What is a wagga?

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, drovers and swagmen travelled from place to place on foot and carried a swag – a bedroll containing their belongings and provisions. Incorporated in the swag was often a sturdy quilt known as a wagga, often made by the swagmen themselves. Waggas were originally made from flour sacks from the Wagga Wagga Flour Mill. The workers at the mill noticed that people were making clothing and quilts from the flour sacks so they started to use decorative images with the Wagga logo on their sacks so that people would have something nice to use and as a marketing tool.

A landmark 2022 exhibition at the National Wool Museum called ‘Wagga and the Art of Making Do in Australia’ introduced us, the WWW Guild, to this remarkable quilting history. It featured a green and pink wagga filled with jute bag batting from c1930 which was once described as the World’s Worst Wagga, and is considered one of the most significant

waggas in the National Wool Museum’s collection. The WWW Guild seeks to reimagine our namesake, the World’s Worst Wagga, within the context of contemporary Australian quilting. 

Waggas are practical, resourceful and sentimental; as much artworks as homewares or historical artefacts. Simultaneously, they have a domestic existence as household scraps and family heirlooms, and publically they represent community, resilience and creativity.

The Wagga Wagga Flour Factory was a significant landmark in the city of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. It was built in the late 19th century and was one of the largest flour mills in the region, producing up to 40,000 bags of flour per week at its peak. The factory provided employment for many local workers and played an important role in the development of the local economy. Although the factory has since closed, its legacy lives on in the history and culture of Wagga Wagga, and it remains an important part of the city’s heritage. 

Scrap quilts have a rich history in Australia, particularly in the early 20th century. These types of quilts were often made by women who were resourceful and thrifty, and who used what they had on hand to create beautiful and functional works of art. Scrap quilts were typically made from leftover fabric scraps from other sewing projects, as well as from worn-out clothing and other textiles. Women would collect these scraps over time, storing them in baskets or bags until they had enough to create a new quilt. The resulting quilts were often made up of a patchwork of different colours and patterns, giving them a unique and eclectic look. Scrap quilts became known colloquially as Domestic Waggas. 

The Rajah Quilt is a significant piece of textile history that was created in 1841 by a group of female convicts who were being transported from England to Australia. The quilt is named after the ship on which the women were travelling – the Rajah, and was created as a gift for the Governor of Tasmania. The project was initiated by social reformer Elizabeth Fry who was a Quaker. Quakers played a significant role in the movement to abolish transportation of convicts to Australia. The Quakers believed in the importance of rehabilitation and believed that transportation was a cruel and inhumane punishment. 

The women used scraps of fabric and thread that they had brought with them on the voyage, as well as materials provided by the ship’s captain. The resulting quilt is a stunning example of patchwork quilting, featuring a central medallion surrounded by borders of intricate floral and geometric designs. 

The creation of the Rajah Quilt was not only a demonstration of the women’s creativity and skill, but also a testament to their resilience in the face of adversity. Many of the women had been imprisoned for minor offences and had been separated from their families and communities. Creating the quilt provided them with a sense of purpose and camaraderie during the long and difficult journey to Australia. 

After the women arrived in Tasmania, the quilt was presented to the Governor as a gesture of goodwill and a symbol of the women’s desire to turn their lives around. The Governor was so impressed by the quilt that he ordered a second quilt to be made by another group of female convicts on a subsequent voyage.

Today, the Rajah Quilt is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia and is considered a national treasure. It serves as a reminder of the hardships endured by the women who were transported to Australia, as well as their strength and resilience in the face of adversity. The Quaker influence on the creation of the Rajah Quilt also serves as a testament to the role of religion and social justice movements in shaping the course of history.