Spilling the Tea on Queensland’s History
- Words by Peppermint
Mid-century ‘kitchenalia’ and ‘Queenslandiana’ are having a renaissance of sorts among local designers and makers. But what do 200 tea towels en masse say about aspects of our collective memory and design aesthetic?
A vibrant tribute to the humble tea towel, the State Library of Queensland’s latest exhibition – Queensland to a T – examines just that. Dated between 1950 and 2016, the tea towels reflect our state’s changing ideas and interests – and the stubborn longevity of some stereotypes. Most of the collection was designed for popular consumption and is from the Glenn R Cooke Souvenir Textile Collection.
Collecting is about learning and these tea towels help tell the social history of the state and explain how Queenslanders saw their local communities.
Glenn, a social historian, curator and collector, believes the collection is the only one of its kind in the world. “I have searched the great cultural institutions of the world which, at most, have a handful and none have such a comprehensive focus,” he says. “For me, collecting is about learning and these tea towels help tell the social history of the state and explain how Queenslanders saw their local communities.”
Playing with themes of destination, design and domesticity, the free exhibition – which you can learn more about here – leans heavily into nostalgia and will run from 6 August to 22 January. Soak up the kitchen kitsch and take a gander at a few classic tea towels from the collection below!
left THE SUNSHINE STATE, ITEM NO. 3, GLENN R. COOKE SOUVENIR TEXTILES COLLECTION, STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND. right AUSTRALIAN PINEAPPLES, ITEM NO. 49C, GLENN R. COOKE SOUVENIR TEXTILES COLLECTION, STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND.
left LONGREACH ARTS AND CRAFTS, ITEM NO. 299, GLENN R. COOKE SOUVENIR TEXTILES COLLECTION, STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND. right GREAT BARRIER REEF, ITEM NO. 67, GLENN R. COOKE SOUVENIR TEXTILES COLLECTION, STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND.
left LORIKEET, ITEM NO. 88, GLENN R. COOKE SOUVENIR TEXTILES COLLECTION, STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND. right THE PET PORPOISE POOL COOLANGATTA TWEED HEADS, ITEM NO. 331, GLENN R. COOKE SOUVENIR TEXTILES COLLECTION, STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND.
left AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL ART, ITEM NO. 37, GLENN R. COOKE SOUVENIR TEXTILES COLLECTION, STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND. right MOOCHETH, THE IBIS, ITEM NO. 95, GLENN R. COOKE SOUVENIR TEXTILES COLLECTION, STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND.
left AUSTRALIAN WILD FLOWERS ITEM NO. 521, GLENN R. COOKE SOUVENIR TEXTILES COLLECTION, STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND. right CALENDAR FOR 1986, ITEM NO. 1298, GLENN R. COOKE SOUVENIR TEXTILES COLLECTION, STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND.
This article was created in partnership with our friends at the State Library of Queensland! Queensland to a T runs from 6 August through 22 January. Follow the link here for more details.
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Brighten up your inbox with our not-too-frequent emails featuring Peppermint-related news, events, competitions and more!
explore
More articles
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…. Which means we are officially entering party season. Work parties, friend-dos, family get-togethers and then we’re straight into New Year festivities. If you’re lucky enough, you might be staring down the barrel…
Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
Furred, feathered, fishy, scaled… The pets we choose are as diverse as our personalities. (And apparently, quite often we resemble each other.) But they all…
When you hang a painting on a wall, the story stays put. But when you wear a beautifully made garment that may as well be…
Hang out with us on Instagram
“We love that we can bring a hint of imagination and whimsy into everyday life by making ordinary objects fun. We’ve learned to appreciate the little wins and to take a moment for each step we achieve.”
Disillusioned by the realities of fast fashion, design grads Emily May and Sidonie Moore ditched clothing for a business that finds fun in the everyday. Enter @TheNonsenseMaker: a collection of unique homewares, fun wall art, greeting cards and more that breathe life into Emily’s illustrations: “I love the idea of taking real-world objects and changing your perspective in a way that brings magic and whimsy into everyday life!”
In issue 64’s feature ‘It all makes sense’, we chat to the Naarm/Melbourne-based duo about their sustainability philosophy, TV re-runs and their commitment to local makers. At stockists now!
Photos: @MeAndMyGirl
#PeppermintMagazine #TheNonsenseMaker #LocalMakers #SustainableCraft
Any New Year’s resolutions on your list? We love this from @OtterBeeStitching - “be brave enough to suck at something new”.
There’s no points for perfection, but you’ll get a trophy for trying. If nothing else this year, take the leap and try something new.
#OtterBeeStitching #Embroidery #BeBrave #TrySomethingNew #EmbroideryArt
Sunday serving suggestion ☀️
Gorgeous photos from @JolieFemmeStore - who make sweet garments from vintage bedsheets.
#PeppermintMagazine #SlowSunday #SwitchOff #Unplug #ReadAMagazine
A toast to the old you 🥂
We wholeheartedly love this post from the brilliant @EmilyOnLife:
“2026: Reinvent, burn it down, let it go (whatever it is). Year of the Snake it up. Exercise your boundaries, exercise your body, take one teeny step every day towards a life that feels better to be in.
But don’t you dare shit on your old self while you do it.
Hold yourself with reverence and tenderness and respect, because you got you this far. You did your very best with the information and tools you had at the time. You scraped yourself together, you made it work, you survived what felt impossible to survive: again and again and again.
You are perpetually in the process of becoming, whether you can feel it or not, whether or not you add it to your 2026 to-do list.“
Some very wise words from @Damon.Gameau to take us into 2026 🙌🏼
⭐️ We made it!!! ⭐️
Happy New Year, friends. To those who smashed their goals and achieved their dreams, and to those who are crawling over the finish line hoping to never speak of this year again (and everyone else in between): we made it. However you got here is enough. Be proud.
It’s been a tough year for many of us in small business, so here’s to a better year in 2026. We’re forever grateful for all your support and are jumping for joy to still be here bringing you creativity, kindness and community.
We’re also excited to be leaping into the NY with our special release sewing pattern – the Waratah Wrap Dress!
How great are our fabulous models: @Melt.Stitches, @KatieMakesADress and @Tricky.Pockets - and also our incredible Sewing Manager @Laura_The_Maker! 🙌🏼
Ok 2026: let’s do this. 💪🏼
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #MeMade #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
