Sydney Welcomes Governor’s Wife

Southland Times, Issue 23948, 14 October 1939, Page 13

Sydney Welcomes Governor’s Wife

SYDNEY, October 2. Sydney’s public and private gardens are a picture of loveliness with wisteria and azaleas, and Government House overlooking the harbour was no exception to welcome our much admired Governor’s wife, Lady Wakehurst, who has returned from her trip to England via America and New Zealand. She was accompanied by her daughter, the Hon. Henrietta Loder, who has been attending a finishing school in Paris and was presented at Court by her mother. Her ambition now is to study architecture. Lady Wakehurst left her eldest son at Eton and wishes now that she had brought him with her. Although only home two hours, and with loving, though sad, thoughts of her son’s fourteenth birthday in England, she accompanied the Governor on his inspection of the national emergency preparations at Drummoyne, one of Sydney’s suburbs along the Parramatta river.

They both donned gas masks to enter the gas chamber during the inspection. Lady Wakehurst said how interested the Duke and Duchess of Kent were in Australia and how they loved the thought of so much sunshine, so we hope they will have their wish fulfilled and come in more peaceful times. The Duke and Duchess had already let their house and sent their furniture away before Lady Wakehurst left England.

Mr Savage cabled cordial greetings to New Zealanders in Australia on Tuesday when the Sydney residents celebrated Dominion Day with a luncheon and a cabaret dance in the evening at the club rooms in Pitt street. A Royal Australian Air Force test last week revealed that the glare of Sydney was visible 15 miles out to sea. Original plans for a blackout will have to be completely revised as a result of the test. GRACE ON ICE Ice dancing is given a new grace at the Switzerland Ice Show and Ballet at the Theatre Royal. This is aJ. C. Williamson production with an allEnglish cast headed by the champion ice skater, Miss Megan Taylor. It is truly remarkable what she does on ice skates and the ballet and tap dancers are a real delight. At the theatre I noticed a journalist writing in the dark. Being inquisitive I asked how he did it, and lo and behold, he showed me a propelling pencil with a battery and bulb which projected the light on to the paper. He bought it in June from a refugee who could not find a market for it, but I should think it would be valuable now. My friend said it was a real pal in the middle of the night when bright ideas come to him and he does not have to switch on the light and so waken his wife—and trouble. We New Zealanders put up with a certain amount of good natured banter by Australians, and Invercargill comes in for its share, such as having “the most southerly tram and lamp post.” It was refreshing for me to hear Mrs Dalziel, whose husband was on the staff of the Union Steam Ship Company in Invercargill some years ago, say how lovely the rose gardens are, and how much she enjoyed playing golf on the Otatara course. ACTIVE GRANDMOTHER I read in The Southland Times recently that grandmas do not exist these days. I agree to a certain extent, but I know one grandma who is 84 and has lived through four of England’s major wars and is head of a family of five generations. She is the dearest whitehaired lady one could wish to meet. Then, too, my special maiden friend of 94 summers is a marvellous Irish character, who reads The Sydney Morning Herald and writes her correspondence without spectacles. These two women are wondering what they can do to help the Red Cross as they lost count of the garments they made in the last war. The grandma sent fleeces from her station property to the Vickers Woollen Mills and a member of the Vickers family had them specially made up for her; she I recalls it was beautiful wool. I saw Miss Netta Kidson, from Invercargill, happily swinging along to her salon the other morning in a very smart fur cape over a black suit with pleated skirt and carrying the dearest little fur handbag-muff. Miss Kidson is spending the long week-end at the hydro in the Blue Mountains. I admire the society girls who have put their weddings forward and have made a war sacrifice by having a small wedding and only members of their respective families at the receptions. The militia camps have made a difference to the number of men attending the balls and hostesses are asking women to attend even without escorts and are assured of a share of dancing. A new pastime is fishing for a bottle and great fun was had at the Peter Pan Free Kindergarten ball during the week. One fisherman caught two bottles of champagne. Each year many important balls are held during the spring race meeting but only charity balls are being held this year. Wives of men on Australian warships do not know where they are and just address their mail to the respective ship care of “any G.P.0.” DISTINGUISHED SCIENTIST Dr R. A. Millikan and Mrs Millikan, of Pasadena, are staying at the Hotel Australia. Dr Millikan is the worldfamous and very distinguished American scientist who has come to Australia to give talks for the Broadcasting Commission. These have been on Wednesday and Sunday nights from 2FC and are well worth listening to. Dr Millikan hopes to carry out research in Australia and New Zealand and has brought with him 200 pilot balloons with scientific instruments for cosmic ray research. In the meantime, these are held by the Customs Department but it is hoped they will be released soon. Dr Millikan is the discoverer of the cosmic ray and is a Nobel Prize winner. Ihe Musical Association of New South Wales opened the Music Week festivities with a reception at the Hotel Australia. Happily, we have some very distinguished musicians in Sydney and the guests of honour were Dr Malcolm Sargent, the very clever English conductor and Mr John Brownlee, the celebrated Australian baritone. Mrs Brownlee accompanied her husband and wore a hip-length coat of sable furs over a midnight- blue crepe gown. Mrs Brownlee was Donna Carla Oddone de Feletti, of Northern Italy, before her marriage 11 years ago. They have one daughter and two sons who are still in Melbourne with their nurse. While in Melbourne the children occupied a separate flat from their parents to allow Mr Brownlee freedom to practise. NO GERMAN SONGS Mr Brownlee has decided not to sing any songs in German as he does not wish to hurt any member of his audience. Dr Sargent believes music is necessary during war and strongly opposes

programmes. In the case of living German composers, he did not want to play their music, thus putting money into their pockets—that would be trading with the enemy. He understood that a fund would be formed and the money paid to them after the war. Dr Sargent will repeat his orchestral concerts in the industrial suburbs as he did on his last visit to Sydney. These were most popular among those who enjoy good music but cannot afford the prices charged at the Sydney Town Hall. Overcast and misty weather greeted the large number of racegoers at Randwick on Saturday, the opening of the spring meeting, spring fashions, and the first day oi the long week-end celebrating eight-hour day, similar to Labour Day in New Zealand. Tiny hats, gay with flowers, little toques of shiny straw, turbans of chiffon, small crownless hats, the washable fish net simply twisted around the head and even no hats at all were best when umbrellas are used. Yes! Umbrellas came out of their tissue paper and moth balls this week. A smart navy handbag Mrs A. Milne was carrying attracted me—in the fold of the envelope shape was a dear little folded tartan umbrella with chromium spokes and handle. It was bought in Germany on a recent trip abroad. Very lovely orchids, sweet boronia. tulips and camellias brightened the sombre colours of the frocks. One or two women ventured out in their new ensembles and the woman in the zebra striped frock with large zebra buttons was most attractive. The glorious fox fur capes made the dav seem more like a winter meeting.* CHARTREUSE POPULAR Chartreuse —that terribly hard colour to wear—came into its own to brighten last year’s navy suit. One lass wore a chartreuse bag thrown over her shoulder, and many wore all chartreuse accessories, even to ear rings. Miss Marie Burke Wore a chartreuse and wine ensemble. This famous course is a lovely place, with three large grandstands and a smaller vice-regal stand in the centre. The lawns and flower beds were looking fresh after the rain we had had during the week. The grandstands have tiers of seats on the roof and should be very lovely in the summer days. The flat—the cheapest part of the course—has its own totalizator and bookmakers with their large brightly-

coloured umbrellas make the centre of the course very gay. The commercial broadcasting stations are not permitted to broadcast from the course and I am told pay £lO a day for the use of various balconies on houses overlooking the course. Several balls were held in the evening after gay dinner parties at Princes and Romanos. The Derby ball was in aid of the Food for Babies Fund, and the dancers wore paper jockey caps. I noticed in a friend’s home a radiator in the bathroom wall. She switches it on to warm her towel while she has her shower. What luxury in such a lovely warm climate. Then, too, I noticed a private safe for valuables in her linen press. THE CHATTERBOX.