Locations of rug groups around Australia (by State) and Calendar updates for 2021
If you have a rug group in Australia and would like to be listed here please email: rughookingaustralia@gmail.com
QUEENSLAND:
Kingaroy: Judith Brook judylbrook@gmail.com displays her work for sale in the Blackbutt Gallery in the town of Blackbutt and through the gallery shop at the Kingaroy Gallery. Kingaroy Gallery will hold their Winter Craft Festival again this year (2022).
Judith is originally from New Zealand – the connection can be seen her in her wall hanging.
Sunshine Coast Fibre & Textile Artists meet on an occasional basis at Judi Tompkins Palimpsest Studio and can be contacted through this site. The gatherings focus on 
both craft/art and the diverse interests and skills of the participants. You can see work by members of this group on Judi’s website
For more information about where they meet and to add your name to their contact list please contact judi.tompkins@bigpond.com
Judi’s studio “Palimpsest” will be open on 26th & 27th March from 10am to 4pm as part of the Open Studios – Sunshine Coast by Arts Connect In. https://openstudiossunshinecoast.com.au/judith-tompkins/
Mt. Glorious Cynthia Nicklin a solitary rug maker and rughooking 
teacher, says: “I live in isolation, but
get down to civilization regularly from my mountain home. I’ve demonstrated rugmaking at the local museum, agricultural shows, craft groups, etc. My main interest is in recycling, the reuse of thrown-out fabrics and wools. All my rugs illustrate this, as my rugs are meant for floors.” You can contact Cynthia on scraphappy@samtel.com.au
Brisbane (Metro area) There isn’t a rug group in the metropolitan area, but if you are interested in meeting rug hookers in the metro area to travel north to the Sunshine Coast or South to Mt. Tamborine, Post Codes for Brisbane members are 4127, 4032 & 4055. Email addresses can be shared if you or a friend are interested in getting together in Brisbane or car-pooling to an event.
South of Brisbane – Mt Tamborine (Gold Coast hinterland )
Is where you’ll find Bec Andersen, who creates designer rugs on 
commission using an electric hand tufting gun with wool she hand-dyes with natural dyes.
Bec gives workshops in all traditional rugmaking techniques, including Punch Needle, as well as hosting the Happy Hookers rug making group for those who already know how to rug hook.
She is also involved with large installations and community textile projects. An extremely busy textile artist – you’ll find all of her activities on the Calendar on her website. Contact Email: info@becandersen.com Phone: 0438 147 352
OUTBACK QUEENSLAND: Gail Smith probably the most 
“remote” member of the Australian Rugmakers Guild, lives in Mitchell due West of Landsborough and occasionally makes the 6.5 hr drive down the Warrego Hwy to visit the Sunshine Coast Fibre & Textile Artists in Landsborough. On this day she was showing yarn she’d spun -wonderful texture and colour. Want to know a little more about the State of Queensland? follow this link and take a virtual trip
NEW SOUTH WALES: Bellingen: mid North Coast (halfway between Sydney & Brisbane) is where an enthusiastic group of rug hookers can be found.
It was through this group we heard of Ann Nickle’s search for the 
elusive grey army blankets. Anne needed only a small amount of a pale grey army type blanket for 5 circles to complete this 12ft x 8ft rug. For information about the current meeting place and time for this group in Bellingen email Ann at ann.nickle@bigpond.com
Jilliby: Central Coast Region – between Sydney & Newcastle. Guild Member, Clare Thornley of FIBRE ARTS Shed (formerly Feltfine.com) sells raw materials and tools to fibre artists, also rug backing fabric (monks cloth, primitive linen and rug warp) and frames. Contact Clare through her website fibreartsshed.com.au or email fibreartsshed@gmail.com
Sydney: In Epping, a group called From Rags to Rugs, meet to encourage and inspire each other. Martha Birch would welcome all rug hookers to their regular meetings, gives tuition to any newcomers as well as running Workshops for larger numbers and advises on where to source materials and equipment.
They meet monthly on the 2nd Saturday, from February to November. For meeting venue, time and dates, email Martha at: marthabirch@gmail.com
Milton : South Coast Region Miriam Miller’s Rug Room at Narrawilly Farm is the home of the Narrawilly Proggy Ruggers 
who have been meeting since 1994. The group meets the first and third Fridays each month, and as Miriam says, “it is always on, regardless if it is New Year’s day or Good Friday – so, rug makers or visitors do not have to ring up” but ……… if you do want to contact Miriam to make an appointment for a private workshop, or purchase frames and tools, please email her at narrawillyfarm@shoal.net.au Miriam stays in contact with Group members, visitors to Narrawilly and rug makers she meets in her travels by emailing a newsletter called “Connecting Us” – archived on this website.
Cobargo: in the South East of the State,
an historic village on Princes Highway, 20 minutes from Bermagui on the “Sapphire Coast” is where you’ll find Dawn Hollins whose group, the Bermagui & District U3A Rug Hooking Group, as beginning rugmakers hooked 7 large panels. The panels are now installed on 
the wall of the Surf Club.
The group meets once a month. For information about rug hooking in this area email Dawn on pigeontree@live.com
Braidwood: Heading West on the Kings Highway toward Canberra from Batemans Bay, South of Milton, takes you through Braidwood in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales.
The Braidwood Rugging group now meets regularly on the second Monday of each month from 10.00am at the BRAG Arts Centre in Braidwood. Rugging and other textile work is done. New members are always welcome. They are planning to hold a textile and sculpture exhibition in the middle of 2021 at the BRAG Centre.
Textile artists Gail Nichols and Maggie Hickey who are also rugmakers, live in this area. Works by both artists have been featured in the Guild Blog. You can see more of Gail’s hooked tapestries at Gail Nichols Textiles
Australian Capital Territory:
Canberra: For information about rughooking workshops and the 
Canberra rug making groups contact Maggie Whyte, 
President of the Australian Rugmakers Guild. Email – maggieandfish@hotmail.com
Maggie is also a member of the Narrawilly Proggy Rugmakers, a felter and is associated with the Canberra Spinners and Weavers.
VICTORIA: The Yarra Valley Rugmakers meet once a month. Since they live in 
different directions from the city of Melbourne, the group takes turns meeting at each other’s homes. Before COVID lockdowns they meet in Warrandyte 24km NE Melbourne or The Patch 39km E from Melbourne. Since lockdowns have interrupted their meetings they’ve formed a group online – you can follow them here https://www.facebook.com/groups/1013471425693050
Their meeting place, date and time, is usually shown on their Blog Contact can be made through the blog or email Anne a.schafer@bigpond.com in Warrandyte
Chris, an original member of this group, has a new rug hooking group in Leongatha 135 km se Melbourne. The “South Coast Rugmakers”, as of this time, September 2021 they’re not meeting due to the COVID lockdown, but when they start up again it will be at Chris’s place in Leongatha. No dates or times at the present. Contact Chris for Jerryandchris@startmail.com for more information.
Kyabram : Anne Churches is another rugmaker living in country Victoria, Kyabram, Anne not only weaves and sells rugs which she 
has designed, she is also a traditional rag rug maker. You can see examples of her rugs on her website. Anne has developed her own method of making rugs with the Finnish Rya Knot technique which she shares on her website she can also be contacted there regarding workshops.
Wangaratta, Victoria, is the home of Bobby 
George who has been an avid “solitary” rughooker, attempting to create interest in rughooking in her part of the country. For information about rughooking you can contact Bobby by email beeg3675@gmail.com
This image was taken of Bobby at the ARG Rug Exhibition, Strathnairn, ACT 2016 and the finished piece was shown at a demonstration Bobby gave at a Stitch Festival in 2017.
TASMANIA: Deloraine: Art as Mania, a gallery at 20-22 Emu Bay Road, Deloraine is the Happy Hookers new meeting place on a Monday – meetings are open to new members as well. For more information; Contact Laura (owner) of a gallery space for emerging artists and craftspeople. Art as Mania also sells craft and art supplies and is a stockist for Latch Hook rug making supplies. Follow Art as Mania events and activities on the Gallery FaceBook page.
Images of rugs made by the rug hooking group are posted in their Facebook group Happy2Hook2 by administrator Joanne Wild.
These Happy Hookers are latch hookers who create their own designs – they don’t use your grandmother’s typical latch hook designs! Joanne can provide information about other rug groups in Tasmania.
Left is Alyson-Jean Keats with her purple/red magic carpet; click here to see a video of the magic, magic carpet.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Strathalbyn – StrathMatters have a new address – the 
Strathalbyn Neighbourhood Center, Parker Avenue Strathalbyn. They will continue to meet at this new venue between 10am – 12noon, on the first and third Fridays of the month, from February 5, 2021. Only 45 minutes from Adelaide makes it easy for some who live in the metro area to come up and join the group. 
The groups leader Judith Stephens, gives workshops and designs rugs, takes part in the SALA trail and Craft Fairs and organizes rug hooking events for her group.
Follow all their events and see images of work on the groups new Facebook page and Blog
WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Wanneroo – The Wanneroo Rugmakers meet every Saturday from 10.00am to 1.00pm at the Library in Wanneroo 26k north of the city of Perth.
This community group was formed in 2010 and have worked together on rug hooking projects some now part of the City’s art collection.
Looking back, the group considers their entry, a 
finalist in the Eco category and included in the “Showcase” Mandurah Wearable Art 2014, their most challenging work.
This multi-cultural, intergenerational group is open to all, there’s no formal registration. The core group, 10 creative members share their ideas on various craft techniques as well as the rug hooked projects. Jo Franco, Guild Editor/Membership Chair, is the Group facilitator and has given rug hooking lessons to local seniors and school children. The group has held “hands-on” demonstrations at many local area events and Perth Craft Fairs.
Albany resident Kira Mead has been featured in many Australian Rugmakers Guild Blogs, also in Rug Hooking Magazine published in the USA.
When Kira was “discovered” she didn’t realise she was using a rugmaking technique. In “About” on her website you’ll find out how she came to be the The Accidental Rugmaker. Since joining the Guild Kira has also become our in-house videographer – see ”Judi’s Folly” and “Bagatelle” Robin Inkpen’s (dec.) locker-hooked bag. Robin is sorely missed by all those who knew her. Kira is also Curator for Global Textile Hub’s virtual mixed media Exhibition in an online Gallery.
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