VAST CROWD

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 143, 14 December 1933, Page 13

VAST CROWD

FIGHT AT CHURCH

MELBOURNE WEDDING

(From "The Post's" Representative.) MELBOURNE, November 10.Unprecedented scenes occurred at the wedding today of the Lord Mayor of Melbourne (Councillor Harold GengoultSmith) and Miss Cynthia Brookes, daughter of Mr. Norman Brookes, onetimo tennis star, who, with tho New Zealander, Wilding, represented Australia and New Zealand in the Davis Cup tennis matches. The ceremony was held at St. Paul's Cathedral, and'was followed by a_ magnificent reception at the Town Hall, which had been gaily decorated for tho occasion. In all there were more than 1000 guests, and the arrangements were the most elaborate of any wedding ever held in Australia. Tho guests were given different coloured tickets which admitted them at different doors at the Cathedral and at the' Town Hall. In this way much of the confusion that might have occurred at such a huge function was missing. The par.ties, being wealthy, spared no expense. Melbourne hafl ; talked .of this marriage for months, and so great an event had it become with all classes of the community "that there were persistent rumours of 'all sorts of possible happenings. It was on account of these rumours that two specially selected and armed constables kept watch outside the bedroom occupied by Miss Brookes on the night before the wedding. Mr. Brookes explained that this had been done at the suggestion of the Commissioner of Police because the family had received warnings from friends. For more than a week a special squad of police has been guarding the wedding presents, the value of which was estimated at more than £4000. THOUSANDS OF SIGHTSEERS. The enormous list of official guests was supplemented by thousands of sightseers. By noon all the standing room on tlie Cathedral stops had been occupied, mostly by women, Many of the women stood for hours once they had gained a position of advantage. Some of them brought their lunch 'and ato it, on the steps. Altogether, the scene around the churc' was an amazing one. As the time for the ceremony approached the crowds in the streets grow, and all tram and vehicle traffic was stopped for more than an hour. For half an hour before the arrival of tho bride there was a fierca struggle between the crowd and the police outsido tho Cathedral. The crowd tried to prevent tho erection of barriers so as to provide a pathway into the church. Guests only were allowed in the church, and from early in the morning scores of women vainly tried to secure admission. The elaborate dressing of tho women guests, and the top hats and morning coats of the men provided a pageant Melbourne had not before seen. The day was brilliantly fine. There were twelve bridesmaids, and alighting from six motor-cars, in pairs, in a cloud of snow-white tulle, they created an atmosphere of fairy-like glamour as they passed into the church. Billowy flounces of tulle, set in tiers, gave tho figures an ethereal air. Miss Brookes was a radiant figure in a trained gown of chalk white mirror satin, cut so as to form a very wide train four yards long, coming to a point at the centre. The frock itself was fashioned on simple lines with lace ornamentation giving richness. The whole of the train was bordered with a wide band of rose point lace in deep ivory colour. A piece of this Tare lace was inlet into one side of the train, while another length of it caught at the back of the shoulder line, formed a long panelled train at one side. The bodice of the frock was moulded into a high waist line, defined in front with crossed strapping, the wide shoulderline being accentuated by the top of long "leg of mutton" sleeves. LADY MAYORESS OF MELBOURNE. Maintaining the note of elaboration, a Bussian diadem massed with tiny waxen buds of orange blossoms, was worn to keep the- bridal veil of exquisite Venetian point lace in place. Tho bridal veil and also the rose point lace adorning the gown were worn by the bride's mother on her wedding day. When the bride entered the Cathedral with her father her face was veiled, but when she emerged as the wife of Councillor Gengoult-Smith and the Lady Mayoress of Melbourne, the veil was" thrown back over the diadem. The bride carried a very large shower bouquet of gardenias, lily of the valley, and orchids —an all-white bouquet with the exception of a tiny blue floral spray sent as a "luck bringer" by the bridegroom's sister, Mrs. James Dyer, from Paris. As the bride started to walk down the aisle, Miss' Marguerite Manifold, the young daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chester Manifold, frocked in white tulle, and her hair wreathed in white gardenias, picked up the centre of the bridal train. Simultaneously, tho bride's sisters, Misses Horsey and Elaino Brookes, took hold of the corners and the full loveliness of the gleaming satin and lace were displayed. This picturesque group, with nine more bridesmaids following, made an unforgettable picture. More than one thousand lilies had been used to decorate the church. :