The Story
In October 2010, Catherine House held its first major art exhibition (chART) in the Robert Hawke Centre - University of South Australia.
As it happened the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, accidentally came upon the exhibition when she attended a meeting at the Centre.
She then wrote to me to say how impressed she was about the standard of the art, and indicated that she would like to come to Catherine House at some stage.
On Monday 5 September we were contacted by her office to say that Her Excellency would be in Adelaide on 12 September and, if convenient, would like to visit us.
We were of course absolutely delighted, and much excitement ensued that week!
On the day, the Senior Management Team met with her and briefed her about the extent of the work that we do, with particular emphasis on our approach to 'solving women's homelessness' through access to well-structured and effective education and employment opportunities.
Her Excellency was impressed by what she heard and added this was congruent with her own belief, in the important place that education has in helping to transform lives.
It was as a result of this discussion, and the positives outcomes being achieved for women, that Her Excellency made the magnanimous offer of donating the hat that she wore to the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in April 2011, as an auction item to raise funds to support our education and employment program.
The Governor-General also met with twelve clients that day, where she listened very carefully to their stories and interacted with them showing great compassion and insight. Clients who were present were quite overawed by the very natural and genuine exchange that they had with the Governor-General; a moment that will last a lifetime for them.
I duly picked-up the hat from AdelaideAirport on Saturday 1 October; it was very carefully delivered by a young woman who had been on work experience in Canberra.
I subsequently contacted Amanda Blair, media personality, who is a generous and long-time supporter of our work, to assist me with how best to garner interest in the auction, as well as, how best to go about setting-up an auction for such a prestigious and unique item. The hat was prominently displayed for four weeks last October/November on the Ground Level, Centre Court, Myer Centre, Rundle Mall Adelaide. Auction details will be announced in the coming months.
On behalf of the women who will benefit from the various levels of support that the auction will generate, I sincerely thank Her Excellency for her magnificent, life-changing gesture not only for them but also their families.
Madge McGuire
Director
The Creation of the Hat
The hat needed to be appropriate for the occasion:
Elegant, sophisticated and exquisite, as well as, not too big and definitely not a 'fascinator'.
We had a number of consultations – exploring shapes , discussing colours etc.
A beautiful silk brocade of golds, pinks and reds was to be made up into a suit and/or coat.
Parisisal straw was dyed to match the pink in the silk brocade- achieving the colour was a bit of a challenge.
Using the traditional French silk flower making technique - Silk roses were handmade to match the colours in the brocade – gold, pink, red. 17 roses in total. For an exquisite finish matching silk bias was used to bind the brim edge.
Hat size 58cm
Cynthia Bryson –
Studied Fashion Design and Millinery at the Canberra Institute of Technology.
Studied Millinery in London under a theatrical Milliner – Jane Smith 2002-2003
Cynthia's reputation is not only for her fashion headwear but for the historical reproductions she has created for exhibitions at National Library, Old Parliament House and the National Portrait gallery.
Cynthia has an innovative approach and insists on top quality. The finished creations speak for themselves and as such, can be left on display and admired long after the event is over.