FOR the hundreds of women who worked at Lucas & Co, it was so much more than a textile company.
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Dot Roberts, president of the Old Lucas Girls, said she didn’t know where she would be without the women she calls her family.
For Ms Roberts and other Lucas Girls, the memories inside the walls of the factory are a part of the fabric of their lives.
This year, those memories will go on display during two major exhibitions to coincide with the organisation’s last major reunion in March.
The reunion, which was to mark the organisation’s centenary, was brought forward a year to ensure as many people as possible could attend.
One display will be at the Ballarat Library for six weeks leading up to the reunion, followed by a major showcase at the Heritage Weekend in May.
For the dozens of remaining Lucas Girls, their lives are forever threaded by love, support, acceptance, friendship and treasured memories.
Located at what is now Target, the company produced women’s fashion, with departments dedicated to children’s wear, babies’ wear and underwear.
The women would spend more than 40 hours a week hand-cutting, sewing, examining, folding and boxing clothing.
The clothing ranged from colourful underwear to parachutes and war uniforms for servicemen and women.
The workers also made clothes by renowned Italian designer Pierre Cardin, which were sold under the name of his label.
But as well as their contribution to the manufacturing industry in regional Victoria, the Lucas Girls are just as famous for their commitment to philanthropic work since World War I.
From the early years, a selfless spirit was instilled in the employees.
The sentiment remained in the hearts of the employees for the 50-plus years the company ran.
It echoed the ethos of its founder, Eleanor Lucas.
After losing her husband and needing to support six children on her own, Ms Lucas founded the textile company E Lucas & Co in 1888.
The small clothing manufacturing enterprise rapidly grew but, as it expanded, so did the community work the women did outside the factory.
Between 1917 to 1919, Ms Lucas’ more-than 500 employees planted thousands of trees along the Ballarat Avenue of Honour.
The first 1000 trees were planted on June 3, 1917, and the last 4000 trees on August 16, 1919.
It was opened in 1920, by the Prince of Wales.
The associated Temple of Remembrance is situated at the entrance of the Avenue of Honour.
It houses a Book of Remembrance which contains the names of every person in whose honour a tree was planted. The women also raised thousands of pounds for the construction of the Arch of Victory, a 17-metre-high structure which overlooks Sturt Street, and planted nearly every one of the trees on the Avenue of Honour.
Ms Roberts, a mother of two, grandmother to three and great-grandmother to eight, has been a part of the Lucas Girls since 1944.
She vividly remembers the day it was announced that World War II had ended.
“We all ran outside and marched down Sturt Street. The girls from Morleys were there too,” Ms Roberts said.
“As a kid, when you’re 17 and 18, things don’t hit you as much or you don’t realise the importance of it all until you get older.
“I can remember on the day the war finished, our boss, Mr Price senior, came out and declared that we could have the rest of the day off because the streets were so mad.”
Ms Roberts saw two women embrace in the middle of the factory.
“It was a big factory and there were all these different departments but I can remember one lady’s husband was overseas at war and she knew another one who worked in a different department whose husband was at war too. They just hugged one another and cried.
“Looking back, I realise how important that moment was to them, how big of a deal it was for everybody. That was a good day.”
Ms Roberts said while the women had been by her side during the happiest times of her life, they had also been a pillar of strength in darkest hours.
When Frank, her husband of 64 years, died, there was barely a moment one of the women was not visiting her.
“Without these girls I would be completely lost,” Ms Roberts said.
“The pain never fades. But then you have your girls and your grandchildren and you get on with it.”
For almost 100 years, the Old Lucas Girls have continued the tradition of service to the Ballarat community.
Every year, the group donates more than $1500 to the upkeep and maintenance to the Avenue of Honour.
It also donates thousands more dollars to other charities, including Ballarat’s Cops ‘n’ Kids.
Ms Roberts said much of the funding came from the fashion parades the group still held every year.
“We hold two mannequin parades a year and you’ve got no idea the afternoon tea these ladies put on,” Ms Roberts said.
“People come from all over. I think deep down it’s for our afternoon tea. We have every type of homemade cake or baked good you could imagine.”
The women also donate money for raffles from their own pockets and fundraise continually throughout the year for the betterment of Ballarat.
The Ballarat Central Library, in Doveton Street, will showcase a historic display from February 1 to March 15, highlighting the group’s achievements.
On May 9 and 10, the Ballarat branch of the National Trust will also showcase the achievements of the Lucas Girls and the Lucas factory at another extensive exhibition at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute.
There will also be sample pieces of clothing made during the era that are kept in the Gold Museum at Sovereign Hill.
The organisation is urging anyone in possession of any memorabilia that is suitable for the exhibitions to submit it before the displays are unveiled.
On March 15, a reunion for former Lucas employees and their family members will be held at the Ballarat Community Health Centre, 12 Lilburne Street, Lucas, from 1pm until 4pm.
For information, contact exhibition organisers Pam on 5339 5847 or Dinah on 5331 9130.
melissa.cunningham@fairfaxmedia.com.au