Forty-five-years ago, newly married
couple Dorothy and Allan Walsh,
decided they would rather begin their
family life in Ipswich than their hometown of
Brisbane.
“I was going to Teachers College,” Dorothy
said.
“And some of my friends were from Ipswich,
so when Allan and I were going out together we
would often join them for outings in Ipswich.
“It seemed that wherever we went, they
would know someone, and we liked that sense
of community.”
Along with community, Dorothy said the
couple also came for the vibrant arts scene.
Today they have three children,
grandchildren and a great grandchild and their
lives have intertwined with a variety of pursuits
from making breakfasts for the homeless to
working in the position of President of the Old
Courthouse – which is dedicated to the use
of cultural activities. Besides that, Dorothy as
a special education teacher, has spent a good
part of her life working with children with
intellectual impairment and autism. Lately, she
has moved into teaching textiles.
She is a long-time member of the Spinners
and Weavers Association, where she spins,
weaves and makes felt. In the back yard of
their meeting place at the Cooneana Heritage
Centre, they even grow a couple of cotton
plants.
“One of them is about three metres tall,” she
said.
“We use the material from the plant to spin
into usable cotton.
Dorothy recalls she was inspired to spin
from her first try.
“When I was about 12, I visited a sheep
farm with my parents,” she said.
“The lady of the house had a bright red
spinning wheel, she set it up in the yard and
showed me how to use it.
Her next try on the Spinning Wheel didn’t
come again until she was a student teacher.
“I found an old spinning wheel in a college
collection,” she said.
“I was going out with Allan at the time, and I
asked him to do it up and French polish it.
He obviously did a very good job, because
the couple are still married today.
Additionally, Dorothy enjoys the art of
botanical dying. She speaks about the colours
you get from nature with enthusiasm: “You get
beautiful greens and brown and gingers from
Eucalyptus leaves,” she says. In her garden
too, she uses various flowers for their colours
including the delicate Cosmos flower for its
bright yellow hue.
It’s the natural things that count for Dorothy
and that includes her passion for felting.
You can hear the excitement in her voice
when she explains: “You can get any type of
wool and wet it and rub it and turn it into a
new fabric.”
“For instance, Akubra’s are made from felted
rabbit skin,” she said.
However, it’s not just the products she
produces that keep up her energy and interest.
“Spinning is good for you mentally and
physically, “she says.
Dorothy explains that it can be a soothing
activity for your mind and: Spinning makes
you move your muscles and with the two
pedals you are going from left to right and
using those parts of your brain.
And it’s not just women who are finding the
advantages, Dorothy said the club also has male
members who undertake a variety of activities
from gardening to basket weaving.
Questions:
Q: Where do you take visitors when they
come to Ipswich:
A: The Incinerator Theatre, The Orchid
greenhouse at Queens Park and The Lookout.
Q: What would you like to see more of in
Ipswich
A: Homes for the homeless
If you would like to join the group:
Contact Ph 0400 292 189 or
email [email protected]
