are stitched in.

This series is contained within the Folio Run.

Series 11. The Parliament House embroidery : a work of many hands - Box 11-12

At the completion of this project the Parliament House Embroidery Committee published a history entitled The Parliament House Embroidery : a work of many hands (Canberra : AGPS Press, 1988).

This series contains manuscripts and computer disks of the work as well as correspondence about the contents of the publication.

Series 12. Subject files - Box 12-13

This series contains correspondence between the Parliament House Embroidery Committee and other organisations and individuals, such as the architects of the New Parliament House, the Patron (Lady Stephen), the Australian Bicentennial Authority and the Parliament House Construction Authority.

The files have been arranged in alphabetical order by name.

Series 13. Photographs and slides - Box 13

This series contains photographs, slides and negatives from the South Australian and A.C.T. guilds, mainly about the work in progress.

Series 14. Index Cards to Collection - Box 14

The Parliament House Embroidery Committee created their own index cards to the collection. This series has been kept in original order.

Series 15. Miscellaneous - Box 15

This series contains letters to the Parliament House Embroidery Committee, a record of attendance and the names of all those who worked on the Embroidery as well as other miscellaneous information.

Series 16. Printed Material - Box 15

Printed material on the subject of tapestries and annual reports from the Parliament House Construction Authority.

Series 17. Audio Tapes - Box 16

This series includes interviews with Kay Lawrence and members of the Parliament House Embroidery Committee. There are also taped discussions on washing and dyeing the linen, the official opening and the 1985 Supervisors Conference.

Series 18. Video Tapes - Box 17-19

These videos were compiled during the creation of the Parliament House Embroidery. There are a wide range of subjects on these videos.