Yarn Bombing the Central Coast
If you’ve noticed trees wrapped in bright, colourful yarn around Kibble Park, Gosford, or down by The Village Green at Toukley, you’ve spotted Zonta Central Coast’s latest yarn bomb — a community art project with a powerful message!
The installations are part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign running from 25 November to 10 December that calls for an end to violence against women and girls.
Each year, Zonta members and volunteers across the Coast knit and crochet hundreds of vibrant panels to create eye-catching displays that make people stop, look, and learn.
Attached to the yarn are messages and information about domestic and family violence — including lesser-known forms such as coercive control and financial abuse — along with where to seek help.
Zonta Central Coast President, Margaret Thomas said “the yarn bombs are a way to start conversations that matter”
“The colour draws people in — but the message is what stays with them. Every person who stops to read a sign or ask a question is helping to break the silence around violence.”
Now in its fifth year, the project attracts hundreds of passersby each season. The yarn bombs stand as a visible reminder that our community says no to violence and yes to equality, safety, and respect.
BUT WHY?
A Zonta CENTRAL COAST yarn bomb is a community art project where members of the Zonta Central Coast organization wrap public trees and structures with colorful knitted or crocheted material to raise awareness about domestic and family violence. These installations, often part of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, educate the public by providing messages and information about different forms of violence and how to seek help.
Purpose: To raise public awareness and create a public, visible statement against domestic and family violence.
Method: Volunteers create vibrant, yarn-wrapped decorations that are then installed on trees, fences, and other public objects.
Messaging: The yarn-bombed displays often include signs or have messages woven into the fabric explaining different types of abuse, such as coercive control and financial abuse, and provide information on how to get help.
Timing: These projects are frequently timed to coincide with the international "16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence," which runs from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to December 10 (Human Rights Day
So next time you’re in Gosford or Toukley, stop for a moment, take a photo, and share the message. Together, we can make a difference — one stitch, one story, and one conversation at a time.