Our People
25 September, 2026
Old mates weave plans for reunion
A SIMPLE idea to bring a few former workmates together for a photograph could become something much bigger for the people who once worked at Stawell’s woollen mill. Wayne “Tiny” Smith put the word out recently hoping former North Western Woollen Mills employees might join him at the old mill site for a photograph. He was not sure how many would turn up. In the end, 24 did – and it did not take long for old stories and friendships to be rekindled. Now Mr Smith is considering organising a more formal reunion this summer.
For generations of Stawell families, the woollen mill was more than a workplace.
North Western Woollen Mills began operations in 1926 and became one of the industries underpinning Stawell’s economy during the decades following the decline of gold mining.
Mr Smith started there in 1963, aged just 13 or 14, and recalls more than 380 people working at the mill at the time.
He spent about 15 years there across several stints, working as a tyer, warper and eventually in the design room.
It was on his first day that he acquired the nickname that has followed him ever since.
“I wasn’t much taller than that table, and that’s how I got the nickname Tiny,” he said.
At its height, Mr Smith remembers the mill having an influence well beyond its gates.
“Every Tuesday, every shop in this town made sure they stayed open a bit later because that was payday,” he said.
“You can imagine 100 bikes all at once leaving the woollen mills, heading to Main Street to put their money in the bank or pay their bills.”
There was plenty of mischief too.
Workers occasionally finished a shift to discover someone had swapped the front and back wheels of their bicycles, while newcomers could be sent searching for fictitious items such as “a bucket of steam” or “striped paint”.
But what Mr Smith remembers most is the camaraderie.
“You knew everyone. Everyone knew everyone,” he said.
“A lot of them met their partners down there.”
The 24 former workers who returned to the mill site showed those connections remain.
Mr Smith hopes a larger gathering this summer could give even more former employees the chance to return and share their memories.
He said the photograph itself would also give former workers something to show their children and grandchildren.
“That’s where we worked,” he said.
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