Australian Dress Register

Marian Langdon OAM, commencing from a young age, dedicated her life to community service. She began Guiding as a youth member in 1946. She was invested as a Cadet in the 1st Brisbane Headquarters Cadet Company on 2 June 1955. The Girl Guide scheme was for young adults training to become leaders of Brownies or Girl Guides. This dress was the uniform of a Cadet and worn at her Cadet meetings and in her leadership role. The uniform signified her position when working with young girls.

A Cadet was expected to gain experience at several meetings of her chosen age-group and one meeting of the other section.  She was able to attend adult leadership trainings at night where she wore her Cadet uniform.

Marian became an assistant leader for 1st Coorparoo Guides in 1956. She was entitled to wear a miniature Cadet badge over the left pocket when she finished her training and became a leader.

In 1957 she met the Chief Guide and Founder of Girl Guides, Lady Baden-Powell, who autographed Marian’s camp flag.

In 1967 she became the Captain (leader in charge) of Leichhardt Cadet Company for three years to train other Cadets.

A Local Association was always formed in any place that wanted Guiding to commence and Marian’s mother was a member of the Local Association in their district.  She was a volunteer on the Guide Association’s Hospitality Committee.

Marian’s mother never drove; she walked everywhere and travelled by tram.  Marian’s father had a car because he had been engaged during the war in essential services and also received petrol ration vouchers to drive to Army bases.

The Langdon family (Marian and her sister, Dallas, with their parents) worked diligently at the new State Guide campsite “Kindilan” at Redland Bay to clear the land for camp sites.  Marian’s father was on the Kindilan Management Committee for the development of the site.  Fathers assisted with paper and bottle drives to raise funds.

Marian's Brisbane State High School uniform was navy gloves, black stockings, navy skirt, white blouse, maroon and navy striped tie. The family did not have bicycles.

At 15 after attaining her Junior Certificate in an academic course, Marian commenced studies at a Secretarial College, travelling by tram from the family home at Camp Hill to Fortitude Valley. Marian was always in a same-sex class.

Miss Marian Fay Langdon OAM 02.01.1937 to 22.01.2014

A covered campfire circle was installed at Langdons' Place at the Guide camp ground 'Kindilan' as a memorial to Marian.

The Girl Guide Association Queensland was registered officially with the founding body in London U.K. following a meeting, called by the Queensland Governor’s wife Lady Goold-Adams, at Government House in Brisbane on 19 November 1919.  The Governor’s wife was always to be the State President and society ladies served on the Guide Council.  Guiding attracted people from all walks of life.  The aim was to develop good citizenship and service to the community. The association was determined to prevent any infiltration by Communists.  In 1957 Guiding worldwide celebrated the centenary year of the birth of the Founder, Lord Baden-Powell and the highlight of the year in Queensland was the visit of the Chief Guide, Lady Baden-Powell, G.B.E.

Family members became leaders of Guides, Brownies and Rangers. Women who had served in the Forces during the war, often returned to their leadership role in the Guide movement. Their experience of leadership and working with other women in Guiding had contributed to their advancement into officer roles during their war service.  Guide members had been instrumental during the war of training other women and girls in preparation for emergency situations. Following the war, the training continued in skills for life.

The Guide Promise included a pledge ‘to help other people at all times’ and the Guide Law included ‘A Guide’s duty is to be useful and to help others’. Almost all Charitable Organisations in the State were helped in some way by Guides.  

The population of Brisbane in the 1950s was over 500,000 but the city was considered a big country town. This was the time of the Polio epidemic. People listened to valve-operated radio to follow serials and the news.  The mother was usually engaged in home duties and often did not drive a car. Trams were in use. Many families owning cars had them placed on blocks at this time.

Eating out was a rare family occurrence. Families went without fridges. Milk was home-delivered as was bread. Many people grew fruit and vegetables in their back yard. Travelling salesmen called at the houses and men doorknocked looking for odd jobs.

Children walked or cycled to school, and not without wearing their school hat and gloves. Segregation of the sexes was the norm at school. The school leaving-age was 14 and many students moved into jobs and apprenticeships. 

The standards for Guiding were the same worldwide and Guiding flourished in many countries. The World Conference was held in Holland that year with representatives from 31 countries and all had made the same Promise.  (In 2019, 150 countries are members of the Girl Guides/Girl Scouts.  Boy Scouts is a different organisation.)

Queensland Guides also supported causes for other countries in times of need such as funds for the United Nations’ Appeal for Children, and clothing for Korea, in the 1955 to 1956 period while Marian was a Cadet. Members responded to a request from the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts for clothing for refugee children in camps.

Girl Guides Queensland Archive and Marian’s sister, Dallas Langdon OAM.

This dress was worn for a parade held in Queensland to celebrate the Centenary of Guiding Worldwide in 2010. 

A poster sharing the story of this dress was part of a display to celebrate the Girl Guides Queensland Centenary in 2019.

The dark navy fabric is a lightly textured rayon known as Lystav. This British fabric made by Tootal was being promoted in 1955.

Dress made by mother

Hand stitched hem and cuffs

The fabric appears to have been cut with pinking-sheers.  The waist is joined to the skirt without a waist band.

Dress with six gore skirt with four darts, two close to the side seams at the front of the skirt and two close to the side seams at the back of the skirt.

Plastic shank style buttons embossed with the Girl Guide badge were introduced in 1952.  Marian had Guide buttons for the two breast pockets of the dress and to close the epaulettes.

Three composite buttons are on the front placket and a small button is in place below the collar to close the neck.

In 1954 Marian was a young Girl Guide when she featured in cinema advertising to launch the Girl Guides Queensland fundraiser, the Willing Shilling Drive and a lantern slide with a poster-size photograph is held in the Guide Archive.

Tiny snag left-hand gore at back of skirt.

A slight trace of white marks not removed by drycleaning are on the centre back panel of the skirt and another small mark is on the skirt front

Although reported by Marian’s sister, Dallas Langdon, that the dress has been well worn, the only evidence is the fading, which is obvious when the epaulettes are unbuttoned.

The dress was removed from the archive at Gould Road, Herston, Brisbane, for domestic cleaning following a flood in 2009. 

The dress and hat have been drycleaned by Leon’s Fine Dry Cleaning, a member of the Dry Cleaning Institute of Australia.  This specialist business drycleans the collections held by the Queensland Museum.

The white scarf has oxidisation marks. 

Snag on front of left cuff darned with matching thread