Bronwyn Bancroft

Bronwyn's company Designer Aboriginals was founded in 1985. A shop, also called Designer Aboriginals, was established in Rozelle that same year. The shop provided training for young Aboriginal women in all facets of business from selling to creating handmade jewellery, sewing and silk screening. Many amazing and influential people came through the doors of Designer Aboriginals including Mum Shirl (Shirley C Smith), Gary Foley, Uncle Chicka Dixon, Kevin Gilbert, the Bostocks and many more.

 

During that time, Bronwyn was invited to be a part of several parades co-ordinated by Lily Madden and the Aboriginal Medical Service. In 1987, after two large parades, the Aboriginal Medical Service models and designers were invited to exhibit at an event titled Australis Down Under at the Au Printemps Department Store in Paris. Bronwyn was one of three designers, who travelled to Paris for the parades, with Euphemia Bostock and Mini Heath being the other two. They were the first designers from Australia to be invited to exhibit their works in Paris. Many of Bronwyn's designs and sketches are included in the collection of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.