THE vintage ball gown collection of the late Dulcie Mason of Oakey was on show at the Marburg Black Snake Creek Festival last Saturday.
Dulcie, who was well known in the dance circuit, would design one new ball gown every year then commission expert seamstress, the late Thelma Buetel, to make them.
This happened across a period of 40 years from the 1950s to the 1990s and Dulcie kept every gown.
When she passed away her daughter Judy Jacobson donated the collection of dresses, hats and gloves to the Australian Cultural Library.
President and Director of the Library Steve Towson and Treasurer and Secretary Vanessa Glen spent hours setting up the display for the Festival to help raise money for the Marburg and District Residents Association.
Judy said she found it wonderful to see her mother’s designs on display, because it was always her wish to share them with others.
“My mother wanted her dresses to go on display to raise money for organisations that were in need of money, and to bring that wish to life makes me very happy,” she said.
“Attending local dances were my mother’s favourite event to participate in and she attended all of them in and around the Oakey and district area.
“I often recall mum getting ready and it would always be an elaborate affair, from her hair and makeup to getting into her hand made gown for the event.
“It was very exciting.
“People would often say, I wonder what Dulcie will be wearing and they would wait anxiously for her to arrive.
“Mum was a glitzy, ‘out there’ kind of lady, though it was very interesting to us to see that for our family events like birthdays she always dressed quite low key, but for the local dance it was the total opposite and she would dress to be on show.”
Numerous handbags, hats and gloves accompanied the display of dresses and Festival goers took time to learn the true story of Dulcie’s life when she was the country princess and the star of the ball.
