Historical Ipswich: Glasshouse

With many of Queensland's beautiful, historical parks tentatively opening again this weekend after lockdown, I've decided to share the first in this series of absolutely gorgeous photographs from quirky spaces you might never have heard of in Ipswich's historical Queens Park, beginning with the Glasshouse/Shadehouse, wearing one of my all-time favourite looks from Aussie designer label Anthea Crawford.

Situated 40 kilometres from Brisbane's CBD in my hometown, Ipswich's Queens Park is one of the oldest parks in the nation, originally designed by Walter Hill, the director of the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, before being lovingly extended & reshaped by Scotsman Alexander Munro, who was appointed as Park Curator from 1882 until his retirement in 1909. Munro devised & supervised the creation & building of the first Glasshouse (or Hothouse) to propagate dahlias in 1883 - particularly a red & white variety that was named after him - followed by a Shadehouse a few years later in addition to landscaping the "Lover's Walk" & planting a plethora of Bunya trees... a legacy carried on by his successor, Fredrick Turley that came "full circle" with a restoration & reopening in 2006.

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Dress: Anthea Crawford satin-backed crepe

Heels: Carvela by Kurt Geiger lurex

Bag: Review vinyl, tweed with gold hardware

Hinged Bangle: Disney Couture "Cinderella" gold, resin

Bangle: Disney Couture "Alice in Wonderland" gold, resin, diamante

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I'm prancing around the landscaped lawn, posing in the doorway of the Glasshouse itself & twirling under the shade of a tree on the verdant green grass wearing the aforementioned pastel pink satin-backed crepe shift dress with princess seams & midi-length hemline from Anthea Crawford, gold/silver mixed metal lurex peeptoe heels from Carvela by Kurt Geiger to provide height as well as a modicum of daytime sparkle & carrying a pink & blue tweed handbag with blue vinyl handle & strap as well as gold hardware from vintage-inspired "girly" label Review. When it came to jewellery, I chose whimsical fairytale pieces from Disney Couture - a chunky gold & coloured resin hinged bangle depicting the "glass slipper" scene from Charles Perrault's "Cinderella" & a gold & baby pink resin bangle with gold charms from Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland."

Finally, I couldn't resist walking up the steps of the old caretaker's house (now a community enterprise) to smell the gorgeous flowers... Autumn in Queensland really is something very special...