A Gympie Wedding Easter 1917

Wedding O’CONNOR – McMAHON
A quiet and very pretty wedding was celebrated in St. Patrick’s Church, Gympie, on Easter Monday, April 9. The contracting parties being Rose, eldest daughter of Mr.& Mrs. Arthur McMahon, “Rossmore”, Inglewood Hill, Gympie and Edmund, fourth son of the late Mr. T. O’Connor, Mt. Pleasant, Gympie. The Very Rev. Dean Horan officiated. The bride, who was given away by her father, was attired in a bridal gown of Spanish lace, mounted on a underslip of white satin and trimmed with seed pearls and ninon. The train, which hung from the shoulders, was of fine Brussels net over pink silk trimmed with pink bebe roses and seed pearls. Her beautiful embroidered veil (which was lent by her sister, Mrs. A. Lydement) was arranged in cap fashion and fastened with a wreath of pink bebe roses. She carried a bouquet of Easter lilies and other choice blooms, tied with white satin streamers, presented by Mrs. J. Bush. The bride’s two sisters acted as bridesmaids. Miss C. M. McMahon (chief) wore a dainty frock of pale blue crepe de Chine, black hat relieved with pale blue; Miss M. e. McMahon was daintily attired in a pretty gown of pink silk. She wore a pretty pink hat trimmed with black lace and roses. Both bridesmaids wore gold rings, gifts from the bridegroom. Their bouquets were composed of pale pink roses and asparagus fern. Little Miss Una Vowles, cousin of the bride, acted as train bearer; she was frocked in white crepe merle relieved with pink, hat to match, and wore a gold brooch, a gift from the bridegroom. The bride’s present to the bridegroom was a suitcase, and the bridegroom’s to the bride a silver manicure set. Mr. H. Heymer, of Wynnum, took the role of best man, and Mr. Arthur McMahon, brother of the bride, as groomsman.

After the ceremony the wedding party motored to Murray’s Studio, where they were photographed and thence to “Rossmore”, Inglewood Hill, the residence of the bride’s parents, where a sumptuous breakfast was laid in the large dining room, which had been decorated by friends and sisters of the bride, with flowers and flags. The chief feature of the table was the beautiful wedding cake which stood in the centre of the table under a wedding bell, which was suspended from the ceiling. During the breakfast the usual toasts were honoured. The catering was done by the City Café .Mr. & Mrs. O’Connor left by the afternoon train for Sandgate, where the honeymoon was to be spent. The brides travelling dress was of baby blue silk trimmed with floral; her large American sailor hat was black tagel straw trimmed with cerise silk and roses. The presents received were costly and numerous, including cheques from the following:- Mrs. A. Shanahan (Townsville), Mr. and Mrs. T. O’Connor (Gympie), Mr. and Mrs. P. Earner (Sandgate) Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Clare (Eidsvold) (April 1917)

Ref: Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette (Qld. : 1868 – 1919) – Thursday 3 May 1917

This story originally appeared in our Newsletter ‘The Gympie Researcher’ of April 2019. You can find many more stories like this here.