Alvin Gavenor

I learnt to spin hair and make the dance hats from an early age from my grandmother, Margaret Hills, who was a master weaver of grass and hair. 

It's a lot of work to find a suitable tree, to strip the bark then to work the bark to form the frame for the dance hat. 

Spinning hair takes a long time too, but I am happy to make the dance hats. There aren't too many people who knows this craftmanship. Each time I make this I know I make a contribution to keep our culture alive and strong.

Alvin Gavenor

Artworks