Hats off to hub's milliner

THEATRICAL milliner Rose Hudson is the second artist-in-residence at Art Hub Ballarat.

Hudson will be using the space until September, working on new artworks and recreating historical hats.

Hudson has 40 years of experience, having worked with the Melbourne Theatre Company, the Australian Ballet, Opera Australia and Victorian Opera, and has had her pieces exhibited in galleries including the National Gallery of Victoria.

Currently, Hudson is working on a project to recreate historically accurate headwear from the Eureka Stockade.

“I’ve got a guy who’s come to me who’s a lay historian who’s really, really interested in recreating the hats that the military wore at the Eureka Stockade,” she said.

“He said, ‘I was so excited when someone said there was an actual milliner in Ballarat’.”

The City of Ballarat’s Creative City artist-in-residency program aims to support creatives that live, work or study in the region.

Hudson said Ballarat is the perfect place to be a milliner.

“I just thought, surely this is one of the aims of the arts residency for someone like me,” she said.

“What I do is make historical copies of hats and there have been quite a few people come to me who have been thrilled there is a milliner in town.

“Of all the towns in Victoria, you’d think there would be some steady work for a milliner in Ballarat, and I have had all sorts of jobs.

“I’ve got to say the council is so supportive of the arts in Ballarat, I moved here from Melbourne three years ago and I didn’t feel this sort of love in the city.”