Rajasthan and its signature Gaddi fibres. Vicuna fleece from the Peruvian Andes. But what of Western Australia, and in particular, its metropolitan heart of Perth? Wool has had a quiet but lasting presence in the area, going as far back as the 19th century, not long after the establishment of the Swan River Colony. Take a closer look and we end up tumbling through the lens of history, landing right in the middle of Fremantle, wool–selling hub and the state's main port then.

After the introduction of Spanish Merino sheep into the country, wool was seasonally sheared, packed and sent by train during peak season in spring from rural regions to Fremantle, where auctioneers and exporters were waiting to ship them off to the rest of the world. Station agencies soon became textile powerhouses in the wool market of Western Australia, during which Wesfarmers, Elders Woolstore and Dalgety and Company opened branches near Elizabeth Quay and the harbour. 

Business expanded beyond the scope of wool, but with the attractiveness of the product came oversupply. Fluctuating wool prices led to the gradual conversion of most storefronts into hotels and supermarkets, with a popular skating spot more recently emerging in the neighbourhood. At the same time, wool was increasingly outsourced from Asia after the 1950s and traditional wool farms shifted from wool–centric production to meat, fine wool, horticulture in addition to cropping. The collapse of the wool reserve price scheme followed in the 1990s due to an uncontainable stockpile, which signified the conclusion of the wool industry in Perth. As subtly as it came, it was swept into the pages of history, peeking out from knitted fashion items in display windows and vintage markets. 

Yet the industry moves on. The wheel of time rolls through its cycle, and wool has reinserted itself into the creative scene of Perth. Favoured for its versatility, the embodiment of both historical significance and natural elements has made the material a powerful statement of continuity, the frame of artistic legacy. Artists select it for its soft durability; learners use it for its easy willingness to be moulded. In my works, I embrace it for what it is:

A wisp of clouds within the hand, 

A fuzzy sphere born of care,

Blend them softly, strand by strand

And let them scatter in the air!

The sky, then shaken by the breeze,

Rolling, tossing, wild and rare,

Splits up the land among the seas,

And showers down a fibrous flair.

The buried flowers of the past,

Watered by the striking rain,

Raise their heads amidst the blast

And learn to grow back once again.