Handmade millet brooms have been produced in Tumut since 1946, and now a new generation of craftsmen is sweeping against the tide
Owner and operator of the Tumut Broom Factory, Andrew Wortes, is a third generation broom maker. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
One couple, from Brisbane, says the factory was on their “must visit” list on a trip around the country. Others have made the relatively short if circuitous trip from Canberra, and another family has travelled up from regional Victoria.broom maker Andrew Wortes. “They’re amazed that they can walk into a factory and watch people make something, like brooms, or blacksmiths and visit lost trade fairs across Australia.
“Dad wanted me to do other things,” he says. “I was in bands and went off and studied at university, but when I decided to come back, Dad said, ‘you’ll know what you’ll be doing if you move back to Tumut’, and I said, ‘yeah, Dad, I want to learn’.”It takes six months to learn how to make a decent broom, Wortes says. Now, with four years’ experience, he can make about 20 on his own each day. Broom-making is juggled between welcoming visitors, handling wholesale orders and managing the business.
“You get good years and bad years with local millet. It’s a lot more consistent out of America,” Wortes says.The imports are pre-graded and packed, removing the need to utilise the ancient grading machine in the back of the warehouse. That machine is reserved for local crops. “During Covid it became very apparent how much we’re relying on other countries for our goods and services, and I think that’s why people want to see Australian-made make a comeback.”It is quiet in the factory between tours and passing trucks. The skylights on the roof were filled in years ago, leaving the huge double doors to let in most of the light. Most days, as Wortes prepares to shut the shop for lunch, he uses the lull to take advantage of the vaulted ceilings and play some Bon Iver.
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