Following the "500th" article in the August Guild News:
The Guild was formed on 5 July, 1947. Previous to this there was a Hand Weavers' Guild in Sydney however this became defunct during World War II.
The first Quarterly News was published in August 1949. It grew out of a suggestion by Mrs Jean McMahon at the Annual Meeting, so the Committee asked her to accept the position of editor, eventually producing 4 issues a year for 26 years. In 1954 the Quarterly was named The Australian Hand Weaver and Spinner
, a name which continues to this day. The numbering system of our current annual Journal continues on from Volume l, 1949 however when we celebrate our 60th anniversary in 2007 it will be volume 60. The maths do not work out because Roman Numerals were used and went haywire a couple of times - we reverted to Arabic Numbers in 1986 after a few more errors. Following Mrs McMahon's death the Journal was given a new format with Beth Hatton as editor in 1977; the breadth of areas covered was enlarged, but it was still in black and white. By changes in the Constitution it gradually became published twice a year, (sometimes combined issues) and currently one generous issue with more photographs and colour.
The Guild News was first published in July 1957 with Mrs McMahon as editor, and she continued on for the next 18 years, also serving on Committee - she is the unknown editor mentioned in last month's article. Her obituary published in Vol. XXVII No 4 February, 1976 states; She was a law unto herself and clung rigidly and tenaciously to all that she considered right. In a person of her high moral standards and constant concern for the welfare of others this could lead only to good... she had strength of purpose... her enthusiasm was infectious, and her magnetic quality was felt by all who knew her.
I joined the Guild in l971 and remember she was held in high regard, but by then she had become increasingly handicapped physically - I couldn't allow her to become a mystery editor in the light of her service to our Guild.
The editorial of the same Quarterly also carries some words of wisdom:
"No matter how large or small an organisation is, it will have among its members some who give more service than others. Usually those who work so willingly in the service of their fellows are slow to recognise their own value. It is sad to think that they are often appreciated more in retrospect than while they are with us ..... This is our first year without her support, and as a tribute to her memory I call upon Guild members to go forward now with renewed strength, heightened ambition, and a determination to pull together towards our common goals."
Sylvia Burkitt was the editor of this Quarterly.
The building where the Guild met for many years was the C.E.N.E.F. which stands for Church of England National Emergency Fund - the initials always mystified me, and now I have become computer literate I've been able to research it for myself.
For further information on the history of the Guild refer to Mary Martin's article in our 50th Anniversary Journal.
Warril Evans
