One of the treasures of the Australian Sports Museums’ diverse collection, is Cathy Freeman’s Aboriginal flag. After winning the 200m at the Commonwealth Games, in Victoria B. C., Canada, in 1994, she carried this flag during her victory lap. Selected for display, during the recent redevelopment, we worked closely with the curator, to develop a customised mount that would ensure the overall support of the flag, for the duration of this display.

The flag formed a “backdrop” inside a bespoke showcase, that was constructed to a lower specification than standard cases, which meant it would need to draped, with the support bearing both the width and weight of the fabric. Although the item was not heavy, the length of the flag and the dimensional movement meant that a good proportion of surface area needed to be secured to prevent unnecessary sagging and overall change, over time. 

An acrylic mount was formed, with a curved profile, a short edge at the back and a long edge at the front, to support the longer drop of the flag. The mount was fitted to the width of the flag. We created a thin, cushioned lining, and attached it to the mount, sewing thread through pre-drilled holes, throughout. Permission was first sought to stitch the flag onto the cushioned, fabric lining. Using colour-matched thread, and fine needles, the stitches were formed by pushing the needle through holes between the weave of the fabric and passing through the underlying fabric, secured to the acrylic mount. The mount was installed from the ceiling of the case, using metal rods and brackets, and “floats” behind the smaller objects in the case.