For the past decade, they’ve been gathering dust in the WAG archives, but soon they will be turned to their original home on the Flaxman Street facade of the old FJs building.

Site manager Troy Kelly said he would be looking through old photos to put them in the right place. 

The return of the wooden needles is the latest step in the building’s rejuvenation, which is as much about the future as the past. 

Mr Kelly said he hoped to have a proposed car museum opened by the end of the year.

“It won’t be just a car museum – we don’t really want to give away a hell of a lot (but) it will be a lot for people to take in,” he said.

“The museum is the main goal at the moment. We’re pushing to get the museum open to get foot traffic and boost numbers in the area.”

Mr Kelly said increased visitation would make the remaining sections more attractive to potential tenants, adding that the owners of “the FJs franchise are interested in coming back to this showroom”.

Works to remove asbestos, fix the roof and repair water damage were ongoing, but Mr Kelly said keeping the building as true to its past as possible was important.

“It would be a whole lot easier to rip out what’s in there but we’re maintaining everything that’s existing, which is a big task,” he said.

WAG director Vanessa Gerrans said the “authentic nature of … the building’s regeneration” meant it was a good time to return the sewing needles and get them back in their original place.

The former factory’s renewal is coinciding with the FJ Stories Project, which is helping to preserve the social history of the site.

Project co-ordinator Julie Eagles said a second mural covering FJs and its workers would be hopefully unveiled at the annual garden party later this year, with a website also in the works. Stories and photos relating to FJs can be emailed to julie.eagles@bigpond.com