Officers

President:              Mr Neil Tucker - Tucker Fibres Ltd
Secretary/Treasurer:    Dr Errol Wood - AgResearch Ltd
Committee:              Dr Surinder Tandon - AgResearch Ltd
                        Mr John Dorgan - Apparel & Textile Industry Training Organisation
                        Mr Mike Barra - Qualityarns Ltd
                        Mr Jeremy Wear - SGS Wool Testing Services
                        Dr Tony Booth
                        Ms Lorraine Greer - AgResearch Ltd
                        Mr Bruce Tollemache - Apparel and textile Industry Training Organisation
                        Mrs Anna Gratton - Anna Gratton Ltd

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

International Year of Natural Fibres - Natural fibres in Australasia

Combined NZ and Aus conference of The Textile Institute

Dunedin, New Zealand, 15-17 April 2009

First notice

WebSite Now Open:

http://www.otago.ac.nz/textiles/naturalfibres09/

The objectives of this conference are to:

• recognise and celebrate the United Nations Year of natural fibres;

• examine current issues related to natural fibres in Australasia – production, processing, development of niche products, use, disposal

• facilitate discussion among those working with textiles manufactured from natural fibres – such as members of The Textile Institute, and other professionals (academics, technologists, industrialists, curatorial/collections managers of textile collections).

This conference is being held in Dunedin, New Zealand, at the University of Otago, New Zealand's first University and is the first joint conference of branches of The Textile Institute in New Zealand and Australia. Both the conference theme and sub-topics are relevant to challenges facing those with diverse interests in natural fibres.

Abstracts (400 words) sought for the following themes, and are due on line by 30 November 2008.

Concurrent sessions are not planned.

Registration options will accommodate those interested in only selected parts of the programme.

Programme

Wednesday 15 April

1 Protein fibres
am Supply and disposal
pm Processing and niche products

Thursday 16 April

2 Cellulose fibres
am Supply and disposal
pm Processing and niche products
evening Conference dinner

Friday 17 April

3 Cultural artefacts of natural fibre
am NZ /Australian cultural artefacts of natural fibres
pm Identification, conservation, preservation – current practices
optional workshop/forum

Sponsorship opportunities

For further information, contact:
Raechel M Laing
Ph 64 3 479 7540
raechel.laing@stonebowotago.ac.nz