Standish Skirt

Ethel Standish lived a busy and interesting life. Born in 1881, she was the daughter of Arthur Standish, New Plymouth's first mayor. Ethel was an avid sportswoman in the early 1900s and this skirt was part of her tennis outfit. The fine cotton skirt, featuring scalloped lace at the hem is in keeping with the modest sporting fashions for women of the time. Ethel’s main sporting interest was golf and she was also a “useful” pianist, a skill that would have come in handy given her family were fond of entertaining. As a young woman, Ethel travelled to England with her godparents and refused to leave - perhaps the big city lights after quiet New Plymouth were just too compelling! She trained as a masseuse at St. Thomas' Hospital and served on a New Zealand hospital ship during World War One. During this period Ethel married Colin Gilray at the age of 36. After the war ended they returned to New Zealand and Colin became principal at John McGlashan College in Dunedin. They eventually shifted to Melbourne, but Ethel kept her tennis clothes, which were passed down to her daughter Ruth and then to her granddaughters Jennifer and Barbara, who have returned them to their original hometown of New Plymouth.