Australian Dress Register

This wedding gown sheds light on the lives of two successful colonial families. It is rare to have such a wealth of information and photography relating to a garment and the associated National Trust property, 'Lindesay'.

Successful Sydney families built mansions along the harbour, not only to enjoy the beauty of the harbour, but to keep an eye on key activities relating to shipping and commerce. John Macintosh purchased 'Lindesay' at Darling Point in 1870. It was built in 1834. The Macintosh family life appears to have been happy with recitals of poetry, charades, music, plays and frequent parties. The six Macintosh girls and boys went boating and swam in the harbour. 

In 1839 the penniless orphaned Scottish immigrant, John Macintosh, and his English friend, William Corner, had arrived in the colony on the ship 'Asia'. After finding work in Paterson, John developed a monopoly in iron nails and provided hardware for the building boom that was emerging, including supplying hardware for the 1879 Sydney International Exhibition. The two men became successful entrepreneurs and subsequently proved to be valuable contributors to New South Wales society.

The silk wedding gown is fashionable and of very fine quality and finish, suggesting Christina's perceived social status. It was most likely made by a dressmaker. In the studio image of the bride and her two bridesmaids, sister in law, Jessie and friend Caroline, the outifts appear very similar with frilled necklines, ruched and friiled sleeves and horizontal detail on the skirt. The bride alone wears a long frilled train (these were designed to be removed after the wedding) and her dress detail appears a little more intricate and professional. This was a very fashionable wedding, most probably financed by William Corner, the bride's father. By 1882, when the wedding took place, he had made a considerable fortune through his flour milling and granary in Paterson, New South Wales. Sussex House, the Corner home, where the wedding took place, was a very grand mansion in Paterson. (demolished in 1966). 

The two families were intricately entwined, firstly by the historic friendship of the two fathers and their mutual success, and subsequently by the marriage of two Macintosh siblings, Isabella and James, to two Corner siblings, William and Christina. Christina and James lived in the grounds of harbourside mansion 'Lindesay', at Darling Point. Members of the Macintosh family remained there until 1913.

Author: Lindie Ward, 6th April 2019.

Typical of the 1880s, this silk and cotton garment is fitted, with a corsetted bodice and 3/4 sleeves. It has a narrow stand collar and is cut in princess line to the hips ie no waist seam. It fastens with 16 covered buttons at the centre front. The sleeves are trimmed with machine embroidered net frills at the cuff and rows of frills at the top of the sleeve and elbow. The skirt has many rows of horizontal drapes and ruching from the hip downwards, with two rows of gathered machine lace. The ankle length hem is trimmed with a box pleated silk frill.

The back skirt is composed of a series of looped silk drapes held with fine cords and passementerie. A secret pocket opens low on the right hand side of the bodice. The skirt is held underneath with a complicated arrangement of tapes, elastic and padding to create the required bustle shape. The padding was probably needed when the back of the dress was supporting the long train, since removed.

The garment appears to be professionally made.