News & Articles

Lustre : Pearling & Australia is a touring exhibition from Western Australia.

Lustre has been to Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville, Canberra and South Australia.  It is currently in transit but will open at the Western Australian Museum in Kalgoorlie on 25th May 2019, running until 1st September 2019.  WAM Kalgoorlie, 17 Hannah Street - (08) 9021 8533.  After Kalgoorlie it will visit Albany and Geraldton in Western Australia.

Lustre delves into the gritty human story of pearling in Broome, weaving together intersecting strands of Aboriginal, Asian and European histories to reveal insights into one of Australia's oldest industries.

Discover the intriguing stories behind northern Australia's unique pearling tradition, immerse yourself in the qualities of the shell itself, its evolution and habitat, and the people who have collected and harvested these treasures from Saltwater Country.

Among the exhibits is a panel of mother of pearl buttons with examples from the 18th to the 20th Century, a drilled shell and accompanying buttons, and a Pearly King costume on loan from a museum in the U.K.

 

 

Pinctada Maxima Shell with ormolu decoration - French 1930's, Drilled Shell & Finished Buttons , Large Button circa 1810; Small Button circa 1960, Late 18th Century Button - Probably French

 

SATURDAY 12th October 2024, 9.30am to 3.30pm at Burwood Heights Uniting Church, Corner Blackburn Road & Burwood Highway, Burwood East. Entry $4 per Adult (Children under 12 free).

ON DISPLAY :   TO BE ADVISED  (Ignore "Gorgeous Glass" - last year's Buttonfest Flyer)

Buttons for Sale :- Collectable buttons – including military & uniform buttons. Buttons for craft projects & clothing. Button-related items.
 

Enquiries: [email protected] or Tel: 0412 783 320

HOW TO GET THERE:-
Transport - 

  • Tram 75 runs along Flinders Street from the City, past Federation Square, into Bridge Road along Camberwell Road, Toorak Road, then all the way along Burwood Highway terminating at Vermont South Shopping Centre. Get off the tram at Stop 70 for the Buttonfest, next to the huge shopping centre at the corner of Burwood Highway and Blackburn Road.
  • There is also a bus service from Glen Waverley along Blackburn Road.
  • Closest train station is Glen Waverley.

Accommodation - 

  • There are many places to stay in the surrounding area:
  • The Burwood East Motel is situated right next door to our venue at 355 Blackburn Road - Tel: 03 9803 8211 - www.burwoodeastmotel.com.au.
  • Quest Burwood East, 315 Burwood Highway, Burwood East - Tel:- 03 9069 6888. This hotel is on Tram 75's route and quite close to our venue. It is walking distance.

Food - here is a variety of places to eat at the shopping centre opposite the venue, along Burwood Highway, and restaurants on the corner of Burwood Highway and Station Street.

Buttonfest 2024

On Saturday 18th May, Bacchus Marsh (60km west of Melbourne) was the setting for our first Buttonfest for 2013. It was probably a bit of a surprise for some local people to discover that a Club for collecting buttons existed.

Saturday was cold but fortunately not wet, and driving into Bacchus Marsh at 7.30 am past river flats planted with vegetables and fruits, bright and colourful autumn trees, through the Bacchus Marsh Avenue of Honour in memory of First World War soldiers, was a very pleasant way to start the day.

The Laurels – Bacchus Marsh Community College was a wonderful venue. We had hired two adjoining class rooms, which became one large room by pushing aside the concertina doors, making a perfect space for our event. Large windows on the outside walls of the room provided good light, which is important for looking at small objects!

Fourteen members had either double or single sales tables with a variety of wonderful buttons of all types, or button-related items. As well as local residents, people drove from Melbourne, Melton, and other nearby towns, to have a look. The raised area at the end of one room was a great place to have a combined display, provided by members, of wonderful examples of collectable buttons from the early 19th century to the mid 20th century. The raffles were popular, and children attending received a small bag of buttons to take home.

It was a very enjoyable day, and a great way to get together to share the button-collecting experience. It is always rather fun to see the incredulous looks on peoples’ faces when they discover ‘buttons’ for the first time!

Roy setting up his button display and sharing his knowledge of military and uniform buttons during May.

On Mother's Day, while I was working at the Yarra Valley Antique Centre, a customer came to the counter wearing this little button brooch.

The lady and her husband worked with an NGO (Non-Government Organisation) in Cambodia, rescuing young children from the sex trade.

The brooch was made by a young girl who makes button jewellery, providing an income for herself and her family. Unfortunately, the customer left the shop before I could find out the name of her organisation.

Does anyone know the name of such an organisation so that buttons can be donated?

Alan Ussher is an Australian glass artist working in a style of glass blowing known as lampworking and flameworking.

Alan is happy to make studio buttons for collectors.  In the past he has made seahorse realistics, and paperweights featuring anemones with a sea star on the outside, corals, and various coloured mushrooms.  Commissions welcome.

Alan lives in Lismore, New South Wales, and can be contacted from his website www.alanussher.com.

 

My girlfriend's son, Dean, was getting married, and I said to Dean, that his Wedding present was going to have a button twist to it. He said bring it on. As is the case now with a lot of weddings, the bride and groom have everything, and ask for some money for the honeymoon. Rather than put the money in with the wedding card. I made three size 70 dome (44mm) buttons. The first one I embroidered with their names, Dean and Belle and the wedding date 17th Dec 2011. On the second button I embroidered Costa Rica, and the third one I embroidered Denver Colorado, as that was where they were off to for their honeymoon. I boxed them up in a silver-covered box with a ribbon, along with the card, on which I waffled on about throw away bouquets, and keep the first tier of the cake etc etc. Well I wrote on the card that there were a couple of throw awayfolded  buttons, that they had to break into to get the present; I had put a 50 US dollar note, folded up as small as I could, in each button as I was making it.

They had not been in Costa Rica long, when Dean's back pack was stolen with all their passports, cards, all the important stuff was gone. They were in their hotel room feeling pretty low, and all of a sudden Belle said to Dean, didn't your mum say there was money in the buttons. They were so grateful and relieved to have some money on them until they could sort out their finances. They also had the keepsake button to prove that they were married on that day. Dean said to Toni, to tell me when he sees me he is going to give me the biggest hug ever, as my buttons saved the day.

I am sure it is one wedding present that they won't forget.

Kind Regards,

Kate Boulton.
buttonmania

 

Thursday August 11 2011 in The Age page 22 there is an article entitled Devotees keep TAA legacy aloft. Carol Webb writes about a band of volunteers made up of ex-TAA staff who have collected together 200,000 items since the first TAA flight, September 9th 1946, until 1986 when the airline merged with Australian Airlines. You can see how the TAA airline buttons changed from the conventional style civil uniform buttons to the trendy nylon buttons of the seventies.

This curious museum is well worth a visit to find our more about your buttons, and to help date your buttons.

The TAA Museum is at 7 York Street, Airport West.

Open Tuesday-Thursday 10.00 a.m.-2.30 p.m.