What is the NAW?

The National Association was originally founded by a small group of hobby woodturners. They were aware that there were hundreds of aspiring woodturners in every corner of New Zealand trying to teach themselves the basics, often with very mixed results. Clearly there was a need to bring people together to share their skills and experiences. In 1986 the National Association of Woodturners New Zealand Inc. was established to promote, foster and encourage the art and craft of woodturning. The NAW has grown steadily and we now have around eleven hundred members including 45 Clubs or Guilds.

Most of the clubs cater for wood crafts such as carving, intarsia and marquetry, furniture making, wood sculpture and many forms of wood decorating, although the majority of members around the country would be woodturners. In July 2004, to reflect the wider focus on all woodskills the name of the association was changed to “National Association of Woodworkers New Zealand Inc. ”

We are a healthy vibrant organisation gaining strength year by year.