A philanthropic gift to Toowoomba’s Cobb+Co Museum has helped bring to life a new exhibition honouring the craftsmanship, legacy, and future of saddlery. Garth and Sandra Delbridge alongside The Saddlery exhibition at Cobb+Co Museum.

Thanks to the generous support of Garth and Sandra Delbridge, The Saddlery exhibition, now open at Queensland Museum Cobb+Co, offers a rare glimpse into one of Australia’s oldest trades and the enduring legacy of Toowoomba’s own saddlery industry.

The exhibition showcases the traditional tools, techniques, and stories behind saddle making, featuring more than 30 original hand tools and a documentary-style film with master saddler Bob Edwards and the Delbridges’ family-owned business, Toowoomba Saddlery.

Garth Delbridge, who began his saddlery apprenticeship as a teenager and went on to found Toowoomba Saddlery alongside his wife Sandra in 1968 with just $120 and a dream, said it was important to preserve the trade’s legacy for future generations.

“I started Toowoomba Saddlery in the shed behind my house because I loved the craft and believed in its future,” Mr Delbridge said.

“Over the years we’ve seen the industry change, many of the old tanneries and saddleries are gone, but the skills, the pride, the attention to detail, that all still matters.

“This exhibition is a tribute not just to our business, but to all the tradespeople and craftspeople who built the industry in Australia. Sandra and I are proud to support a project that keeps that history alive.

This article appeared in On Our Selection News, 28 August 2025.