Community
17 September, 2025
Historical wedding dresses on display
THE Cobden and District Historical Society’s doors will be open with the sound of wedding bells this Sunday, September 19 as their pop-up display of wedding dresses through the ages takes off for the school holidays.
Open for every Sunday of the school holidays, the display will showcase different eras of wedding dresses local to the Cobden region – all with a different story to tell.
Cobden and District Historical Society secretary Delia Kerr said the display would offer an insight into how weddings were celebrated in days long past.
“We have wedding dresses from a variety of eras plus some bits and pieces that go with the dresses, like the telegrams, veils and the horseshoes they had on their arms,” she said.
“We have dresses that are from the same era, but they’re totally different styles.
“All the wedding dresses have a story and we know who owned all the dresses.
“They’re either from this area or some of our member’s dresses.”
Attendees may spot familiar names at the Old Chocolyn Hall, with generations of family history available to view.
“We have a dress donated by the Coverdale family, who are a very local family – they’ve been here for a very long time,” Mrs Kerr said.
“We have the next generation of Coverdale dress too.
“The dresses come to us with a whole story when they’re donated.
“With the Coverdale dress, when it was donated, it came in the box it was originally sold in, with the telegrams they got, wedding card – the whole story is there for us.”
One of their own member’s dresses, Judith Gribble, is also on display, as well as her going-away outfit and mother-of-the-bride outfit, both of which were commonplace at the time.
Mrs Gribble is the current president of the Cobden and District Historical Society and was married in 1967.
Cobden and District Historical Society researcher Donna Edge said in earlier times – from the 1900s to late 30s – dresses came with descriptions in the newspaper alongside photos.
“You could look at the wedding photo and actually see a description of the dress when you read the article,” she said.
“We have one that everyone says was made out of a parachute, but when you read the description of the dress in the newspaper, it doesn’t mention anything about it being made out of silk (which was what parachutes were made out of).
“It actually says it’s made out of taffeta.
“When the dress was given to us, the story that came with it was that it was made out of a parachute.”
People will have the opportunity to read such articles at the display, as well as connect with the stories tied to every dress and the history of its owner.
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