History

Inspired by the American Names Project, based on the folk art traditions of quilting and sewing bees. The Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt Project was founded in September 1988 by Andrew Carter OAM and Richard Johnson in Sydney. It was formally launched on World AIDS day, 1st of December 1988 by Ms Ita Buttrose. The founding 35 memorial panels were displayed that day with visiting panels from the American Names Project.

The Quilt Project was the first of the many international projects to form the Names Project and regrettably remains the largest outside the United States. Today the Quilt is a registered charity. It is a national organisation with branches in most states and territories.

While the Quilt began as a memorial, it has become one of the nations most valuable resources for promoting a compassionate and educational dialogue about AIDS. Its non threatening nature allows people from all walks of life to learn about the AIDS epidemic from its human side. Its artistic and creative approach enables accessibility to all.

The Beginning

At a Candlelight March in the United States during the mid 1980s, cardboard placards were displayed in memory of people who had died of AIDS. This 44 patch work" memorial inspired one man, Cleve Jones, to consider the idea of a large quilt as a more permanent memorial. Friends and colleagues joined with him to help organise sewing bees and quilting workshops. The first panel was made in memory of a close friend of Cleve Jones.

In June 1987, the NAMES Project was officially launched with its first public display of 40 Quilt panels. The response was so overwhelming that when the Quilt was displayed outside the White House in Washington, DC, some four months later, it had grown to 1,920 panels covering an area over two football fields in size. Half a million visitors saw the Quilt and this led to a national tour in 1988. Since that time, the US Quilt has grown to over 25,000 panels and the International AIDS Quilt has spread to over 27 countries around the world.

The Quilt in Australia

Australian traveller Andrew Carter saw the American Quilt during its 1988 US National Tour, and upon his return home he was inspired to found the Australian Quilt with Richard Johnson. Andrew Carter was later awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of this work. World AIDS Day (1 December), 1988, saw the unveiling of the Quilt in Australia. Ita Buttrose formally launched the first 35 panels in Sydney. The Australian Quilt remains the largest outside the USA. Local groups of the Quilt now exist in States and Territories across Australia, all of them being voluntary and relying upon donations.