Historical information

This child's green, silk, party dress was worn by Sylvia Marriott in 1927. The Marriott family were early settlers in the Moorabbin Shire

Significance

Members of the Marriott family arrived in Port Phillip in 1857. However it was John and Jane Marriott who in 1876, (after toiling hard since their arrival in1871, for very little gain), first leased, then purchased in 1882, 30 acres with a four-roomed house in East Boundary Road, in the area then called East Brighton. (Now known as East Bentleigh). The land they purchased had previously been a part of the 1841 Dendy Special Survey. Over the following years, John and his four sons with hard work and determination became prosperous vegetable growers and purchased further land in the area. Following John's retirement and subsequent death in 1903, the land was passed to his sons, and then onto the Marriott grandchildren. The family continued to remain very prosperous and successful vegetable growers and are one of many families steeped in the tradition of vegetable growing which significantly contributed to the prosperity of the Moorabbin Shire

Physical description

A home-sewn pale green silk party dress, worn to a wedding by four year old, Sylvia Marriott c 1927. The skirt of the dress has layers of ruffles. It has short cap sleeves. Decorative ribbons are attached at the shoulder continueing to the waist, then hang loosely over the skirt of the dress. Small pink and white ribbon rose buds have been applied at the neckline, waist and the edges of the sleeves .