The Cavalcade of History & Fashion Inc.
This entertaining talk takes us through the day of a lady of this bustle period.
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"Who would have thought that some friends getting together in the early 1960’s would lead to one of the largest private collections of costume in Australia. Without the dedication and foresight of these women we would not be here today.
Cavalcade is indebted to the legacy provided by our earlier member’s, without whose time and dedication, Cavalcade and our collection as we know it would be but a dream.
Today Cavalcade is run by a dedicated a team of over 30 volunteers (and 70 Friends of Cavalcade), whom without their most generous donation of time, often given on a weekly basis, we would not be able to care for and present our unique collection for the public. Through these wonderful people’s passion and enthusiasm, we proudly bring you The Cavalcade of History and Fashion.
On behalf of the Cavalcade Committee members, thank you for taking the time to visit our website. I hope that you enjoy looking through the collection, as well as take the opportunity to come along to one of our unique events and immerse yourselves in times gone by."
Maria Circuitt (President)
Forty years ago Julia, and a group of friends with a similar interest in fashion from the late 1800s, set up The Cavalcade of History and Fashion Inc. This enterprising group of women put together a collection of old wedding dresses, gowns and accessories from a bygone era, and with live models, organize fashion parades to raise money for charity. Sometimes they are able to give the history of the person who wore the dress. Julia received the Order of Australia Medal for her services to the community.
In 1959 Madeleine modelled in the first hat parade, which over the next few months, lead to the first Cavalcade parade (as we know it) at the Pymble Community Centre in August 1960. Madeleine was asked to be our first "gown librarian". Over the years, Madeleine has filled many and positions within the organisation including President, Secretary and Treasurer.
When our first Compare, Beth Windyer, asked for a "leave of absence" to write a book on the early days of Colonial Fashion, Madeleine agreed to compare our parades and did so for over 30 years, without a break! Of course, back then parades were only from the months of March until October as it was generally too hot to model the gowns out of this time. During her time as compare the collection was paraded in many NSW country centres, including Canberra and even to Williamstown in Victoria.
A Life Member of Cavalcade, Madeleine continues to be an active member on the committee as well as presenting two of our talks: A Victorian Cameo and Between the Wars. In her "spare" time, Madeleine is in the throes of writing Cavalcade’s early days..
Bonnie is an original member of Cavalcade and modelled in the first ever parade in August 1960. Bonnie is still actively involved on the Cavalcade Committee, where her experience, humour and practicality are both respected and much honoured. Bonnie attributes the success of Cavalcade to the generosity of the general public.
“The first time gowns were paraded in August 1960 at Pymble, with copy gowns and one original gown from 1920. You can imagine our surprise when a guest at the parade offered us her mother’s wedding gown and a parasol. We thankfully accepted these gifts and from then on, each time we paraded, someone offer us something else for the collection. The day we were given an authentic crinoline was a 'red letter' day for Cavalcade and proved to be a front runner for many original pieces of clothing which were to become the foundation of the collection we are now able to present to the general public”.
Sue accepted an invitation to model hats in a parade in aid of charity over forty years ago, which lead to Sue become a foundation member of Cavalcade. As part of the group Sue took an active part in helping out with other tasks, which were mainly administrative. Sue says,
“I found it fascinating meeting the people who gave us gowns and accessories that became part of the collection. Many of our possessions came to us with wonderful ‘word pictures’, telling us about the lives and times of a grandmother or a great aunt. These histories were carefully recorded and used by the compares at our parades, enabling Cavalcade top bring each gown to life. Cavalcade has and continues to be a most rewarding part of my life.”
Sue continues to be an active member of the Committee as well as helping with the cataloguing project.
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© 2003,2007 The Cavalcade of History & Fashion Inc.
