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The colonization of Australia began in the late-18th century. At first it was a prison colony. Rather small numbers of people were involved in the late 18th and early 19th century. By mid-century a substantial colonial population had developed. This mean that tht Australia throughtout the 19th century had a population with very strong family and cultural ties to Britain. One impact of this was that Australian children basically wore the same fashion as worn in England, with some concessions to climate. By the 1860s large numbers of English colonists were arrtiving to take advantage of the the vast expanses of inexpenive land. The clothes worn by Australian boys were basically the same as the styles worn by English boys at the time. We notice younger boys fancy suits ith cut-away jackets and bloomer knickers. We also notice Fauntleroy suits, but sailor suits were more common. The one significant difference that we have noted was that Australian boys commonly went barefoot. Both Australian and English boys in the late 19th Century mostly wore kneepants. English boys wore them with long stockings and shoes. For much of the year it was to cold to go barefoot, which was considered a sign of poverty. In the more benign Australian climate, however, it was much more common to go barefoot. Boys in the country almost alweays did so and it was even common in the growing towns. In Australia it was not considered such a sign of poverty, altough the really well to do insisted on long stockings
and shoes for their children.
The colonization of Australia began in the late-18th century. At first it was a prison colony. Rather small numbers of people were involved in the late 18th and early 19th century. By mid-century a substantial colonial population had developed. This mean that tht Australia throughtout the 19th century had a population with very strong family and cultural ties to Britain. One impact of this was that Australian children basically wore the same fashion as worn in England, with some concessions to climate.
Gold was discovered in Australi during the early 1850s, only a few years after the California Gold Rush. As with Califirnia, tghs added to the colony's small population. Many new immigrants from Britain, Ireland, other European countries, America, and China arrived. Regular immigration was mostly from Britain, but the Gold Rush was a little different. Many, but not all, stayed adter the gold played out. We're sure photography (the Daguerreotype) which had been developed in 1839 reached Australia in the 1840s. We have not yet, however, acquired any photographs from the 1850s for the HBC arcive. We have archived a wonderful painted family portrait of the O'Mullane family showing the boys wearing dresses and tunic suits in 1852. Except perhaps for the century plant in the indo, there is not way of telling this was not an English portrait.
Large numbers of English colonists were arrtiving in Australia by the 1860s to take advantage of the the vast expanses of inexpenive land. And thanks to photography for the first time we have large numbers of images of the Australian colonists. It is at theis time that the CDV and a little later the cabinent card appeared with albumen prints. The clothes worn by Australian boys were basically the same as the styles worn by English boys at the time. We notice younger boys fancy suits with cut-away -jackets and bloomer knickers. Collars tended to be small. We do not have many Australian portraits yet, but what we have found is the boys wear essrntilly the sanme styles as Australian boys, a least when dressed up for studio portraits.
We do not have much information on yhe Australia in the 1870s yet. We believe that the boys still dressed basically like English boys. It may have been a little different when not dressed up for a portrait, but we see no real difference between how English and Australian boys dressed in the studio portraits we have found so far. We still see CDVs. We continue to see cut-away jackets. We also see Norfolk jackets. Collars begn to griow in size. We see Eton collars. Shortened-lengthp pants began to become increasinglky common. They were woirn wih dark long stockings. Striped stockings wre common in America in yhe 1870s. We do not yet know about Australia. Because of ghe eam erearthger, australizn boys often went barefoot. For portraits, however they dressed uo with shoes nd hisiery--mostly long stockings.
We notice Fauntleroy suits appearing in Australia during the 1880s. The sailor suits were more common. The one significant difference that we have noted was that Australian boys commonly went barefoot. This was a concessiointo the climate. Both Australian and English boys in the late-19th Century mostly wore kneepants. English boys wore them with long stockings and shoes. For much of the year in England it was to cold to go barefoot, which was considered a sign of poverty. In the more benign Australian climate, however, it was much more common to go barefoot. Boys in the country almost alweays did so and it was even common in the growing towns. In Australia it was not considered such a sign of poverty, altough the really well to do insisted on long stockings and shoes for their children.
Australian boys continued to dress largely like English boys. Sailor suits were very popular in Australia during the 1890s. We are not sure about the age conventions, but we think they were worn by younger boys to about 10 years of age. There we many different style. We also note Litlle Lord Fauntleroy sutys. Older boys wore knee pants suits. often with vests. There were several tyes pf suits. They were worn with various collars. Eton collars were popular, but there were several other styles of detachable collars such as wing collars. Most boys wore knee pants. Boys for casual wear or to scoolould often go barefoot. When dressing up they would wear lonf syockings. High-top shoes were common.
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