Alonzo Box, of Oakleigh ,a nephew of William and Elizabeth Box who resided in 'Box Cottage' 1865 - 1914, married Mary Closter (Kloster), of Oakleigh, on June 12th 1918. Alozo's elder sister, Rebecca, sent a bolt of Chinese hand-embroidered silk from which this wedding dress was made. Rebecca Viloudakia, nee Box, was a missionary in China, and married to a Greek Silk Merchant. Alonzo Box, the 9th child of John and Martha Sheldrake Box , enlisted in the Army and landed at Gallipoli 25/4/1918. He was evacuated to Egypt and then sent to the battlefields of France and Flanders before returning home to Melbourne in February 1918. Rebecca Box, the eldest child of John and Martha Sheldrake Box, was in the first party of Methodist Missionaries to leave Australia for the China Inland Mission in 1890. During the Boxer Uprising 1900-1901 her Mission outpost was attacked but she escaped and was taken to Shanghai. She later married one of the rescue party Nicholas Viloudakia a Greek silk merchant .Australian Dress Register ID 573 12/5/2015 Following Henry Dendy's Special Survey 1841 pioneer settlers bought allotments of land in the area of Moorabbin Parish. Alonzo Box was the nephew of William and Elizabeth Box who bought the cottage on the 30acre allotment from an unknown pioneer settler in 1868 and resided there until Elizabeth's death in 1914. Alonzo Box served in the Army World War 1 1914- 1918 at Gallipoli, France and Flanders. Rebecca Box -Viloudakia was in the first party of Methodist Missionaries to leave Australia for the China Inland Mission in 1890 and was rescued during the Boxer Rebellion 1900-1901 and taken to Shanghai by her future husband.A cream two piece wedding dress made from a bolt of hand embroidered Chinese silk for the marriage of Mary Closter and Alonzo Box on June 12th, 1918. The bolt of Chinese silk was sent by Alonzo’s older sister, Mrs Rebecca Viloudakia, a missionary in China, who was married to a Greek silk merchant. The machine sewn dress was made by a dressmaker in Dandenong, Victoria. The jacket is blouson, with a front opening and is gathered at the waist by a band enclosing a drawstring. The collar is a sailor style that forms a slight / high V-shape front neckline. Four vertical roses are separated by three bands of lacework. The back of the jacket is plain silk. The right front of the jacket has a panel of embroidered roses, band of lacework and a facing fold that encloses 4 fastening presses. There are crocheted bobbles on the front representing buttons. The left jacket front also has the panel of embroidered roses, lacework and matching fold for the 4 fastening studs. The full length inset sleeves are gathered to a cuff that fastens with silk covered buttons. The sleeves have floral embroidery down the outside centre line. The left sleeve has an extra detachable cuff with embroidery on the flounce that matches the bottom panel of the skirt. It is held in position around the wrist by 4 white metal press studs. The skirt sits above the ankle. It consists of 5 panels slightly gathered at the back waistline with a left side placket 21cm with hooks and eyes and press studs. The waistband is lined with petersham and has 6 whalebone inserts. The front of the skirt has small pleats to fit the 3 decorated panels to the waistline. The front has 3 bands of lacework around the lower part. 3 panels form the centre front each embroidered with a different floral pattern. The back of the skirt is plain with 3 bands of lacework rising from the hem, which is sewn with spoke work stitch. The long waist sash/belt is plain silk with embroidered ends and 3 silk balls with crocheted caps suspended on 3 crocheted silk chains. It has a rose knot with 2 metal press stud fasteners. There are a variety of floral designs embroidered on the material including ‘corner motifs’ on the 2nd inner front panel of skirt. brighton, moorabbin, silk, box william, box elizabeth, box alonzo, box mary, kloster mary, closter mary, oakleigh, dandenong, chinese silk merchant, boxer rebellion 1900-1901, box rebecca, methodist china inland mission, viloudakia nichols, anzac landings, world war 1, gallipoli

John Box 1841 - 1914, the 4th son of George and Mary Box, was born in Withyham, Sussex England and came to Australia in 1856 with his parents. He lived and worked on his fathers market garden in East Brighton ( now Bentleigh) for several years and then rented a property in Tucker Road in 1862. John married Martha Sheldrake and they had 10 children who were all born in East Brighton ( now Ormond ). Their eldest daughter Rebecca 'Faith' Box 1863 -1950 was a member of the 1st Australian party to go to China with the Methodist Church China Inland Mission in 1890. During the Boxer Rebellion 1900-1901 Rebecca was rescued from her inland mission post by a group of traders from Shanghai. She later married Nicolas Viloudaki, a Greek Silk merchant , who was a member of the rescue party. Rebecca sent a bolt of chinese hand embroidered cream silk to Mary Closter for her wedding dress at her marriage to Alonzo Box, who was Rebecca's younger brother. This Dress has been published on the Australian Dress Register in 2015 and is on display at Box Cottage Museum Ormond. John Box is the brother of William Box who, with his wife Elizabeth Box, lived in Box Cottage . John Box was a pioneer market gardener in North Road, East Brighton now Bentleigh. He married Martha Louise Sheldrake and they had 10 children. The eldest daughter Rebecca was a Methodist Missionary in China and Alonzo, their 9th child, served in the Army WW1 at Gallipoli, France and Flanders. Rebecca sent the hand embroidered Chinese silk material for the Wedding Dress worn by Mary Closter at her marriage to Alonzo Box 1918. After Martha died John Box married Eleanor Rushall c 1900 and they had 3 children. John was well respected by the community and also a Methodist lay preacher. Box Cottage Museum, a reconstruction of an early settler hut, is named after the Box family who resided there 1865 -1913 . William Box who, with his wife Elizabeth Avis Box and 13 children, lived and farmed on the block of land in Jasper Road, East Brighton ( now McKinnon / Ormond) that was part of the Henry Dendy Special Survey 1841. Inscribed in Album “ The early photos in this album were found by Mr (Laurie) Lewis when he was demolishing the Old Box Cottage. He gave them to Mrs Avis Box Eldridge who in turn gave them to me. They were not identified. I believe they rightly belong in the Cottage. I have attempted to identify them and present them in a way they can be preserved as a historical record of the era.” A B Leigh A black and white photograph of Martha Sheldrake d1895 the 1st wife of John Box 1841-1914Photographed by J Read Brennand / 83 Chapel St. Prahran

The Boxer Rebellion, Boxer Uprising or Yihetuan Movement was a violent anti-foreign, anti-colonial and anti-Christian uprising that took place in China between 1899 and 1901, toward the end of the Qing dynasty.The Rifle was brought back to Australia by the Victorian Naval Brigade on their return from China. They had been involved in the surrender of Pao-ting Fu and as Garrison troops at Tianjin during the boxer Rebellion, serving from July 1900 to March 1901. Rifle - Styer. Made in Austria in 1875. Glass covered Rectangular Framed Photo and Map with a brief description.rifle,gun,styer rifle, boxer rebellion,lara r.s.l.

An ensign is a national flag used within a naval or military context. A naval ensign is usually required to be flown when entering and leaving harbour, when sailing through foreign waters, and when a ship is signalled to do so by a warship. They are also flown during battles and when the ensign is lowered, the ship is said to have surrendered. This Victorian Naval Ensign was used by the Victorian Naval Contingent in the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900. The contingent was led by Captain Frederick Tickell who had commanded the Victorian Naval Forces since 1897. In around 1901, Captain Tickell presented the ensign to Frederick Thomas Sargood [1834-1903] who had been Minister of Defence and Education for the Colony of Victoria and was a Senator in Federal Parliament. In September 1986 the ensign was stolen from Parliament House. The suspect was described as a young man wearing 'a beret and bow tie' ("The Age" 26 September 1986). Fortunately the ensign was recovered a week later. Victorian Ensign wool flag with Union Jack, Southern Cross and crown emblem. Hand written ink inscription on white linen sleeve. Rope attached. Framed.Handwritten black ink on flag header: "This Victorian Ensign (the first on active service) was used by the Victorian Contingent during service in 1900 in China. It was presented to Senator Sir F.T. Sargood K.C.M.G. by Captain Tickell C.M.B. Lieut. Col."colony of victoria, boxer rebellion, victorian navy