Precious Threads 2026 Biennial Exhibition presented by The Embroiderers' Guild, Queensland
An exhibition of all forms of embroidery from over the years
The first Embroiderers’ Guild was formed in the United Kingdom in 1906 by sixteen former students of the Royal School of Needlework. The Guild was formed to build an awareness of stitch and textile art.
The Embroiderers’ Guild in Australia
In Australia, rather than having a single Guild nationwide, each state created its own independent Embroiderers’ Guild.
The first Australian Guild formed in New South Wales in 1957 and was initially formed as a branch of the Embroiderers’ Guild of London but very soon became an independent entity.
The Embroiderers’ Guild, Queensland
In 1964, Queensland members of The Embroiderers’ Guild of New South Wales began to meet monthly at members’ private residences within the Brisbane area. Towards the end of 1967, this group numbered around thirty and enquiries were made to the parent Guild in London regarding the procedures for association.
In May 1968, The Embroiderers’ Guild, Queensland Inc (EGQ) formed with Mabel McAlister OAM elected as EGQ’s first President. By the end of 1968, membership had risen to just under one hundred members.
Selden Society 2026 lecture 2: The last appeal from Queensland to the Privy Council
Selden Society 2026 lecture two
The last appeal from Queensland to the Privy Council
Presented by Sandy Thompson KC
Thursday 18 June
5.15 for 5.30pm
Banco Court, Level 3, QEII Courts of Law, Brisbane
Prior to the enactment of the Australia Act 1986 (Cth) and the Australia Act 1986 (UK), some Queensland court matters were appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for final determination. What were hearings like in this forum before this avenue of appeal was abolished?
In this lecture, Sandy Thompson KC will share his experiences appearing as counsel in 1985 and 1986, the latter (Coast Securities No. 9 Pty Ltd v Bondoukou Pty Ltd) being the last Queensland appeal to Her Majesty in Council. He will also trace the legislative history of appeals to the Privy Council and their eventual abolition in 1986.
Register to attend this free event and stay for refreshments and networking in the Portrait Gallery, or register for the livestream
More information
Visit sclqld.org.au/Selden for more information about the lecture and speaker.
If you have any questions, please contact us.
Image: Middlesex Guildhall 2012, meeting place for the Privy Council. Elisa.rolle / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0
Heritage Day
Heritage Day this year will be focusing on local history and heritage. Watch craftsmen and craftswomen demonstrate traditional skills such as wool spinning, lacemaking, leathercrafting, ropemaking, blacksmithing and more.
Discover the beauty of machinery from a bygone era and marvel at vintage cars and motorcycles and Penny Farthing bicycles.
Live entertainment from Celtic Folk Band - Blarney Stone on at the Hotel, 18th-century dancing, and bush poetry readings, there is something for everyone.
Volunteers and guest exhibitors will be stepping out in style in traditional dress adding to the heritage atmosphere.
Kids can get hands-on with lots of interactive activities, making it a fun and educational experience for the whole family. Enjoy the Raptor show, whip cracking demo and watch out for bushrangers and unruly colonial road workers.
Special features this year include re-enactments, demonstrations, owl free flight demonstrations, and the Pine River Machinery Rally running on both Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st in conjunction with Heritage Day on Saturday the 30th May.
Tickets available on Trybooking.com or at the gate on Heritage Day.
Adults $15
Child 6-16yrs $5
5 and under Free
https://www.trybooking.com/DKHOG
FREE shuttle bus from the Caboolture Train Station. Please call us on 5495 4581 to book the shuttle bus for you.
Event Website URL: https://www.trybooking.com/DKHOG
Backstage Pass at Queensland State Archives
BRISBANE LIVING HERITAGE and QUEENSLAND STATE ARCHIVES
bring you our first Backstage Pass Event for 2026. Backstage Pass events are designed to offer a unique opportunity to visit behind the scenes of the amazing Queensland State Archives. The tour will include a curated experience of the exhibition, Printed & Bound. You can find more details about the exhibition here:
Printed & Bound: uncover the art of keeping Queensland history
We’re often told to never judge a book by its cover – but this exhibition invites you to do exactly that.
Printed & Bound uncovers the hidden art behind Queensland’s history, revealed through the records books that were created to hold it. From finely crafted registers to enduring ledgers, these archival bindings show remarkable intricacy, ingenuity and mastery.
Queensland State Archives is the state’s public archive, connecting Queenslanders with the histories of their families, local communities and the state by making significant government records available and accessible. Drawn from this collection, Printed & Bound invites visitors to look closely at the structures that bind our written past and discover a hidden art and our state’s richly layered history.
Also some additional info for new customers:
How to get to the Queensland State Archives
Car
Queensland State Archives is located at 435 Compton Road, Runcorn. Free parking is available on site between 9am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday, and every second Saturday of the month.
Train
The nearest train station is Fruitgrove Station, on Beenleigh Road, between Nursery Road and Persse Road, Runcorn. The station car park entry is on the Nectarine Street side, near the junction of Mango and Plum Streets. Please check the train timetables before planning your journey.
Walking directions from Fruitgrove Station
The walk from Fruitgrove Station to the State Archives building takes approximately 45 minutes (3.5 kilometres).
Bus
Brisbane City Council Bus route no. 150 from Queen St Bus Station stops on the corner of Gowan and Compton Roads, approximately 900 metres from QSA.
Brisbane City Council Bus route no. 152 from Garden City stops at Eisenhower Street, directly opposite Queensland State Archives (check TransLink for the current timetable).
Law Week 2026: We, The Jury
Jury service: your civic duty and contribution to the delivery of justice
If you are an Australian citizen, over 18 years old and enrolled to vote, you may one day be summoned for jury service. In recognition of Law Week 2026, you’re invited you to learn more about this important civic duty and how it contributes to the delivery of justice.
We, the jury is a free exhibition brought to you by Supreme Court Library Queensland. It is open weekdays, 8.30am to 4.30pm, in Sir Harry Gibbs Legal Heritage Centre, Ground floor, Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law.
Tours are available for schools and community groups (minimum 5 people, up to 30). The exhibition is supported by a suite of learning resources and new worksheets for students.
Can’t visit in person? Check out the virtual tour and explore the exhibition online.
We, the jury includes accessible resources for people who are blind or have low vision.
Visit sclqld.org.au/we-the-jury for more information.
Heritage Hands: In Conversation with the Makers
Join artist and curator Melissa Hoedel alongside Michael Green, wig maker at Queensland Ballet, for an intimate small-group talk and walkthrough of the Heritage Hands exhibition at the Thomas Dixon Centre.
Beginning outside the building, this informal session moves through the exhibition, offering insight into the stories, skills and traditions behind the work. Hear directly from both the artist and a featured artisan about the processes, materials and lived experience that shape these specialised practices.
Presented as part of the National Trust of Australia's Australian Heritage Festival.
Organisation Website: https://heritagehands.com.au/events/
Sunday 26 April
Sessions at 2:00pm and 2:45pm
Free event | Bookings essential | Limited capacity
Autumn Craft Market at The Embroiderers' Guild, Queensland
Handcrafted gifts, vintage linens and second hand embroidery supplies
The first Embroiderers’ Guild was formed in the United Kingdom in 1906 by sixteen former students of the Royal School of Needlework. The Guild was formed to build an awareness of stitch and textile art.
The Embroiderers’ Guild in Australia
In Australia, rather than having a single Guild nationwide, each state created its own independent Embroiderers’ Guild.
The first Australian Guild formed in New South Wales in 1957 and was initially formed as a branch of the Embroiderers’ Guild of London but very soon became an independent entity.
The Embroiderers’ Guild, Queensland
In 1964, Queensland members of The Embroiderers’ Guild of New South Wales began to meet monthly at members’ private residences within the Brisbane area. Towards the end of 1967, this group numbered around thirty and enquiries were made to the parent Guild in London regarding the procedures for association.
In May 1968, The Embroiderers’ Guild, Queensland Inc (EGQ) formed with Mabel McAlister OAM elected as EGQ’s first President. By the end of 1968, membership had risen to just under one hundred members.
info@embroiderersguildqld.org.au
Heritage Hands: Living Craft Exhibition
Heritage Hands is a photographic and storytelling exhibition celebrating traditional artisans and endangered craft practices.
Presented at the Thomas Dixon Centre, the exhibition features a series of portraits and stories documenting skilled makers working across trades including whip making, bookbinding, natural dyeing, millinery, antique restoration and more.
Through photography and oral history, Heritage Hands captures the knowledge, processes and cultural histories embedded in hand skills, offering a rare insight into practices that are increasingly at risk of being lost.
The exhibition invites visitors to connect with the people behind these trades and to consider the value of craftsmanship in a contemporary context.
Heritage Hands is both a celebration of making and a call to ensure these skills are recognised, supported and passed on to future generations.