Australia's last umbrella maker

Updated

At the age of 74, Alicia Mora-Hyde creates colourful handcrafted umbrellas, not for rainy days, but for beauty.

Meet the lady trying to keep the trade of umbrella making alive in a small Brisbane workshop.

I haven't finished learning how to make an umbrella, or anything else really, you never stop learning. Umbrella artist Alicia Mora-Hyde

Born in Chile, Ms Mora-Hyde moved to Australia at the age of 17. She came to Sydney as a nanny for a local businessman — the owner of an umbrella factory.

Over the years she learnt how to craft umbrellas from scratch and moved to Brisbane in 2002 to open a small workshop in Brendale.

"I didn't even have an umbrella when I first came to Australia," she said.

"I know the trade but there are many things I still don't know and I'm sad I didn't ask my late boss before he passed away.

"It has taken me more than 40 years to really learn the trade."

There is no-one else left here in Australia doing this. There are repairers, but they don't have the tools to create them. Umbrella artist Alicia Mora-Hyde

Ms Mora-Hyde is one of the last umbrella designers around the world and believes she is the only woman in the world that can make an umbrella from start to finish.

"I'm the only one left," she said.

I love the challenge, especially when people bring different umbrellas in. Umbrella artist Alicia Mora-Hyde

Each of the umbrellas are handcrafted and designed by Ms Mora-Hyde who started making her own creations in 1971.

She can make a single umbrella within an hour, but a more detailed designs can take weeks.

"You need six machines to make each umbrella and not many people have them anymore," she said.

"I recover antique umbrellas too and this is different to my patterns so I have to create a brand new pattern ... it's not simple."

Mothers say that all their children are the same, I feel the same about my umbrellas, for me there is no umbrella that is an ugly thing. Umbrella artist Alicia Mora-Hyde

Creating umbrellas by hand involves sourcing all elements of the umbrella, many coming from overseas.

"Before my time there were people who made handles by hand too that were Australian name, but not anymore, I have to source from overseas," Ms Mora-Hyde said.

"I buy my material from Europe, Italy, France, Germany and Austria."

When asked about her favourite design or creation, Ms Mora-Hyde said there is no favourite.

"I have thousands and thousands, I don't know exactly how many I have, if I counted them all I would go mental," she said.

"My neighbour said to me 'you love these umbrellas because you didn't have children' maybe she's right."

I hope I can keep going on doing this, it's fun and I love every minute of it. Umbrella artist Alicia Mora-Hyde

Ms Mora-Hyde said umbrellas are not about keeping the rain off, but more about beauty and elegance.

"It is their [the umbrellas'] beauty and their uniqueness," she said.

"People who appreciate beauty and quality come to me, people who say to me they can buy umbrellas from China, I tell them to go ahead!"

This isn't just an umbrella that covers you from the rain, there are 100s of umbrellas that do that ... my umbrellas are about beauty. Umbrella artist Alicia Mora-Hyde

Despite battling illness, Ms Mora-Hyde said she hopes to keep making umbrellas for as long as she physically can.

"I am getting weaker now and not as strong as I used to be and the drill can be a little fast for me, but I'm still going and I have not had any accidents," she said.

"This is my life and I will keep doing it for as far as I can go."

What will Ms Mora-Hyde do with the thousands of umbrellas she has made and stored in her small workshop?

"I say to people if I die, all the umbrellas will have to be buried with me," she said.

"All of them will come ... and that is a big plot that I will need."

Topics: arts-and-entertainment, design, human-interest, brisbane-4000

First posted