Jessie Street National Women’s Library Commission.

As an Australian artisan, It is with great honor that I have been asked for the third year to design and hand make the prize for the Jessie Street National Women's library. The annual fundraising luncheon is held at the Parliament of N.S.W and is an inspiring lunch with an array of amazing women who have pioneered in diverse areas of art, literature, politics, law, community to name a few. With key note speakers like The Hon Quentin Bryce (I personally met The Hon Quentin Bryce, who is an avid sterling silver jewellery wearer) what a stylish and very accomplished woman! And inspiring when you read her bio. 

The inspiration for the brooches so far has been to add Australian flora textures on the sterling silver with coloured stone accents. The stones of white, green and purple represent the suffragette colours. I have stuck to these colours as a preservation and remembrance to the beliefs of the women who have in the past fought and  paved the way for women's rights. I love tradition and the roots it stems from.

Jessie Street National Women’s Library is a unique specialist library dedicated to the preservation of Australian women’s work, words and history. The Library is named after Jessie Street, a lifelong campaigner for women’s rights, the peace movement and the elimination of discrimination against Aboriginal people.

Patrons for the library are The Hon Elizabeth Evatt AC, The Right Hon Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney, The Hon Quentin Bryce AD CVO and Sir Laurence Street AC KCMG.

Above, first image the texture on the brooch is inspired by Australian water plants. Second image the texture on the  brooch is inspired by the Australian gum leaf.

I'll keep you posted on the next design. 

Connie