A wedding, 1914

摘要

ThispostwasoriginallywritenfortheregularfeatureIntheFrameinTheNationallibraryofAustraliaMagazineFamilyPortraitattheWeddingofHenryAlexanderCecilDouglastoCatherineCeciliaBeirne1914,bamp;wnegative;10x12.5cm,PicturesCollection,nla.gov.aula.pic-vn4767490Ontheeveofwar,aweddingpartygathersbeforethecamera.Thegroom,HenryDouglas,andthebride,CeciliaBeirne,standinthegardenof‘Glengariff’atHendra,where,TheBrisbaneCourierreported,theyareabouttoenjoya‘champagnedejuner’inthegarden,withfamily,clergyandperhapsfriends,groupedaboutthem.ItistheearlyafternoonofWednesday11February1914,andHenryandCeciliahavejustbeenmarriedintheCathedralofStStephen,Brisbane.Thechurch,soTheBrisbaneCourierreported,wasprettilydecoratedwithpinkandwhiteflowers(thebride’sfavourites).ThenewspaperdetailedthedresseswornbyCeciliaandthefemaleguests,somemadebyhersisters,thedaughtersofoneofQueensland’smostsuccessfulretaildrapersandbusinessmen.Henry,amemberoftheQueenslandparliament,is35;Ceciliais19.ThisisHenry’ssecondmarriage—hisfirstwife,Flora,diedtragicallyofacerebralaneurysmsoonaftertheirmarriagein1910.BoththefamiliesareCatholic;theguestsincludeArchbishopJamesDuhigandthebishopofRockhampton.TheDouglasesareproudoftheirJacobiteScotsancestry,andthebride’sfatherwillintimebequeathGlengarifftothechurch.Beforetheyear’send,allofthesepeoplewillfacethechallengeofwar.SeveralguestswilljointheAustralianImperialForceandHugh,Henry’sbrother(possiblythemanstandingbesidehim),willbemortallywoundedatDernancourtin1918.Hewilltellhismother,Sarah,thatonlyhisfaithsustainedhimduringtheordealsoftheWesternFront.Theseveralclergymeninthephotographmaybeaskedtoinformhundredsoffamiliesofthedeathsofothersons,brothersandfathers.It’saburdenmanyoftheircallingwillcometodread.TwoofHenry’sbrothers,lawyers,willgivetheirtimetotheBrisbaneRedCross’WoundedandMissingEnquiryBureau.Thewomenwillmostlikelydevotethemselvestopatrioticcharities.ThemealtheweddingpartywillenjoywillbeprovidedbytheCaféEschenhagenofQueenStreet:Brisbane’s‘high-classcaterers’.Thewar,andtheanti-Germansentimentitunlooses,willdestroyit.In1916,thecaféwillbesoldtoJohnston’sLimited,whosesolicitorswillswearintheCourierthattheyhavenoGermanconnections.