Thirty years after it first came to life, the celebrated Yarns Artwork in Silk continues to captivate visitors at the Great Western Tiers Visitor Centre in Deloraine. As the 30th anniversary approaches, the community is preparing to honour the monumental collaborative effort that not only produced an extraordinary piece of textile art but also became a cornerstone of local identity and tourism.
Niecy Brown was the artistic director who oversaw the project over a three-year period three decades ago. Brown’s leadership was instrumental in transforming an ambitious vision into a tangible masterpiece.
The origins of the Yarns project trace back to Ned Terry, a local legend known for his relentless pursuit of the Tasmanian tiger. “Ned was a real shaker and mover in this community,” Brown recalled. After visiting a theatre in Griffith with an appliqué curtain, Terry was inspired to replicate something similar in Deloraine. “He was a dog with a bone,” Brown said fondly. “Dear Ned did get to put a couple of stitches in here.”
What began as a simple idea soon evolved into a community-wide initiative. “We reckon it was somewhere between 200 and 250 [people involved]. Mainly women, there were a few men that came in and helped with fairly large logistical issues going on behind the scenes,” Brown said. Initially designed for an auditorium further down in Deloraine, the artwork found its permanent home when a group of men decided it deserved a better space. “They actually built the building for this work,” Brown explained. The Great Western Tiers Visitor Centre was born from this effort, becoming a hub that has since drawn thousands of visitors to the region.
The process of creating the Yarns was as intricate as the artwork itself. Brown’s background in community arts emphasised inclusivity and collective ownership. “The very first thing I did was consult the community—Girl Guides, Probus, Rotary—there was something like 40 different groups of people,” she said. These consultations led to brainstorming sessions about what was important to the Meander Valley, which informed the final design.
The technical execution involved scaling up sketches into life-sized drawings. “We knew we were going to have a big tree. We had a little drawing with a big tree on it. So we enlarged that drawing, and that was given out to a person to complete. In this case, I did the tree,” Brown shared. Volunteers received bundles of silk, dyed in community workshops, to complete their assigned sections. “As they’d bring it back into the workroom, we’d sew it together,” she added.
Over the years, the Yarns Artwork in Silk has received significant recognition. “There’s been a book… a major book on world textile work. Yarns gets a big double-page spread in that,” Brown noted. The piece has also been continuously celebrated through TripAdvisor, earning a spot in the platform’s top ten attractions worldwide in 2024. Since its unveiling in 1995, the artwork has drawn approximately 140,000 visitors, a testament to its enduring appeal.
For those wishing to experience the artwork firsthand, no booking is required. Visitors can simply arrive at the centre, where an audiovisual presentation runs hourly, offering insights into the creation and significance of the Yarns.
As the 30th anniversary approaches, the community is eager to reunite the many hands that brought this project to life. “30th of March at 2:30pm, and we’re just hoping that all of the beautiful women that worked on this can come and just reunite,” Brown said. While acknowledging that some contributors have passed on, she remains hopeful that many will return. “We’re attempting to gather all the names and addresses and forward the invitation, but I’d love it if people knew Aunty So-and-So did a bit. Aunty So-and-So needs to know to come along.”
The celebration promises to be a heartfelt affair, complete with afternoon tea. “We have the best scone maker in the world, lives in Deloraine—Suze Haywood. She’s going to make scones,” Brown enthused. Guests are encouraged to bring a plate to share, fostering the same sense of community spirit that defined the project three decades ago.As the Yarns Artwork in Silk marks its milestone, it stands as a vivid reminder of what a united community can achieve, weaving together threads of history, art, and shared purpose into a timeless masterpiece.
