Australian Dress Register

The Calthorpes married in 1917 at Saint Alban's Church Belmore, establishing themselves in Queanbeyan with Harry entering into business as a stock and station agent in 1917 with his partner Robert Everson. In 1918, the company merged with W.G. and T.E. Woodger to form Woodgers and Calthorpe. During the First World War, Harry had served with the First Light Horse Regiment in Egypt, where he was wounded by an exploding shell. Following his convalescence, Harry was assigned to a recruitment campaign in Southern Highlands, which brought him into contact with the people living and working on the stations and farms in the district.

The family relocated to Canberra from Queanbeyan in July 1927. The Calthorpes' two daughters, Del and Dawn were eight years and three years respectively when the family moved into the house at Mugga Way and both girls were educated at the Canberra Church of England Girls Grammar School. 

Dawn, unlike her sister, chose to pursue a career following graduation, working as a laboratory assistant at the CSIRO, which is where she met her husband Douglas. Throughout her life, Dawn devoted herself to the collection of objects relating to the capital's history, as well as the ongoing restoration and preservation of her parents' house at Mugga Way, establishing herself as a authoritative source on the subject.

Dawn Waterhouse was invited to arrange the flowers in preparation for the State Ball in honour of the Queen's visit in 1954. She was invited to attend as a reward for her contribution. 

Dawn Waterhouse was born in 1923 to John Henry "Harry" Calthorpe (1890-1950) and his wife Della Elizabeth Ludvigsen (1892-1979); the younger sister of Dell Calthorpe (b. 1918). Dawn married Douglas Waterhouse on 4 March 1944, with whom she had four children: their daughter Jill, and sons Douglas, Jonathon and Gowrie.

When Canberra was established as the nation's captial in 1913 it had a population of less than 5000. Known affectionately as the 'bush capital', its founders intended that it should be a perfectly planned 'garden' city, adorned with parks, wide bolovards, and free-standing houses, avoiding the pollution, overcrowding, and poor infrastructure which had plagued other cities around Australia. 

The city's expansion initally was very slow, hindered by the economic impact of two world wars and the Great Depression; the Federal Parliament was only transferred to Canberra in 1927. However by the 1950s, Canberra was growing rapidly, as more federal departments were relocated from Melbourne, new federal institutions were established (e.g. Australian National University in 1946) and new suburbs were established to house the growing population. 

In 1954, Canberra welcomed Queen Elizabeth II as part of her Australian Tour, where she officially opened Parliament and attended (among several other engagements) a State Ball at Parliament House, which Dawn Waterhouse attended. 

Kate Gardiner, 'Interview with Dawn Waterhouse', Canberra Museum and Art Gallery, recorded 5 December 2012. Source: <http://www.museumsandgalleries.act.gov.au/calthorpes/virtual_tour/html/dells_room_dressing_table.html>.

Gown has been exhibited as part of exhibtion "Selections from the Dawn Waterhouse Collection" (31 October 2008-25 January 2009) at Canberra Museum and Art Gallery.

Originally white corsage was decorated with two long strips of white ribbon. Since removed.

Piping along waistline of dress, separating skirt from bodice.

Gown is sewn from red nylon satin, red net petticoats and overlain with red tulle, decorated with a white print depicting native flora. Edge of bodice lined with ivory artificial satin. Bodice reinforced with polyster wadding. 

Garment is machine sewn, with french seams. The shoulder straps were attatched by hand. 

No manufacturers' label, suggesting that it was designed and made specifically made for Mrs Waterhouse. 

Removal of corsage on bust, as shown in photograph, and addition of shoulder straps, sewn from similiar fabric to bodice edging, attatched by Mrs Waterhouse's daughter, for a ball at Duntroon military college. The bust line has also been altered to accomodate smaller chest size, with fabric around both the left and right armpit folded over and sewn together, and two extra darts inserted on the left and right side of the bodice.

Skirt appear to have been cut on the bias, as indicated by the direction of the weave and seam. Bodice is straight cut. 

Dress fastened with a single zip, at the back, and a single hook and eye fastening inserts at the top of zipper.

Bodice has been stiffened with terelyne (polyster) wadding. 

Ball gown worn by Dawn Waterhouse for State Ball at (Old) Parliament House in 1954, then by her daughter Jill to a ball at the Royal Military College, Duntroon. 

Shoulder straps are stained pink hue, possibly from wear (sweat stains?). Stitching is coming loose around the bust line, with white edging poorly attatched to the wadding underneath. 

Unsure if holes in net petticoats around the hem of skirt are due to wear or insect damage.