A new post after a bit of a lull in the blog! But today is 26 September which Ancestry reminded me was date of Olga Hapgood’s wedding to Colin Seamer in Kin Kin, Queensland. And I thought of her wedding photo which I found inside a book about Kin Kin at my parents house last year which I hadnt shared yet. The photo wasn’t labelled, but I recognise Olga as a Hapgood and she wrote a detailed description of her dress and bouquet in her memoirs:

Colin Seamer was born in Maryborough in 1918 and by 1942 he had moved to Kin Kin and was working at the sawmill at Pomona. Their engagement was announced on 19 Mar 1942:

Olga wrote about her wedding and the preparation during the middle of WW2 in the leadup in her memoir:

Every thing was in short supply and we still needed coupons to buy food and clothing. I had managed to get together what we called a “Glory Box” so had collected towels and household goods very slowly. You see we girls were never paid wages on the farm {much to Mums disgust} so when it came time to be married we found it very hard. Dad had always given us money to go places and we never wanted for clothing but it is not the same as having ones own money. Meanwhile I was collecting as many coupons as possible to buy a wedding frock. Mum and I went to Gympie to shop and there in a shop window was the wedding frock exactly like I had pictured. Stiffened lace over tulle and taffeta with a ruched waistline, full puffed sleeves, and a sweetheart neckline. I held my breath while I tried it on but it fitted perfectly. Mum wondered if she could afford it {I think it cost six pounds} however after a few minutes deliberation it was mine.

Some how I had the crazy idea of having a veil attached to two orchids on top of the head, so we tried every shop but no luck, every shop that is except Wilbrahams. We had a saying that “if you cant find what you want any where else, try Wilbrahams”. This proved to be true as we found the two artificial orchids exactly as I had pictured them.

— excerpt from Olga Hapgood Memoirs 1918-1942

There is a photo of Wilbrahams in the 1940s on the Gympie Regional Memories blog (also worth a look!)

Olga’s memoir continues with details about the rest of the wedding preparations:

…. Meanwhile wedding preparations went on with friends and family helping with coupons for many items such as sugar and ingredients for a wedding cake. Gwen was to be bridesmaid in a gold colored frock. I think it was a new evening frock actually, and was to match in with red accessories. The service or ceremony was to be in the Pomona Methodist Church– the guild ladies catering for the lunch of sandwiches and sweets. Comparing it with the big expensive weddings of today would make it seem very unusual, especially when we remember the bouquets. When everyone had left the Gwen and I were wrestling with some November lilies trying to make a bouquet. Finally we tied a few lilies and leaves together with a white ribbon and that was the bouquet. Gwen carried a few blood red Gladiolas.

— excerpt from Olga Hapgood Memoirs 1918-1942

Their marriage certificate is below – witnesses were G. Hapgood and John Newton.

I hope one day a photo of the wedding party (and Gwen’s gold dress with red accessories!) or the family turns up that people are happy to share. Olga was a prolific writer throughout her life – I only wish blogs had been around for her to share all of her memories of Kin Kin and beyond with us all.

If you are a relative of the Hapgoods (or Waddells) from Kin Kin and dont have a copy of Olga’s memoirs, then please email me at karenhapgood [at] gmail.com and I can share a copy with you.

Update: A photo has turned up of the bridal party – Olga and Colin with Gwen as bridesmaid and an unknown best man…

Sources:

[1] https://gympieregionalmemories.com/2023/03/29/wilbrahams-department-store/