Australia

Wood

Wood crafts are very strong in many traditional Aboriginal communities. Products have a range of uses. The boomerang, shield, club, spear and spear-thrower are...

Whipmaking and leather plaiting

Until a century ago, many Australians worked on horseback, often in the cattle and horse-drawn transport industries. Those activities generated their own specialised leather...

Textiles

As a British colony, most of the textiles in Australia were imported. However, during times of shortage, such as the Great Depression in the...

Surfboard-making

Crafting specialised surfboards for wave-riding is a Hawaiian practice dating to around 800AD. In Australia, recreational surfing began in the early twentieth-century, initially focused...

Possum Skin Cloaks

Possum skin cloak tradition belongs to Aboriginal cultural groups across south eastern Australia. Through government policy and practice since colonisation, Aboriginal cultural practices have...

Jewellery

Australia contains abundant supplies of precious stones and metals for jewellery-making. It has some of the largest deposits of diamonds and pearls in the...

Guitar making

Guitar making is a form of lutherie (from the French luth, or lute) – the craft of building stringed musical instruments that also encompasses...

Glass

The medium of glass in Australia is one of the most vibrant in the Asia Pacific region. Specialisations can be found in all techniques...

Fibre

Fibre crafts are active throughout Australia. The techniques include coiling, plaiting and twining. Materials are drawn from the diverse flora of the continent, including...

Ceramics

Ceramics is one of Australia’s major craft forms and can be found throughout the country. As a continent, Australia has a wide variety of...

Bush jewellery

In Australia there are Aboriginal individuals who use techniques new and old to produce items that are worn on the body. Many of these...

Bounty Hat

The Bounty hat is from Norfolk Island. The method for making the hat has been handed down through the generations on Norfolk Island since...