It harks back to the days when every member of indigenous communities in eastern Australia would have a cloak from babyhood through to burial.

One of the earliest examples is in Melbourne Museum where one collected in 1872 from the Lake Condah community is on display along with another from the Yorta Yorta people.

This Lake Condah exhibit was made by six men, one of whom was the great-grandfather of south-west indigenous artist Vicki Couzens who has been teaching cloak-making skills for the past 15 years.

Unlike the early days when possums would be sourced from the local bushland, modern classes use pelts from New Zealand where the animals are feral. 

The revival was given a substantial boost in the lead-up to the 2006 Commonwealth Games when communities were asked to make cloaks for official ceremonies.

“From knowing about the old people who made the Condah cloak the idea came to me to share it,” she told The Standard while holding a class in Warrnambool this week.

“Working with communities on this is an amazing experience.

“It’s grown from something small to where possum cloaks are back in common use for ceremonies such as birthing, marriage, welcome to country, flag raising and corroborees.”

Ms Couzens held the class with her daughter Yaraan Bundle and Kerang cultural leader Aunty Ester Kirby. 

They were working in conjunction with the Gundtjmara Aboriginal Co-op of Warrnambool and Banmirra Arts of East Gippsland.

The Gundtjmara social support group, Yoonggama, organised the three-day class as a way of enabling younger women to learn from their elders.

They used 36 pelts to make a community cloak which will be under the care of four “keepers” and used at cultural events.

According to Ms Bundle cloaks were particularly traditional in  south-eastern Australia and traded to other parts of the nation.

“Each person had their own cloak which they were buried in,” she said.

“I’m doing some for my sons and as they grow the cloaks are made larger.”