Talk
Hemp, Tar and 330 Metres: How the Ropewalk Worked
When
Time
2 pm to 3 pm
Where
Hemp Store
Price
$12, members $8 (includes museum entry that day)
Book your place
Lionel Brack joined the ropewalk in 1967 as a 15-year-old and was one of 19 people still working there when it closed in 1971. He is now the society’s collections manager, and he still knows the yardage of every rope the works made.
In this talk he follows a bale of hemp from the river wharf to a finished coil: combing it in the Hackling Loft, tarring the yarn, then walking it out down the 330 metres. He brings samples you can handle, and his old apron.
The talk is 45 minutes with 15 minutes for questions. The Hemp Store has a hearing loop and step-free access. Tickets include entry to the galleries for the rest of the day.
Questions about access for this event? Call (555) 555‑0167 or read the access guide.
Also coming up
Exhibition
The Branch Line, 1886 to 1958
Seventy-two years of the Tarrow Valley Railway, from the first train to the guard who took his lamp home. Tickets, timetables, uniforms and photographs.
Thursday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm
Tarring Room
Free with admission
Workshop
Hands On: Six Objects from the Store
Handle six objects that are usually in the store, with gloves and a volunteer who knows their stories. Ten places only.
11 am to 12 pm
Counting House (reading room)
Free with admission; 10 places, please book
Tour
Walking the River Frontage
A 2.4 km guided loop along the river from the ropewalk and back, past the old wharf, the ferry steps and the site of Kitto’s Snag.
10 am to 11:30 am
Meet in the Tar Yard
$12, members $8