Quilt No.636IJ - Ian Johnson

Owner:

Ian Johnson

Location:

NSW Riverina

Maker

Maker:

Hartley Schultz

Made in

AUSTRALIA NSW

Patterms

Pieced Animal skins, Native Fauna

Date:

1941 - 1970

Description:

Pieced kangaroo skin rug. Part skins have been cut into rectangles and stitched in lines. The skins are from 'black scrubbers'. The rug is lined with green felt with the traditional scalloped edge extending beyond the fur. 1200 x 853mm

History:

Russell McNickle shot the kangaroos at Hillston NSW. Mr. Hartley Schultz tanned them at the Wagga Wagga tannery and made the rug in 1958. It was owned by Bryce McNickle (brother of Betty Johnson) and, on his death, passed to Ian Johnson. It is not used now.

Story:

Russell McNickle shot the kangaroos on Milthorpe's property 'Walanthray' Hillston NSW with a 22 calibre BRNO rifle in 1958. The skins are from the big red, the grey, the black scrubber and/or the blue flyer. No licence was necessary to shoot the roos. Russell salted the skins down and they were then taken to the Schultz tannery in Wagga Wagga where Hartley Schultz was responsible for tanning, design and making the rugs.
Russell bought the rifle (and bullets) for 60 pounds and paid for it within a year by trapping and shooting rabbits and shooting roos.
Jarvie and Kelvin (McNickle) also shot and skinned the kangaroos.

Related Quilts:

Quilt No.24WAM - Western Australian Museum

Kangaroo skin cloak of seven gores is made from the skins of seven grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus). The skins vary in size and shape, the inner five are roughly triangular. The cloak is edged with a series of loops, through one of these near the collar is a piece of cloth which appears to have tied the cloak together. The skins are sewn together with two sorts of linen or cotton thread. In a small diamond-shaped gusset at the back of the neck there are some stitches of sinew. The skins are sewn together by means of a small hem which was turned back on to the fur, so stitches went through two layers of skin on each gore. There are some small holes in the skins. The skins are very soft and pliable, and greyish in colour; they vary in size and shape. Longest part: 800mm Ref: MA Thesis 1973, S.Meagher 'A Reconstruction of the Traditional Life of the Aborigines of the S.W. of Western Australia.

Pieced Animal skins, Skin Cloaks

Quilt No.909MT - Marlene Toomey

Kangaroo skin rug featuring skins cut in diamond shapes. It is stitched with heavy cotton and the seams are oversewn. It is not backed. 1825 x 1290mm