VICE-REGAL DINNER PARTY AND DANCE AT AUCKLAND

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6870, 14 July 1909, Page 2

VICE-REGAL DINNER PARTY AND DANCE AT AUCKLAND

OFFICERS OF THE VISITING 'WARSHIPS ENTERTAINED.

On Saturday evening their Excelleucies the Governor and Lady Phmket gave n dinner to tho officers of 11.M.5. Challenger and Encounter at Government House, Auckland. The invited guests were as follow: —Captain and. Mrs Colomb, Cloramandor Luxmoor, En-gineer-Commander Geast, Lieutenant Kede, Rev. McElroy, Hall, Surgeon Cherry, Sub-Lieutenant Cooper, Mr and Mrs O'Rorke, Mr, Mrs

and Miss A. Clark, tho Misses Gorrie, Miss L. Browning, Miss Towle. The band of H.M.S. Cliallenger played during dinner. A small informal dance was afterwards given by their Excellencies, which, according to tho Auckland papers, was brilliantly successful. A large number of guests were asked to meet the officers, and every possible arrangement was made for their convenience and entertainment. Throughout the evening the ballroom presented a brilliant ■ appearance, the handsome naval uniforms contributing a striking setting of colour to tho floor of tho room, and forming an agreed-ble contrast to the conventional civilian attire. The decorations of tho reception rooms were handsomely executed, whilst the ballroom, brightly illuminated, presented a most attractive appearance in a profusion of fern, lycopodium and other greenery combined ■with the effective hangings of red. The drawing-room was also beautifully decorated with palms and white flowers, the diningroom being arranged with a similar setting of colour. The suppertable was a most artistic work in lycopodium and narcissi, with branching candelabras of gold. The official set of Lancers was opened at 9 o’clock, when Lady Plunket danced with Captain da Costa, his Excellency with Mrs Colomb, Miss Hill with Captain Colomb, Mrs Archibald Clark with Cclonel Tuson, Mrs E. D. O’Eorke with Commander Luxmoor, Mrs J. F. -'‘Studholm© with Commander Grant, Mrs W.

H. Parkas with Mr A. Clark, and Mrs G. Bloomfield with Captain Gatborne 11a rdv. The dance concluded at midnight’ with tho National Anthem. The following account of spmp of the dresses is clipped from Monday s Herald” ■ Ladv Plunket wore a handsome gown of bain boo-brown supple satin, tho skirt cut in a narrow tunic style, the corsage draped with valuable lace, and further trimmed with folds of velvet several tones darker than tho tint of the satin. In her hair was worn a fine tiara of diamonds. Mrs Colomb was gowned in an exquisite robn of white Brussels net. richly inset with laoo and elaborated with sprays of pastel-pink ehillon roses, and

ratural-ooloured chiffon foliage, while the w'holo gown was showered with delicate diamante embroidery. A diamondornament was worn in thfc coiffure. Miss Hill (of the house party) was in creamy charmeuse, the draped corsage finished with lace and narrow bands of coppercoloured galon. Mrs Studholme wore black satin draped over an underskirt of black net posed upon silver; Mrs O'Rorke, -white satin, with gold ornaments fastening the white ohifion draperies of the bodice; Mrs Parkes, white chene silk patterned with a floral design in pastel-pink and blue; Mrs G. Bloomfield, white satin, with gold embroidered bauds; Mrs Archibald Clark, mole-col-oured chiffon over salmon pink. Mrs Waterfield wore a trained gown of oysterwhite, with raised white silk embroidered motifs; Mrs Guy Williams, vieuxrcse Empire gown with soutache trimming.