Hand sewn by Mrs Marjorie McKeown (nee Ford) who most likely also wore this garment. This item is an example of the fine needlework skills of women in the first half of the 20th century.A silk shirt front with silk collar and decorated with pearl buttons down the front. It has lace insertions on either side of the pearl buttons. The back of this garment is made of plain cotton and has narrow cotton laces which tie around the front. costume-female

Handmade by Alice Cowell as an entry for the annual Bombala (southern New South Wales) Show.This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the first half of the 20th century.A white machine-made petticoat with hand embroidery and pink ribbon threaded around middle. It has broderie anglaise along scalloped edge and comes with a blue certificate for First prize at the Bombala Annual Show.petticoat costume female-underwear handcrafts dress-making

This item reflects the artistic and creative skills of women in the first half of the 20th century. The Ah Chow family was prominent in early Orbost.A hand-made spray of flowers made of different shells with a coral stem. They are in yellow cellophane with a bow at the front .ornament handcraft shell ah-chow

Made by Mrs McKeown (nee Ford) and used in her house.This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the early to mid 20th century. Embroidery was an affordable way to personalise and add aesthetic value to domestic linen and examples of embroidered and crocheted pieces could be found in most Australian homes,A small pillow sham, square shaped, made from a coarse weave cream fabric front and a backing of bright yellow fabric. Four sprays of pink & yellow flowers with green leaves are embroidered onto the front. Around the edge is a border of drawn thread work which allows the bright yellow backing to show through.table-linen home-manchester hand-embroidery

Made and donated by Marjorie McKeown (nee Ford). This item is an example of a home-made item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the ffirst half of the 20th century when women's focus was the home and its decoration was important. Two black curtains made of heavy material. One is a straight curtain with a pocket hem and the other is smaller, with a curved lower hem and a deep black fringe. Both curtains have been decorated with large appliqued flowers and birds.home-decoration womens-handcrafts

This article was handmade by Amelia Frances Selwyn probably in England after she married Lance Mallett in London. Amelia was the mother of Brenda Murray, dedicated community worker and local government councillor. Brenda was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the community. Amelia Mallett was an early Croajingalong resident and she and Lance are buried in the Orbost Cemetery.This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in thefirst half of the 20th century.A handmade black lacy bolero. It has beadwork along the edges and fastens with an ornate black clasp.bolero costume-women handcraft clothing

This outfit belonged to Ethel May Robertson (nee Watt) b: 1879 in Jindiwick, Victoria, Australia. She was the daughter of John Alexander Watt. John Watt was an early selector who in 1879 selected land on the Marlo Road. She married Frank Edward Robertson on 4 March 1901 in Orbost.A black silk lace skirt and top. It has a petticoat attached. There is a black scarf with a cameo brooch attached.costume-women's lace robertson watt

This photograph shows George Temple's store which began operating C1888 opposite the post office in the main street of Orbost. The store stocked other stores at Bendoc supplying the gold fields. The men with their pack horses are on their way to the survey camp. George Temple, born in Yorkshire on 26/2/1832 was of the earliest Orbost storekeepers. Temple's Store was on the corner of Ruskin and Nicholson Streets opposite the post office. He packed stores to the Bendoc area goldfields. The store building eventually became part of Herbert's store when he died in 1917. This item is associated with the very early history of Orbost. George and Mary Temple were early shopkeepers who operated a store opposite the Post Office for many years. Their daughters were very talented women.A black / white photograph of low set wooden buildings . In the foreground is a fence on the opposite side of the street. There are signs on the top part of the building which occupies the whole corner - "G. TEMPLE Wholesale & Retail Merchant, Building materials, furniture, ironmomgery, boots and shoes, grocery, drapery, Croajingalong General Store, The Orbost Equitable Grocery"orbost-19th-century temple-george retail-stores

This item was worn by Sarah Archer, born 9.11.1881, and her daughter Irene Jean Maiden, born 1.7.1923, She lived in Orbost all her life having been born at the oOld Orbost Hospital in Nicholson Street. Irene died aged 86. Until well into the 20th century, the corset was an essential element of fashionable dress. Corsets were worn by women (and much earlier by men) to enhance their figures and to hold their stockings in place. Although still sometimes used they were mainly used prior to the making of pantyhose approximately 1960. A corset made of heavy apricot / pink cotton fabric . It has back tape acing through metal eyelets, and slide hooks. It has suspender straps with clips attached to the bottom of the corset. The stays, possibly whalebone, are sewn vertically into the fabric.on label - in red ink - "Liberty Reg'd "6/2815 D" small below waist size 32" exactcostume-women corsetry clothing

A bobby pin (also known as a kirby grip or hair grip in the United Kingdom) is a type of hairpin, usually of metal or plastic, used in coiffure to hold hair in place. It is a small double-pronged hair pin or clip that slides into hair with the prongs open and then the flexible prongs close over the hair to hold it in place. They are typically plain and unobtrusively colored, but some are elaborately decorated or jeweled. Bobby pins became popular in the 1920s to hold the new bobbed hairstyles. (ref. Wikipedia). These items were owned by Marjorie Burton. Marjorie Burton ( nee Whiteman), born 12 June, in Birmingham, England came to Orbost in 1995. In England she did office work – typing, shorthand and secretarial work - in accountants’ offices and also trained as a comptometrist with Burroughs in London. She came from a middle-class, working, church-going family. Her mother was a milliner who mademost of Marjorie’s clothes, hats and outfits. Marjorie married in 1938 to a salesman who later became a mechanic in the R.A.F. during WW11 These items are examples of women's hair accessories commonly used in the mid 20th century.Two packets of hair clips and one unused packet of henna shampoo. 2483.51 is a a set of 17 bobby pins on paper. On the back of the card are directions for a Steiner hair style. 2483.52 is a pack of 3 Dinkie silver metal clips for hair styling on a card. 2483.53 is an unopened sachet of powdered Henna shampoo. It is white with black text and green pictures.2483.51 - Kirbigrip 6d made in England Kirby Beard & Co 2483.52 - Made in England 2483.53 - Societe Francaise de Henne, Paris "Perfect -a -wave"hair-accessories bobby-pins shampoo kirbigrips burton-marjorie

These items were owned by Marjorie Burton. Marjorie Burton ( nee Whiteman), born 12 June, in Birmingham, England came to Orbost in 1995. In England she did office work – typing, shorthand and secretarial work - in accountants’ offices and also trained as a comptometrist with Burroughs in London. She came from a middle-class, working, church-going family. Her mother was a milliner who mademany of Marjorie’s clothes, hats and outfits. Marjorie married in 1938 to a salesman who later became a mechanic in the R.A.F. during WW11In the 1940’s women’s makeup was a huge industry. Despite war rationing, women began using makeup from the teens onwards. Cosmetics were an important part of most women's personal effects.Three containers of face powder. 2483.54 is a circular container, white with coloured flowers - the "Dreamflower Pattern". It contains some powder. 2483.55 and 2483.56 are pink boxes with gold print. 2483.54 : on base ; green text on white - Pond's Face Powder Suntan Made by Pond's Extract Co Ltd Perrivale Middx 2483.55 : Helena Rubinstein HR Silk Face Powder for Dry Skin Sport Boots 10/6 2483.56 : Helena Rubinstein HR Silk Face Powder for dry skin Beach Tan Inside is Exclusive Boots offer 6d off Your Next Purchase of Chikka pantiescosmetics skincare burton-marjorie

This item belonged to Marjorie Burton. Marjorie Burton ( nee Whiteman), born 12 June, in Birmingham, England came to Orbost in 1995. In England she did office work – typing, shorthand and secretarial work - in accountants’ offices and also trained as a comptometrist with Burroughs in London. She came from a middle-class, working, church-going family. Her mother was a milliner who made many of Marjorie’s clothes, hats and outfits. Marjorie was married in 1938 to a salesman who later became a mechanic in the R.A.F This item is an example of a nail care product commonly used by women in the mid 20th century.A round, white ceramic glass container containing cream. It has a tin screw top lid which is red and black with cream, and black print. Underneath the brand name is a a picture of two hands with long fingers. the base is recessed with instructions and details on a paper label.Longlex Cuticle Cream for brittle nailsburton-marjorie cuticle-cream handcare manicure

Helena Francis Warren (nee McKeown) was married to William John Warren and lived in Newmerella. She was a fine amateur photographer who supplied the photos for the Back-To-Orbost celebration book in 1937 and also designed the Back-To-Orbost badge. She was known for her soft toy making. (by Ivy Rodwell in from Personalities and Stories of the Early Orbost District by Mary Gilbert)This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the early 20th century.A hand-crafted toy fluffy dog. It is cream coloured with brown patches.It is made from sheep skin and has a pink silk protruding tongue, ears lined with brown silk and felt foot pads. It has one glass eye.handcraft toy needlework warren-helena

Helena Francis Warren (nee McKeown) was married to William John Warren and lived in Newmerella. She was a fine amateur photographer who supplied the photos for the Back-To-Orbost celebration book in 1937 and also designed the Back-To-Orbost badge. She was known for her soft toy making. (by Ivy Rodwell in from Personalities and Stories of the Early Orbost District by Mary Gilbert)This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the families of the early settlers.A hand-made papier mache basket in a floral pattern - roses, pansies and frangipanni. It is coloured red, purple, cream and green. It has a glossy finish. It is octagonal shaped and has a handle.papier-mache handcrafts warren-helena

This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the families of the early settlers. A small handmade fabric pincushion. It is edged in beading and embroidered on the top side. The padding is soft.

This book of poetry was written by war poet, Violet Bertha Cramer. It is a record of an Australian civilian woman’s perspective on war. The initials are G. K. Cameron, for Grace Kerr Cameron - Grace Charlotte Kerr Cameron. She was the twin daughter of James Cameron and Jane (Jean) Moffat. Her twin sister was Agnes Helen (Nell) Cameron, and her one brother was Harry Purchase Cameron (Roma Smith's father). Another brother Archibald Peter CAMERON, died aged 7. There is a family photo of Mrs Jane Cameron and the twins in the garden of the family home "Carinya". Grace and Nell lived in the family home following the death of their parents. Grace and Nell both died in 1940, then Roma and Ron SMITH lived at "Carinya" after their marriage in 1944. Lorraine and Peter COULTON's home is now on the site. (information from John Phillips and Margaret Smith). There was a lot of material written by Australian civilian women during the First World War. Violet B. Cramer was one poet who contributed to a valuable record of Australian civilian women’s perspectives on war. A small book with a buff coloured cover, titled Memories of the Great War written by Violet B. Cramer. Print is black. The book contains poetry on WW1.on front cover - G.K. Cameron, Carinya, Orbost.ww1 great-war cramer-violet-bertha poetry

This item is an example of a fashionable accessory used by women in the first half of the 20th century.A coin purse made of light blue dyed sheepskin. It has a gold coloured metal frame and clasp and is a rectangular shape.coin-purse accessories-women's sheepskin purse personal-effects money-containers

Pincushions or pin pillows date back to the Middle Ages in Europe. The tomato shaped pincushion grew from a Victorian Era superstition that tomatoes were good luck and so they were often given to newly weds as charms and placed on the mantle. When there were no actual tomatoes a fabric token was made and later used for pins. Some pincushions were stuffed with abrasive materials designed to sharpen the pins. This one would have a needlework accessory for an Orbost local.This item is a common sewing accessory reflecting the needlework skills of women in the first half of the 20th century.A soft padded fabric pin cushion. Material is a black background decorated with colourful flowers. It is divided into eight sections by red stitched lines and holds 3 needles and a bent pin.

This appears to be unused as it is starched.This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the early 20th century when women's focus was the home and its decoration was important. Embroidery and crochet work was an affordable way to personalise and add aesthetic value, and examples of embroidered and crocheted pieces could be found in most Australian homesA hand embroidered cushion cover. It is cream coloured with blue edging. In the centre is an orange diamond shape with an oval in the centre. There is a vase with flowers branching out. They are yellow and pink. The cover closes with 3 press studs.handcraft embroidery cushion-cover

This clip was not made to be worn in the hair, it was made to create fingercurls, a style of hairdo very popular in the 1920's and 1930's. The 1920's and 30's saw new simple hairstyles. The hair was often short and cut into a bob shape and then curled or more commonly ornamented with fingerwaves. the children came in. These hairclips were used to hold the curl in place as the hair dried.These items are examples of women's hair accessories commonly used in the mid 20th century.Two metal butterfly clips for waving hair. They are spring hinged and probably made of aluminium.hair-accessories hair-clips

This set is an example of personal grooming items commonly used by women in the first half of the 20th centuryAn oval shaped hairbrush with short handle. it is silver coloured and ornately embossed. The bristles are natural and the back and handle are possibly tin/silver plated?

A pillow sham is a decorative pillow case. This is a handmade pillow sham especially crafted for a household in early Orbost.This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the early to mid 20th century. Embroidery was an affordable way to personalise and add aesthetic value to domestic linen and examples of embroidered and crocheted pieces could be found in most Australian homes,A rectangular lace pillow sham. the centre rectangle is white and made of pulled thread lace. The edging is pale pink and blue lace,handcraft pillow-sham needlework

Under-bodices were first made of silk, though cotton was the fabric of most underwear from the second half of the century. These bodices were worn to protect against wear and soiling but more often for modesty. Undergarments such as this item were seen as essential to wear under blouses. This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the early 20th centuryA hand made white cotton woman's undergarment (chemisette) - an underbodice. It is of fine cotton with lace insertions at back and front. It has four buttons for the front opening. The bottom is gathered.women's-undergarments chemise bodice

During the late 19th -early 20th century detachable collars were a way of embellishing a garment. White lace was popular for collars and cuffs.This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the part of the 20th century.A white cotton lace collar and dress front. V neck opening.dress-accesories cotton-lace

This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the early to mid 20th century. Embroidery was an affordable way to personalise and add aesthetic value to domestic linen and examples of embroidered and crocheted pieces could be found in most Australian homes,A white / cream coloured linen tablecloth, edged with crochet. It has scalloped edges and is embroidered with orange stylised water lilies which have green leaves.needlework table-linen handcrafts

This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the early to mid 20th century. Embroidery was an affordable way to personalise and add aesthetic value to domestic linen and examples of embroidered and crocheted pieces could be found in most Australian homes, A hand made rectangular shaped white table cloth made of fine linen. it has lace insertions which are flower shaped. The flower stems and leaves are embroidered.table-linen handcraft needlework

This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the early to mid 20th century. Embroidery was an affordable way to personalise and add aesthetic value to domestic linen and examples of embroidered and crocheted pieces could be found in most Australian homes, A cream linen circular doily with scalloped edges. It is hand embroidered with a kookaburra and wattle design. It has some lace edging. doily needlework handcraft table-linen

Susan Mary Tinkler was one of thirteen children born to Christina Simpson (born Scroggie in 1859) and Henry Robert Simpson (born 1852). His occupation was Blacksmith & Wheelright in the Balranald & Moulamein districts. This bedspread was knitted by Susan Mary Tinkler of Balranald in 1908 and was used by her family throughout the years. This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the families of early settlers.Abedspread, hand-knitted in pink cotton. It has a intricate design and is edged with a fringe.hand-knitted bedspread linen handcraft

This was the wedding dress worn by Mrs Jessie McKinnon (nee Campbell). It has been made for riding side-saddle. Only highly-skilled tailors could produce the complex skirt required for riding side-saddle. It had to curve neatly over the rider’s knees.This dress reflects the fashion of the early 20th century as well as the needlecraft skills of the women at that time.A hand-made, long-sleeved wedding dress of beige satin. It is tapered at the waist and covered buttons from the collar to the waist. There are bows on the wrist. There is fringing at the waist and it is ankle length. There is a huge pocket on the left hand side. There are box pleats at ankle length and a frill of chiffon at the bottom.costume-female handcrafts-dressmaking dress-wedding

This dress was a wedding dress. Horseshoes have always been a traditional symbol associated with good luck . . Because the horseshoe is " U " shaped, to retain the the good luck forever, it is essential that the horseshoe is hung by the ribbons which are attached to the shoulders. The horseshoe should not be turned upside down or else all the good luck of the marriage may fall out.This dress reflects the needlework skills of women in the first half of the 20th century.A hand-made white full length lace dress with a lace-covered horseshoe attached to the shoulder. It has lace cap sleeves. The dress is lined with cream coloured silk.costume-female dress-wedding needlecraft hand-made horseshoe