Waverley Mills

Wool blankets and throws Waverley has been making woolen cloth on the banks of Distillery Creek in Launceston since 1874, and it calls itself Australia's oldest working textile mill. That matters more than the heritage story suggests, because a blanket from a mill that still spins, weaves and finishes on site is one of the very few textiles you can buy that never left Australia on its way to your bed. A Waverley wool blanket or tartan throw costs more than a department-store version, but it is the kind of thing that gets handed down rather than replaced, and it is a far better present to take home than anything from a souvenir shop.