BHS CollectionFull length royal blue silk embroidered fabric dress with bodice and long sleeves, fully lined with ivory cotton fabric. Hand made. Front of bodice has round neck and dips to a deep V at waistline. Twelve decorative fabric covered buttons from neckline to lower V that taper to stitched down pleats at waistline. Fabric bow at centre front of neckline lined with blue satin. Long sleeves have short capped layer over a flared layer underneath. Top section edged with one row of royal blue cotton fringeing. Lower flared section edged with two rows of royal blue cotton fringeing. Large royal blue fabric bow attached at each elbow. Back of bodice made of six panels to waistline. Centre panel on each side is edged with cotton fringeing. Centre back opening to waist with nineteen hooks and eyes, only one eye remaining. Piping around waistline. Full skirt knife pleats at front below waist. Hemline edged with blue ribbed cotton ribbon. Card inside box with ''Wedding Gown Circa 1850's".costume, female, royal blue silk dress

Joseph Butterworth COOMBS (1842-1901), was an accountant who founded a successful mercantile trading company. At the time of his marriage to Caroline Mary MICHEL in 1869, Coombs had already purchased ten acres of Studley Park. The acreage included land on the west of Fenwick Street that extended along lower Stawell Street to the corner of Yarra Street, all of it connected directly to the Yarra environs. A right of way to Studley Park Road was on the title, though Coombs went on to purchase more land, some of which faced Studley Park Road. In addition to owning the Studley Park acreage, Coombs later acquired 1,201 acres of land abutting the Acheron River. While retaining the Kew property he became a Taggerty Councillor and was Shire President for a time. J.B. Coombs died at Acheron Station in 1901 (aged 59 years). A few months after, tenders were called to repair the Kew dwelling, the Fenwick Street property now appearing in records with the name ‘Hope Mansell’. Caroline Coombs remained at Hope Mansell until she died in 1924, survived by three sons and five daughters. Not long after her death, advertisements appeared for the sale of the Studley Park land. The sale seems to have been a mechanism for distribution of the Estate, as the following year the original ten acre holding was transferred to members of the family. The eldest daughter Mabel married William Younger who, with his brother Alexander, developed Younger and Mackie Courts, both south of Studley Park Road. [Research: Kerry Fairbank]In 1961, the granddaughter of Joseph and Caroline Coombs, Mabel Isola (Younger) Grattan, donated ten 19th century dresses and parasols to the Kew Historical Society. The costumes, now known as the 'Coombs Collection', are the earliest recorded items of clothing to enter the Society's collection. Each of the items in the Coombs Collection, of which this item forms a part, is historically, aesthetically and socially significant. As a collection, the costumes includes outstanding examples of morning wear, day dresses, wedding dresses, and clothing accessories, providing evidence of outstanding dressmaker skills in Victoria during the mid to late Victorian period. Two-piece royal blue heavy silk dress comprised of a tightly waisted top that extends below the waist at the front and the back, and a floor-length skirt. The full skirt and the sculpted fabric that is part of the top are designed to cover a bustle. The elaborately styled bodice is joined with fabric-covered buttons at centre front. The bodice is distinctively styled with the use silk velvet banding and tassles that extend the woven silk webbing. The outfit is in excellent condition apart from some wear on the velvet and the buttons.women's clothing, australian fashion, dresses, costumes, fashion & design, outerware

Royal blue rayon and silk short sleeved knee length dress. Back is made of two pieces with centre seam. Inverted pleat at centre 18cm above hem. Two vertical darts have been used on either side of the centre back (30cm). Both darts have been unstitched. Short set in sleeves. Front has bodice crossover to form V neck.15 cm crossover Midriff piece and skirt in one piece – straight. Bodice crossover pieces joined to midriff. Dull blue lace fabric lined with royal blue rayon, joined to midriff piece – layered horizontally with 4 tucks of 3cm showing. Attached to skirt. Skirt one piece with two knife pleats on either side of centre. LHS opening with 26cm metal zipper from 8cm below sleeve. Linen look fabric. Part of ensemble with 11400.525Created by ZANKO of Melbournecostume, female daywear, dress

Floor length dress of royal blue silk fabric with a metallic thread forming a tinsel like pattern. There is a V neck at front with a high round neck at the back. The bodice front is made from two pieces with a centre seam. The bodice is attached to midriff panel of royal blue satin. At the front the bodice is gathered slightly onto the panel with a V shape at t centre front of the panel. At the hip line centre front the midriff panel narrows and then widens and the panel extends to the hem. The centre panel is divided and has a godet insert in the centre. Fifteen decorative fabric covered buttons with roulette loops are attached at centre of midriff panel. The back of the bodice is one piece is gathered slightly into a high waisted skirt made up of four gored pieces. The side opening (21 cm) at the waist on the LHS has three metal hooks with cotton loops and two press studs. The long sleeves are set in with lily point finish at the wrist. The underside of the sleeve at the wrist has ten decorative fabric covered buttons with roulette loops. Machine and hand stitched.costume, female daywear, blue silk dress

A newspaper cutting "Past Lives Again" - The past will live again when the Bendigo and District branch of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria holds its Golden Days Exhibition at the Memorial Hall Next Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. many treasures of yesteryear have been resurrected from attics and storage chests. Among these the glorious royal blue silk brocade gown worn by Jennifer Wyatt. the frock was brought out from England more than 110 years ago by Mrs. Jonathan Harris of Axedale (her husband was the founder of the Hustlers' line of reefs in Bendigo). This paper clip is inside an envelope addressed to L J Ellison, Axedale Bendigo Vic. A postage stamp of 5d posted in Sydney 20 Sep 1960. No return address . In blue pen across "Harris dress picture".newspaper, bendigo

The donation records indicate that this dress was worn by Georgiana Elizabeth Moore (1899-1974), who lived for most of her life in Brighton at 38 and later 40 Cochrane Street. Since the dress is of an earlier date, It is likely that it belonged to Georgiana's mother, Elizabeth Moore (1860-1950). Georgiana was born to Richard and Elizabeth Moore in Brighton in 1899. She was named after Richard's first wife, Georgiana Leake Moore (nee Paul), who had died in 1893 aged only 38. Georgiana is recorded as having been "tall with red hair". The family moved to Diamond Creek for several years, but returned to Brighton after Richard's death in 1922. Georgiana and her mother settled in Cochrane Street, where they lived for the rest of their lives. We know very little about Georgiana herself. Newspaper records indicate that she was a talented musician, graduating from the University of Melbourne with a diploma in music in 1927. BHS holds a small collection of items belonging to the Moore family. This dress was donated by Georgiana's niece, Jeannette Fraser, along with two nightgowns: a c. 1880 night dress believed to have been worn by Elizabeth and a c. 1910 night dress believed to have been worn by Georgiana's sister Amelia Henrietta Fraser (née Moore) while boarding at Merton Hall (this nightdress does also show a laundry mark of G.E. Moore and so may have been worn by both women). Georgiana herself donated a number of items to the Society in 1972, including a 1920s black and white geometric loom-beaded handbag.A good example of a princess line dress of this period in good condition and with provenance.A one-piece princess line dress, circa 1878-1882 of deep royal blue silk featuring Chinese-inspired self pattern. The neckline features a standing collar and is secured through the centre front from neck to floor with self covered buttons. At the front knee the fabric has been gathered and drawn to the back into a tiered fish-tail swag and trimmed with a matching blue knotted fringe. The swagging is created by interior tapes. The dress is backed with cream cotton.georgiana elizabeth moore, elizabeth moore, amelia henrietta fraser, brighton