National Wool Museum Geelong

National Wool Museum Geelong In the heart of Geelong’s vibrant waterfront precinct is the National Wool Museum. Open every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Good Friday.

Explore the rich history of Australian Wool, Fibre, Textiles & Geelong | Exhibition Venue | Shop

The National Wool Museum is a leading member of the City of Greater Geelong's arts and cultural community. Set in an historic 1872 bluestone woolstore, the Museum building formed part of a vast complex housing the Wool Broking firm of Dennys Lascelles Ltd in the times when Geelong was considered the

wool capital of the world. The Museum presents the timeless Australian story of wool, from sheep farming and wool production through to the processing of fleece into fabric. A visit to the National Wool Museum is an essential part of a visit to Geelong and the Bellarine. TERMS & CONDITIONS: Geelong Australia

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29/08/2026

Ray’s career was woven through five decades of Australian textile history.

Starting at Albion Woollen Mills in Geelong in 1953, Ray went on to study at Gordon Textile College, City and Guilds of London Institute, The Textile Institute, Melbourne Institute of Textiles and RMIT.

Along the way, Ray's talent for design earned him the Wool Corporation's Celsius 30 Award two years running (1977 & 1978), funding overseas study trips that became a 22-year annual tradition.

Now a volunteer at the National Wool Museum, we're lucky to have books, fabric samples and documents from Ray's working life as part of our collection.

Father's Day sorted 🎁Enjoy 30% off store wide at the National Wool Museum Gift Shop from 26 August to 6 September.Champi...
27/08/2026

Father's Day sorted 🎁

Enjoy 30% off store wide at the National Wool Museum Gift Shop from 26 August to 6 September.

Championing local and Australian makers, you’re sure to find the perfect gift with our range of homewares, souvenirs and giftware.

In store only, open daily 10am – 5pm.

In 1983, Jim Kim founded Victorian Wool Processors as a wool trading firm. By 2002, it had grown into a 24-hour facility...
24/08/2026

In 1983, Jim Kim founded Victorian Wool Processors as a wool trading firm. By 2002, it had grown into a 24-hour facility at Laverton North, one of the largest wool processors in the Southern Hemisphere.

Then came the energy crisis. Soaring gas prices forced the plant to close in December 2024, ending over a century of wool processing in Melbourne.

General Manager David Ritchie donated this photograph collection to the National Wool Museum, preserving Melbourne’s wool history in story and memory.

19/08/2026

Spinning wheels evolved differently all over the world, shaped by local fibres, traditions, and the hands that built them.

This collection was donated by Polish emigre and engineer, Wlodzimierz Zakrzewski, who spent years collecting, researching, and repairing spinning wheels from around the world, hoping one day to restore them for his wife.

Three wheels. Multiple nations. Many cultures. One shared history.

Taken by mill worker Norm Holroyd between the 1960s and 70s, these photographs are a rare inside look at Geelong’s iconi...
17/08/2026

Taken by mill worker Norm Holroyd between the 1960s and 70s, these photographs are a rare inside look at Geelong’s iconic industrial history.

Built and run entirely by World War I veterans using their War Gratuity Bonds, the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Woollen Mill in Newtown Geelong operated as a self-sufficient co-operative with scouring, carding, dyeing, spinning and weaving all under one roof.

It became known for its heavy worsted cloth, high-quality tweed, and its signature pure-wool travelling rugs.

Now part of our collection, we’re glad this piece of history made it to us.

A 1980s problem that feels startlingly familiar today.In 1989, Judy Turner made a quilt for her 14-year-old son Nicholas...
14/08/2026

A 1980s problem that feels startlingly familiar today.

In 1989, Judy Turner made a quilt for her 14-year-old son Nicholas.

Interest rates had hit 17%. Around the kitchen table, Judy’s family had been talking about mortgages, rising costs, and what the future might look like for the next generation.

The quilt is made from approximately 270 men's woollen suiting samples, gifted by a travelling salesman and friend of Judy's late husband.

Each piece was used exactly as it came. Uncut and stacked like house bricks.

Nicholas, always keen to draw, helped design the house at the top of the quilt.

The result is a beautiful expression of a mother's worry stitched into fabric, and one of the more quietly powerful pieces in our Waggas & Quilts Collection.

13/08/2026

In 1866 Humble & Nicholson bought the Vulcan Foundry in Geelong, where it is believed this model wool press was made.

It happens to be one of Padraic’s favourite things in our entire collection.

Real wool presses were almost 4 metres tall!

06/08/2026

People have always dreamed of flying. Early inventors were inspired by the flapping of birds’ wings or used the wind to launch kites and gliders.

The first aeroplane was invented in 1903. Daring Australians soon took to the skies, including Nancy Bird Walton, who described the wonder of seeing ‘the vast great open spaces of this flat country’.

At first, aeroplanes were small and fragile, only able to travel short distances with just a pilot on board.

Today, the largest passenger jets can transport more than 520 people and weight as much as 100 elephants.

There is plenty more for kids to learn at our interactive ‘On The Move’ exhibition.

Open until 22 November. Ticket Price includes entry to the Museum.

Head to the link in our bio for tickets and more information 🔗

Got something you're quietly seething about? Let’s stitch about it 🪡Hosted by , this beginner-friendly workshop for wome...
05/08/2026

Got something you're quietly seething about? Let’s stitch about it 🪡

Hosted by , this beginner-friendly workshop for women and gender-diverse people invites participants to channel their frustrations into bold cross-stitch creations.

Blending craft and activism (craftivism), this session explores the therapeutic power of embroidery as a calming, meditative practice while creating a supportive space for connection and honest expression.

No experience with embroidery necessary. All materials provided.

Participants will leave with a work-in-progress cross stitch piece and enough supplies to complete it at home.

22 August 2026, 11:00AM - 01:30PM

Adult: $45 / Concession $40 | Access to exhibition included.

Book online through the link in our bio 🔗

04/08/2026

In April 1988, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the almost complete National Wool Centre (now the National Wool Museum) as part of Australia's Bicentenary celebrations, and Geelong turned out to welcome them.

The day involved wool shearing demonstrations, a sheepdog named Spud showing off his herding talents, and a crowd that by all accounts was thoroughly charmed.

During their visit, the Queen was presented with a rug woven on our 1910 Jacquard Axminster carpet loom. The very same loom still on display in the Museum today. In return, she gifted the Museum three letters from the Windsor Castle archives. Not a bad trade if you ask us.

Found on VHS in our archive, this footage is a remarkable piece of Geelong history. Were you in that crowd?

Address

Wadawurrung Country, 26 Moorabool Street
Geelong, VIC
3220

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+61 3 5272 4701

Website

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