From Gibraltar To Whanganui - A Well-travelled Wedding Dress

Whanganui Regional Museum invites visitors to explore a fascinating wedding dress with a rich history, in the upcoming Outfit of the Month showcase.

Olivia Costa wore the striking gown when she married Irish-born soldier William Wallace in her home colony of Gibraltar 1861. Entirely hand-sewn, the dress is crafted from woven blue and grey checked silk taffeta that features intricate floral details and has distinctive puffed sleeves with blue fringing.

Olivia and William lived in North America and Ireland before migrating to New Zealand in 1876, settling in Waitati, north of Dunedin.

The dress, a treasured family heirloom, found its way to Whanganui through Robert Alexander Wallace Sutherland, William and Olivia’s grandson, who had married Dorothy Agnes Ashwell of Whanganui. Robert and Dorothy’s daughter, Marjorie Scott, donated the dress to Whanganui Regional Museum in 1968.

The beautifully preserved gown offers a glimpse into mid-19th-century fashion and the British influences that shaped it. Pou Tiaki/Collections & Curatorial Lead, Trish Nugent-Lyne, will host a special fashion talk at 12:15pm on Friday, January 31st. Visitors are invited to learn about the dress’s design and intricate details, and explore how fashion reflected social and cultural influences of the time.

The wedding dress will be on display throughout February, giving visitors the chance to admire it up close.

This fashion talk is free, and all are welcome. Koha or donations are appreciated to support the Museum’s efforts in preserving our shared history.

Note:

Founded in 1892, the Whanganui Regional Museum is internationally renowned for its Taonga Māori Collection. Located in Pukenamu Queen’s Park, visitors can view the exceptional creations of tupuna (ancestors) of Whanganui tangata whenua (indigenous people) alongside a changing exhibition programme encompassing a world-class collection of natural and human history, with a regional emphasis. The ground level boutique museum store sells a range of local and Māori jewellery, books, cards, art, and other New Zealand-made gift items.

The Whanganui Regional Museum Trust is an independent legal entity that owns the collection and governs the development of the Museum on behalf of the Whanganui community.

Open to visitors daily from 10.00am to 4.30pm (except Christmas Day and Good Friday), entry to Whanganui Regional Museum is free. 

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