Discover the stories of local WW1 servicemen and women through one of the most significant objects in the Williamstown Historical Society collection – the Agnes Hansen quilt.
Created by local resident Agnes Hansen while her son, Captain Stewart Hansen was serving overseas in 1916, the quilt is a unique time capsule that captures the names and signatures of some of Australia’s servicemen and women.
As part of a fundraising effort Mrs Agnes Hansen came up with the idea of creating a signature quilt to raise funds for the war effort by charging Victorian residents sixpence to have their name embroidered on a quilt.
She then decided to make her quilt ‘different’ by asking her son, Captain Stewart Hansen, to collect the signatures of other service men and women he met and then to post them home to be included in the quilt. When the signatures arrived back in Williamstown, they were carefully embroidered by Mrs Hansen and her friends.
The display will be accompanied by stories about some of the signatures on the quilt and their links to Williamstown and Victoria.
Wednesday 24 April, 9am to 5pm
Thursday 25 April,11am to 2pm
Friday 26 April, 9am to 5pm
Williamstown Town Hall foyer
104 Ferguson Street, Williamstown
Free, bookings not required
Presented by Williamstown Historical Society.