Australian Dress Register

Florence Porter lived at Oban Vale, Singleton and was married in All Saints Church, Singleton to Herbert Porter, who had a carrying business in Newcastle.

The newlyweds Herbert and Florence Jolley (aged 30) moved into their new home at 434 King Street, Newcastle in 1910. The house faced Langford Street, now King Street and behind it in nearby Blaine (now Hunter) Street was the family general store and carrier business. The couple had two daughters: Ella, born in 1911 and Hazel, born in 1914. Sadly, Herbert (and his mother) fell victim to the influenza epidemic in 1919, and Florence was left to raise the two girls. The three women lived in the House together. Florence died 17 August 1970.

Marriage: Herbert Porter to Florence Evelyn Jolley 12 January 1910

Birth: Florence Evelyn Porter (nee Jolley), 16th August 1879

Birth: Herbert Porter, 26th November 2877

Birth: Ella Baldwin Porter, 7th February 1911

Birth: Hazel Mildred Porter, 2nd August 1914

Death: Florence Evelyn Porter (nee Jolley),17 August 1970

Death: Herbert Porter, 11 April 1919

Death: Hazel Mildred Porter, 7th November 1997

Death: Ella Baldwin Porter, 5th June 1995

Miss Porter’s House is a living home and for most of its habitation was the home to three women.  The house offers a rare and privileged visit into other lives and times of the 20th Century. Designed by prominent architect Wallace Porter, brother to Herbert, the house was built in 1909 by Herbert Porter. The terrace style house was home to the Porter family until 1997, which was then left to the National Trust by Miss Hazel Porter with its contents intact. The house provides visitors with a vivid experience of early to mid-twentieth century inner-city life in Newcastle. Miss Porter’s House is filled with 1909-1990s furnishings and personal items which tell the story of the family over more than a century.  The collection includes hundreds of hand-worked (knitted, crochet, embroidered, sewn) garments and manchester made by the women. The very finest of work is attributed to Florence (including hand made lace, tatting, crocheting and embroidery). A subset of the work (27 items) was housed at the Embroiderer’s guild (Newcastle) historic collection but has since been integrated into the MPH collection. It is understood that this part of the collection is Florence’s work eg christening, baby’s garments, laces.

When Florence and Herbert married in 1910, they moved into Newcastle West which was changing from coal mining to retail and light industry. Income came from Herbert’s father’s general store/grocerybusiness, selling fresh food and staples such as stove black, candles, rolled oats and flour by the bag. Herbert also worked as a carrier, delivering coal which was the main heating for homes. The stables for the six or so horses were located between the family business and Porter home.

Herbert and his mother died in 1919 from the Spanish influenza which swept much of the world after World War I. Australia, relatively isolated from the rest of the world, and given more warning to institute public health measures, did not suffer the same mortality figures, but was still impacted. Deaths in Newcastle were probably around 500.

Florence and her girls were left with no income, in a time when there was little social security. A share in the sale of the family business gave the widow some security, until Ella and Hazel were old enough to work, which they did most of their lives as secretaries and in retail.

The wedding gown was treasured by all three women, as a symbol of the 10-year marriage and a connection to the girls' father. Like many gowns of the time, it was fairly modest and made of voile rather than silk or luxury fabrics, fabrics which few farmers (Florence’s parents) and working people could afford, or would think appropriate.

The modesty of the material was made up for by the quality and skill of the needlework. The early 20th century was a time when few working/middle-class women could or would buy off the peg garments. Girls were expected to be skilled in the domestic arts. Hazel’s school reports indicate that as well as shorthand and typing, she studied cookery, hygiene, home management, art and home decoration and needlework. These would all equip women to be a successful house manager, mother and wife.

Ella and Hazel never married (unusual for the time), but they and their mother did continue to win prizes for their needlework in local shows and decorate their home with homemade household textiles. Indicative of the time, few objects were thrown away, and recycling a flour bag into a tea towel, or a wedding petticoat into a christening dress, was the norm.

Marriage certificate, research documents and objects from Miss Porter's House collection, MPH website and research database

At Miss Porter's House at the Newcastle Embroiders’ guild. At one point the garment was part of a number of items (christening dresses, hand made lace) donated to the Embroiders’ guild but repatriated to MPH in 2014 all probably made by Florence Porter

There is a wide panel of Broderie Anglaise with a frill from the front to the back over the shoulders, the frill forming an oversleeve section. There is fine lace in a stand up collar, yoke and frill. The sleeves have alternating bands of fine lace strips and fine pintucks There are vertical pintucks on the bodice. The skirt has a central front panel bordered with vertical fine lace and in horizontal bands there is a combination of strips of fine lace and seven rows of pintucks.  Two wider tucks are above the hem of the skirt.

Broderie Anglaise; fine lace

Pin tucks on skirt, sleeves and bodice. Wider tucks.

The main part of the garment is fine plain weave white voile.

Garment is homemade, with some hand stitching for finishing touches.

None.

Straight cut.

Bodice fastenings: seven pearl cream buttons down the back and on the collar there are three hook and eye fasteners. Hook and eye on back of lining of bodice. There are two buttons on the placket to fasten the skirt at the waist. 

The stand up collar has three supporting ribs of whalebone (possibly) to provide stiffening to the collar. Whilst no longer evident, the skirt would have had padding below the back waist to form a bustle.

The complete collection of documents and objects from Miss Porters’ House is available on the e-hive website www.ehive.com (enter the number of the item, listed below to find full details and images of each item). Enter the term ‘Herbert Porter’ into ehive to find additional images and information. Miss Porters’ House data is proposed to be transferred to the NSW National Trust from e-hive during 2019.

Slightly discoloured with age, there is no bustle (padding). On an accompanying card is noted that the top of the petticoat was used to make babies' dresses, which would be in the collection, but which one is not known.