Crafts Council of Australia

In 1979 five members of the Crafts Council of the ACT, Robert Heacock, Robert Hyslop, Pete LeGrand, Gene Willsford and Derek Wrigley attended the inaugural National Wood Conference in Melbourne. The conference ran from 31 August to 2 September and had been arranged by the Crafts Council of Australia. The following extracts from the Introduction to the Conference Report, written by Jane Burns, Executive Officer of the Crafts Council of Australia, illustrates the enthusiasm and feeling that was engendered at this conference.

For all concerned, and there were 106 participants, this was an exciting three days of face to face contact. It was made more significant by the fact that it was initiated by wood craftsmen who had been encouraged by reaction to visits during 1975-1977 of Stephen Hogbin and Don McKinley to feel that they were not working in isolation, but rather that their individual problems, needs and aspirations could be identified and shared by others.

It was particularly appropriate that the Crafts Council of Australia Fellow, Michael Cooper (U.S.A.), at the conclusion of his eight month residency in Australia, could share his views with the Craftsmen present, and that the visit of John Makepeace (U.K.) coincided. Their considerable contributions to the discussion gave a dimension to the Conference in terms of objective perspective as well as providing immediate focus for participants from all parts of Australia, most of whom had not met before.

At the end of the conference, participants were exhorted to work to establish wood groups in their own states and territories.  Derek Wrigley accepted the responsibility to organise a group in then ACT and surrounding districts. Derek did not waste any time in referring to the membership records of the Crafts Council of the ACT, which listed the interest of all members. On 7 September, he set a letter to all those who has listed an interest in wood, calling a meeting for 20 September 1979.

The Wood Group of the ACT

At the meeting it was decided to form an organisation to be called The Wood Group of the ACT. It was also decided that:

  • The Crafts Council of the ACT be asked to accept the Wood Group as an integral part of the Crafts Council.
  • That the finances of the Wood Group be based on a requirements that each member of the Wood Group be a financial member of the Crafts Council of the ACT, and that the Wood Group itself should not levy a periodical subscription, provided that the immediate expenses of ongoing activities, e.g. rent of premises, be paid for at the time by those participating.
  • That the Wood Group have no office bearers other than two members to be called the Convenors.
  • That the Convenors be elected for a period of 6 months.
  • That the task of the Convenors should be
    1. to plan and organise group activities, preferably by allotting specific tasks to individual members
    2. to liaise with the Crafts Council
    3. to be the Wood Group’s public officer and speak on behalf of the Wood Group
    4. to call meetings of the Group when there is no other way of achieving a desired objective.

Gene Willsford and John Shepherd were elected as Convenors.

The aims and objectives of the Wood Group were established as follows:

  • To raise the standard of wood craftsmanship to levels which give greater satisfaction to craftsmen and their audience or customers.
  • To help each other in a friendly sharing of knowledge and experience.
  • To arrange such cooperative activities as may be desired from time to time e.g. group purchasing of timber, cooperative provision and use of equipment and facilities, and arranging group functions to promote the aims and objectives of the Group.
  • To foster excellence in wood craftsmanship which will be of benefit to the community and the nation.
  • To assist wherever possible in the education of young talent in the field of woodwork.
  • To initiate, discuss and, if thought necessary, to formulate proposals on national issues which affect the work of wood craftsmen, including the future supplies of good timbers, export policies relating to cabinet timbers in short supply or in danger of denuding Australian forest areas.

The Crafts Council of the ACT agreed to these proposals at its meeting on 4 December 1979.

From a suggestion at the beginning of September, the Wood Group became a reality by the beginning of December.  The present members of the Guild certainly have much to thank the pioneers of 1979 for. Could we today develop an idea and bring it to fruition in such a short time?

Not content to rest on their laurels, this fledgling group of wood craftsmen decided, after just two years of existence, to mount an exhibition of their work.  All members were asked to prepare pieces for the exhibition which was held 6-12 October 1982.  All 30 members submitted works, many were small items, in all a total of 179 pieces. Two other wood craftsmen, Bruce Roberston and David Upfill-Brown, were invited to display their work.  The judges were Peter Adams, Wood craftsman from the Sturt Workshop and George Ingham, newly appointed Senior Lecturer in Wood at the Canberra School of Art. Prizes were donated by Foxwood & CAA Timbers.

The members who exhibited were:

Gillian Alcock, Charles Allen, Colin Blythe, Alan Cantor, Doug Crawford, Neil Cromer, Joan Faulkner, Peter Faulkner, Allan Geier, Mike Hancock, P.J. Hillman, Eddie Hriba, Robert Hyslop, Kaj Jeppsen, Graham Kirby, Paul Lambert, Don Lee, Chris McElhinny, Terry McGee, Bill Murphy, Phillip Myssonski, John Pratten, Michael Sainsbury, Colin Schuster, Craif Schuster, Robert Thomas, Graham Walker, Mac West and Gene Willsford.

In 1985 there was a move to establish the Wood Group as a body independent of the Crafts Council. There is no information on the circumstances that lead to this change, but it was the year of the Second National Wood Conference held in Adelaide and it suspected that it was the hope of Canberra hosting the next conference that generated the move.

On 26 June 1985 the Woodcraft Group of the Crafts Council of the ACT met at the Canberra School of Art (note that by this time the title had changed from the Wood Group to the Woodcraft Group).  The motions put at the meeting were:

  • That those present form a club to be called the ACT Woodcraft Group. This club shall operate independently of the Crafts Council of the ACT but shall continue to encourage association with and membership of that body.
  • That those present elect a committee of 4 members to act on their behalf and that those positions be as follows – Convenor, Treasurer, Secretary, Newsletter Editor, Workshop and Exhibition Organiser.
  • The committee shall be charged with the task of preparing a constitution which shall be put to a general vote of members.
  • That membership fees be set at 420 for members and $10 for students for the financial year 1985/86.

The motions were moved by R N Cromer and seconded by M West. The committee elected was:

Mac West (Convenor), Robin Cromer (Secretary/Newsletter Editor), Bill Murphy (Treasurer) and Mike St. Clair (workshops/Exhibitions).

Woodcraft Guild ACT

It appears that the title was changed as the first Newsletter is headed Woodcraft Guild – ACT. Included with that Newsletter was a notice for a special meeting on 21 August. The aims of this meeting were to present the arrangements that has been made for incorporation, to outline and discuss the planned program of meetings and workshops for the coming year, and to provide details for the Annual Exhibition.  The meeting was held in the Auditorium of ANZAC House, the RSL Building, and was intended to be a “social” event. Bar facilities were open throughout the evening.  They knew how to arrange meetings in 1985!