300 Years of Women's Fashion

The evolution of women’s fashion from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries reflects a period of rapid change and globalisation. New raw materials and goods were transported worldwide, while technological innovations transformed styles and production methods.

Women’s dress reveals much about the cultural and social expectations imposed upon them, as well as their personal desires. This offers valuable insights into the experiences of women throughout history, from the royal courts of Europe to the goldfields of Australia.

Join dress and material culture historian Dr. Sarah Bendall, along with museum experts at Sovereign Hill, for an engaging one-day intensive that explores 300 years of European and Australian women’s fashion.

What to expect

• Delve into the history of women's dress and dressmaking through informative talks, dressing demonstrations, and an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience in Sovereign Hill’s Costume Department. 

• Rare chance to closely examine the historical fashion collections at the Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections.

Lunch and refreshments are included in the ticket price.

About the Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections

Sovereign Hill's Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections(Gold Rush Centre for short) is home to an amazing collection that brings together 150,000 objects that tell the stories of this region, and its many diverse people, practices and ideas. 

It’s a place for new ideas and for discovery.

Through unique programs and experiences, the Gold Rush Centre presents stories and objects that connect you to our heritage and culture.