Tambo Teddies
It was 1992 and faced with crippling drought and the impact of the wool price crash, the small community of Tambo, Western Queensland set about dreaming up a new industry to sustain the economy of the little town. Enter three resourceful women – Mary Sutherland, Charm Ryrie, and Helen Sargood – who decided to assist the wool industry, encourage tourists and create employment by making unique teddy bears from wool pelts stuffed with wool. Remarkably, after lots of trial and error, the first Tambo Teddies were ready for sale in February 1993. Now, Tammy Johnson and Alison Shaw have driven the growth of Tambo Teddies since 2017 with their Regional Sewing Hub in Toowoomba. Employing migrant refugees, the enterprising business currently employs fourteen people enabling a much wider range of beautiful products.
