Australian Dress Register

Martha Alice Stephen married Thomas Ferdinand Gilmore in 1883 in Queensland. The couple had five children - Valentine Edward b.1884, Maud Mary b.1886, Gertrude Florabel b.1888, Claudine M b.1891 and Ileen M b.1893.

Maud Mary Gilmore married Edwin Charles Uptin at Murwillumbah in 1911. Their daughter Juanita (Nita) Mary Uptin [d.1990] married Roy Neilson at Byron Bay in 1931 and the couple moved to Port Macquarie.

Maud's eldest son Charles Thomas Anthony Uptin [1913-1996] moved to Port Macquarie in 1934 and in 1937 married Lorna Marie Wrigley. Charles Uptin went on to have an association with The Port Macquarie News of over 50 years including being owner/editor for 37 years from 1945-1982. Charles served his apprenticeship in printing and journalism at Mullumbimby before moving to Port Macquarie. Not only did Charles Uptin have first hand knowledge of Port Macquarie's physical, social and economic development, he played a significant role in its shaping and therefore its history. He also led the public appeal for donations when the Port Macquarie Historical Museum was first established in the late 1950s.

An article in the Brisbane Courier on Saturday 1 April 1882 describes the Finney Isles store:

"...From this room branch off five fitting rooms for ladies and to each of these is attached a cutter, who has simply to attend to her own department and customers. By this arrangement, ladies dealing at the establishment secure the regular services of the dressmaker whose taste they most prefer, and the privacy secured in trying on dresses is of the most complete nature. Passing from the shop rooms we were next introduced to one for the work-rooms where numerous girls were sitting at their sewing machines, working swiftly, deftly and noiselessly, except for the click of the needles as the fabrics sped beneath them....The ventilation of the rooms throughout is excellent and even the closeness of the afternoon on which we paid the visit failed to introduce into the room any suspicion of foul air or unhealthy crowding. A contrast indeed to the crowded over-heated foul, and dingy dens which even now exist in the East end of London..."

Charles Uptin mentions his grandmother Martha Alice Gilmore briefly in his book, Port Macquarie Growing Up as Grandma Gilmore and that she lived with them when he was a boy at Mullumbimby.

Worn by the grandmother of Charles Thomas Anthony Uptin [1913-1996], proprietor and editor of the Port Macquarie News from 1945-1982 and one of Port Macquarie's most influential citizens of the 20th century.

Owned and worn by Alice Martha Gilmore, wife of a Finney Isles employee, Thomas Ferdinand Gilmore. Thomas Gilmore managed Finney Isles Murwillumbah Store from 1904-1913. Their daughter Maud Mary also worked at the store until her marriage to Edward Uptin in 1911.

The dress evidences Finney Isles & Co's women's dress department and the standard of its tailoring. It is from an era when Department stores across the country were establishing themselves and developing from made to order to ready made clothing. The dress also evidences expert tailoring and dressmaking skills and access to fine materials, decorations and trims such as the company advertised.

Archives and collection records of the Port Macquarie Historical Society Inc.

Australian Dictionary of Biography - Online Edition

Finney, Thomas (1837-1903)

Ryerson Index - www.ryersonindex.net

Births Deaths and Marriages

www.bdm.nsw.gov.au

www. justice.qld.gov.au

Newspaper including The Brisbane Courier and The Queenslander

"Finneys" 90 Years Progress

Slaughter L E, Finney Isles & Co. Ltd, Brisbane 1854

Port Macquarie Growing Up

Uptin Charles, Uptin Print, Port Macquarie 1996

This garment is currently on display in a permanent exhibition of women's crafts and textiles at the Port Macquarie Historical Museum. It has recently been taken off a mannequin and is now displayed in a protective drawer.

The trimmings and decoration on this dress are best described as elaborate. In addition to the above, pin tucks have been used to shape the bust at 10mm intervals from shoulder to armhole and bust-line. Decorative stitching is used on the skirt panels. Silk covered buttons with embroidered decoration are sewn to the bodice front, back and sleeves and to the skirt. There are also velvet covered buttons with tassels attached on the bodice front.

Velvet and silk ribbon used on bodice and skirt

2mm narrow decorative braiding on bodice, possibly russia braid, sewn on spotted netting

Guipure lace inserts on bodice front, back and lower sleeves,

Tucks have been used extensively on the bodice front, sleeves and skirt waistband.

Love knots on the neckline, bodice front, sleeves and waistband. Embroidered netting inserts on collar and bodice

Black silk satin on bodice, sleeves and skirt, spotted netting on bodice 'v' inserts and collar.

Black polished cotton has been used for the bodice corset and black silk satin for the remainder of the bodice and sleeve linings. Black organza and black velvet are used in the skirt lining.

Seams are machine sewn and finishing is hand sewn. Seams on the bodice have been finished with a hand over-stitch. All seams look very well sewn, the whalebones are held in place with pink hand stitches. This is a professionally finished garment with high quality work and finish throughout.

Finney Isles and Co Limited Queensland label is sewn to lower back bodice

No evidence of alterations

Bodice fastens in layers; corseted lining with a separate centre front closure of hooks and eyes, the right front fastens to left lining at shoulder and front and finally the left front to the right front with hooks and loops. Skirt fastens at centre back with 10 hooks and eyes.

The bodice is lined with black polished cotton for the corset which has 13 whalebone inserts. The remainder of the bodice and sleeve lining is black silk .

The skirt waistband has been stiffened with black buckram and has 7 whalebone inserts. The skirt is lined with black silk organza and has a 350mm velvet lining to the hemline. The skirt lining is sewn into the skirt seams. Reinforcing tape 5mm wide is stitched into the back skirt seam.

Given the elaborate decoration on this dress, it is most likely a ball dress and certainly evening wear. Black was the appropriate colour choice for evening wear for married women evidenced by reading newspaper reports of local balls and dances.

Some stabilisation work has been done on the delicate braided netting inserts in the bodice and to some small tears in the skirt. A larger tear in the skirt has been repaired by covering it with velvet ribbon similar to that used in the decorative skirt border. Several other tears in the skirt are evident and there is fraying to the hem.