POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Notes

Worn by Elizabeth Jane Howard (nee Smith), grandmother of the donor, at her marriage to William Henry Howard at Trinity Church, Orange, New South Wales, Australia, on 14 November 1883. Elizabeth Jane was the only daughter of John Mingay Smith of Orange and William Henry was the eldest son of John Howard of City View, Bathurst. Trinity Church, an Anglican church, was a new construction at the time of the wedding, having been completed in 1879. It is a fine example of Victorian Gothic Revival. Complex, detailed skirts such as that worn by Elizabeth to her wedding were characteristic of European fashion of the time. Elizabeth's fashionable dress reflects the fact that Australian brides adhered to European trends. Elizabeth's wedding dress has a brocade train which could be detached. Detachable trains made the garment versatile and were popular during the Victorian era, as without the train, the wedding dress was quickly transformed into a special occasion dress which could be worn many times. During the Victorian era, flowers were frequently worn as visual symbols of the qualities of the wearer. Orange blossom was a popular choice for brides as it symbolised innocence, fruitfulness and eternal love. Elizabeth wore a small bunch of orange blossom on the left front of her gown.