History recorded: Victorian Woodworkers Association documents the decades

From left to right past VWA Presidents: Damien Wright, Jerome Wielens, David Hall, Hamish Hill, John Monument, Stephen Ziguras, the late William Matthysen, David De La Cruz and VWA coordinator Anne-Claire Petre.

The Victorian Woodworkers Association is one of Australia’s standout woodworking clubs. From its inception in 1979, the group was formed with an aim to foster and encourage woodworking knowledge and activities, a purpose that has remained unchanged but developed into a uniquely vibrant and self-funding model.

The VWA was formed in the wake of the so-called craft revival of the 70s. Its first president Vic Wood was a fine craftsman and educator who was instrumental in leading the way for the group’s formation and activities.

Hamish Hill is a long-standing member who joined in the late 80s and went on to serve as president from 1991–1994. Hamish has produced a detailed 60-page history of the group from 1979 to 2005 which is now available as a download from the VWA website.

In the document, Hamish steps through the decades and highlights many of the people who have been instrumental in developing the group into the richly productive association that it is today.

As well as regular meetings and events, the VWA is notable for offering third-party insurance for woodworkers and craftworkers, and for running its own woodworking school at Courtney Street, North Melbourne. Additionally the VWA offers residencies for emerging craftspeople as well as an annual Vic Wood Scholarship.

Download the history and see more images from the VWA’s past at https://vwa.org.au/history/