Government House Ball
28 October 1898
At 9:30pm, the band struck up and the National Anthem played as the Viceregal party entered the ballroom of Government House. 500 guests were present, all in fancy dress costume. The viceregal party were dressed in courtly dress of the 1700s and in the character of their ancestors the Penns. Thomas Penn was the Governor and proprietor of Pennsylvania. The costumes had been carefully copied from family paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
His Excellency, Lord Ranfurly, was in a costume of pale blue and white brocade with filmy Limerick lace ruffles. The Countess of Ranfurly represented Lady Juliana Penn and wore a gown of a shade of soft rose satin. Lady Constance and Eileen Knox were dressed to represent Thomas Penn’s daughters. Their dresses were in soft white silk with two tiny frills at the foot of the skirt, turquoise blue sashes were knotted loosely at the front. Lady Constance wore a frilled muslin cap and both she and Lady Eileen carried baskets of flowers.
Lord Ranfurly’s son, Viscount Northland, dressed as his ancestor the Earl of Charlemont. His costume was all in white with only the steel cut buckles to relieve it. His Excellency’s staff dressed as the staff of the Governor of Pennsylvania. Captain Alexander wore a dark green brocaded coat and flapped waistcoat. The Hon. Hill-Trevor wore a costume of pale pink brocade. Lieutenant Wellesley’s coat was of pale green satin.
There were 22 dances in the programme. Some of the musical selections were ‘Blue Danube’, ‘Crystal Palace’ and ‘Love’s Message’. Electric light was used throughout the house, including inside two tents used to extend the Dining Room. The ballroom itself was carpeted with a crimson carpet. Large stands of bamboos were arranged at intervals between luxurious chairs and settees. The flowers in the supper room were arranged in large groups of arums alternating with high glasses of yellow ixias.
The Wellington suburb of Northland was named in honour of Thomas Uchter Caulfield, Viscount Northland (1882-1915).
The recent fancy dress ball at Government House, Wellington- the vice regal group. Photo courtesy of Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-18981118-04-02.