THE ONLINE HISTORY OF GULGONG AND SURROUNDING DISTRICTS: Sarah Morris (nee Dibley)

Sarah Dibley was born in Bathurst in 1870 to Jesse Dibley (a coach builder, bridge builder and contractor) and Hannah Gallagher.

Sarah aged 18 in 1888

Sarah married William Morris in 1900 in Bathurst and lived in Queanbeyan, Lithgow and Mudgee as William's work with the railway required them to move.

William Morris married Sarah Dibley

Wedding photo

Sarah and William had one child, Grace, who became renowned in the Mudgee area for her talents for music and dance.

Sarah's wedding

On Wednesday, the 26th September a very pretty wedding took place at S.S. Michael and John's Cathedral, Bathurst, the contracting parties being Miss S. Dibley, of Lambert-street, Bathurst, and Mr. W. Morris, second son of Mr. T. Morris, of Sydney. The bride was given away by her father, the bridesmaids being Miss M Murray and Miss N. Dibley (sister of the bride). Mr. J. Mockler acted as best man. The Very Rev. Father Dunne officiated. The bride wore a very pretty, white silk dress with wreath and veil, and had a diamond brooch and carried a beautiful white bouquet, the gifts of the bridegroom. The bridesmaids were dressed in white silk muslin, white picture hats, and each wore a diamond brooch and carried bouquets the gift of the bridegroom. After the ceremony the guests adjourned to the house of the bride's father, where, the wedding breakfast was partaken of. The happy couple left by the mail train the same night for Sydney, en route to Tasmania, where they intend to spend their honeymoon. The bride was the recipient of many handsome and costly presents. The bride's travelling dress was a brown cloth (tailor made) and she wore a pretty floral toque. Mr and Mrs Morris will reside in Queanbeyan, the bridegroom being fireman on the Cooma line.
From TROVE. - Queanbeyan Age (NSW : 1867 - 1904) Wednesday 10 October 1900 p 2 Article

Sarah Dibley's wedding dress was donated to the Gulgong Pioneer Museum in 2014. It is to be listed on the Australian Dress Register.

In electoral records of 1930, Sarah lived with her husband, William, and daughter, Grace, in Denison Street, Mudgee. William died that same year, aged 64.

Here are some other photos and newspaper records of Sarah that I have obtained recently.

Sarah Morris, cropped from the Dibley family portrait

This is Sarah Morris leaving St Mary's Cathedral after the wedding of her daughter, Grace, in 1934. The newspapers wrote: "the mother of the bride greeted guests wearing black morocain, and carried a bouquet of gold roses." It is thought that she is descending the stairs with her father, Jesse Dibley. He died two years later in 1936. Behind Sarah is the groom's father, John Michael O'Brien with his wife Julia, nee O'Connell..