Sturt Gallery & Studios
Australia’s pioneering design centre and school for contemporary craft.
Join us for The Sturt Weekend
Saturday 3 - Sunday 4 October 2026
10:00AM - 3:00PM
An invitation to reconnect.
In 1962, Winifred West established the Sturt weekend as an annual event on the first weekend of October.
She described it as an occasion, “for the reunion of friends of Sturt”.
To honour this tradition, we invite you to join us at Sturt this October long weekend for a community event.
Please note, this is a free event for Friends of Sturt and the Sturt Community. We kindly ask that you register your attendance.
Event Schedule & Highlights
11:00 AM (Saturday): A talk by Weaving Artist Monique Van Nieuwland, introducing ‘Meet the Maker’ 2027 — an intimate series of artist talks, where makers connected to Sturt share their stories, materials, and processes behind their works.
All Day: 'Makers on Film' - watch short films profiling extraordinary makers
Exhibition: View fine wood craft from Studio Woodworkers Australia
Archives: Join a guided tour of the Sturt archives collection.
Connect: Enjoy refreshments in the garden.
Join Friends of Sturt
Friends of Sturt is a volunteer community dedicated to supporting Sturt through fundraising, advocacy and active involvement. United by a shared appreciation for fine craft and art, Friends of Sturt is committed to helping Sturt thrive for generations to come.
Established in 1991 as part of Sturt's 50th Anniversary celebrations, the group has long supported Sturt through fundraising initiatives, educational programs, social events and volunteer contributions.
As Sturt enters a new chapter, we invite supporters to join Friends of Sturt and help strengthen the foundations of the newly established Sturt entity. Relaunched as a recognised supporter community and formally acknowledged within the organisation's constitution, Friends of Sturt will play an important role in ensuring Sturt's continued success and impact into the future.
Sturt School for Wood
MSF40222 Certificate IV in Furniture Design and Manufacturing
Sturt School for Wood’s renowned year-long intensive course is guided by the world’s finest master furniture makers. Nowhere in Australia can you learn from as many furniture experts of this calibre. Sturt graduates are in demand in industry and honed to become the furniture makers and designers of the future.
A History of Sturt
Founded in 1941
Sturt was founded in 1941 by Winifred West (1881–1971) when she retired as headmistress of Frensham, the independent secondary school for girls which she had established in 1913. Miss West's intent was to provide further education in crafts, music and drama for children who had left Mittagong Primary School, and for adults seeking useful and creative skills.
Frensham Schools Classes
Design and Fabrication Studios
Sturt plays an essential role in a Frensham Schools education. The Design and Fabrication Studios, formerly a weaving studio and a café, refurbished into a contemporary learning space in 2015 to form a creative hub where expert teachers lead courses in digital design and fabrication, supported by the latest technologies.
Sturt Gallery
The Sturt Weekend
Saturday 3 - Sunday 4 October 2026
10:00AM - 3:00PM
11:00 AM (Saturday): 11:00 AM (Saturday): A talk by Weaving Artist Monique Van Nieuwland, introducing ‘Meet the Maker’ 2027 — an intimate series of artist talks, where makers connected to Sturt share their stories, materials, and processes behind their works.A talk by Weaving Artist Monique Van Nieuwland, introducing ‘Meet the Maker’ 2027 — an intimate series of artist talks, where makers connected to Sturt share their stories, materials, and processes behind their works.
All Day: 'Makers on Film' - watch short films profiling extraordinary makers
Exhibition: View fine wood craft from Studio Woodworkers Australia
Archives: Join a guided tour of the Sturt archives collection.
Connect: Enjoy refreshments in the garden.
Please note, this is a free event for Friends of Sturt and the Sturt Community.
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