Country Always

Caring for Country

A Corner of the Empire

The Garden Palace

The Holding Pen

The Agricultural Hall

Regional Networks

Across New South Wales

A Museum of Doing

Technological Museum

Expanding Stories

Evolution of the Castle Hill site from botanical research station to Museum Discovery Centre

Transforming the Tramsheds

Powerhouse Stage 1 and the Harwood Building

A Symbol in Time

Sydney Observatory

Ongoing Transformations

Powerhouse Ultimo

Applied Arts and Sciences

Defining the terms in the 21st century

Powerhouse Renewal

A transformative renewal program across four sites

We Rise

Blak Powerhouse

Powerhouse-1 Mission Launch to the ISS

An initiative of the Powerhouse: Future Space program

2024

Exoskeleton

Powerhouse Parramatta

Threads of Connection

Powerhouse Volunteers

Parramatta

2026

Stories

Threads of Connection

Powerhouse Volunteers

Black and white image of a person's hands (Barbara Stokes) holding the parts of a bobbin lacemaking machine. The machine is on a lace pillow table with pins pinned onto its surface.

Stories

For more than 20 years, volunteers have helped keep the tradition of lace making alive at Powerhouse. Among them are Barbara and Isa, who share a passion for lace and a commitment to sharing the skills and traditions behind the craft.

Close up black and white portrait of a woman (Barbara Stokes) with short gray hair and glasses.

Volunteer Barbara Stokes' home is filled with lace. Over many years, she has built an extraordinary collection of lace pieces, patterns and books that reflects decades of learning, making and research. For Barbara, lace is more than a decorative art form. Through intricate stitches, patterns and designs, makers leave behind traces of their creativity, skill and experience. By introducing new makers to the craft, Barbara helps ensure that knowledge continues to be shared.

A lace collar, bobbin applique on machine made net with needle lace filling, made of cotton. Horseshoe in shape the collar features a scrolling floral design with a scalloped edge and machine made bobbin engrelure. The collar is made using cloth stitch bobbin lace motifs appliqued to machine made net. The design is embellished with needle lace fillings. Lace collar is made of cotton. — 1/5
Lace collar, 1836-1865
Object No. A1051

A roll of lace border, bobbin applique on machine made net with needle lace filling, made of cotton. Depicts a scrolling floral design with a 3 row square grid edge. — 2/5
Lace border, 1865-1900
Object No. A10910-1/2

Tape lace banner screen, with the bottom of the lace forming scolloped edges, the design features floral and foliate motifs, the outside border of the banner is composed of a larger decorative tape, with a needle lace edging. — 3/5
Point lace banner screen, 1893-1943
Object No. 2019/42/1

Lace panel, bobbin lace technique, made of copper wire, rectangular in shape it includes the text 'LOVE / LACE' in bold font. The design is a diamond grid with a pattern of small holes at the intersection of the grid lines. Occasional larger holes are included within the letters of the text. The letters are outlined by a bundle of copper wire which is interwoven with the wires in the grid and the ends of these wires are left untrimmed, as are the finishing wires of the body of the lace in the right side of the panel. — 4/5
Copper bobbin lace panel, pricking mat and Avant postcard
Object No. 2024/15/1

Photograph of a newspaper article on lace making from the newspaper 'THE QUEEN, THE LADY'S NEWSPAPER' page 284. — 5/5
Clipping from 'The Queen, the Lady's Newspaper' regarding lace making, 27/10/1877
Object No. 86/1751-283

Black and white image of the lacemaking process, a hand pinching multiple pins onto a bobbin lacemaking machine to create a roll of lace.

For Isa, lace making became a way to connect with others. After moving to Australia from Spain, she found a welcoming community through Powerhouse and a shared passion for lace. Today, Isa introduces others to lace making through monthly workshops at Powerhouse Castle Hill, sharing techniques and traditions with new generations of makers.