Gold satin evening dress worn by Miss Western Australia and Miss Australia contestant, Dawn Ryan in 1961

View this record on the National Museum of Australia's website

Type: Evening dresses
Date: 1961
Place: Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Materials: Beads, Metal - non specific, Satin, Synthetic cloth
Collection: Dawn Laing collection no. 1
Accession number: 2001.0004.0001

Description

Gold delustred satin 'Empire Line' evening dress, lined with stiffened vilene. A bronze-coloured fabric panel is sewn into the top of the front of the fitted bodice and it rises a couple of centimeters above it. The dresses' two thin shoulder straps are sewn onto it. Bronze-coloured leaf-like beaded decoration has been sewn onto the front of the bodice on either side of a small vee in its top edge.

About the collection

The Dawn Laing - Miss Australia Quest 1961 Collection chronicles the rise of Ms Laing to the title of Miss Western Australia and her participation in the 1961 Miss Australia Awards. The collection also details Ms Laing's key involvement in the promotion of Western Australia as a host contender for the Commonwealth Games in 1962. The collection reflects the importance of the 'Beauty Queen' to Australian society during the 1950s/ 60s and will enable the Museum to better interpret the life of young unmarried women in rural communities. The history of the Miss Australia Awards reflects the changing attitudes to competitions based on ideals of beauty and the role of women in society.

Read live from the Museum's Collection API (12/11/2026, 6:01:50 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2026-03-05. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.