Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 - 1953), Friday 21 October 1887, page 1


VICIORIAN OS?RICH FEATHERS. The ostrich Is so inseparably connected with Africa that it seems strange to hear of Victorian-grown ostrich feathers. I have. however, just seen a number of beautiful ostrich feathers which were plucked from ostriches reared in Victoria, and dressed and dyed in Melbourne. In the north-western district of Victoria, near the Loddon Ricer, MeUars. Officer and Blackwood have an ostrich farm. On this farm have been reared for the last few years a large number of ostriches. These birds were first brought into the country by the Acclimatisation Society, and the climate of various parts of Victoria was tried for them without arccess. Taey were at last sent to Messrs. Officer and Blackwood's farm, where they grew and flourished. Messrs. Dalgety and Co. have a large col. lection of dressed and prepared feathers| from these birds at their sale rooms in Bourke street west. They look quite as well as the ostrich feathers imported from London. A large box of feather aigrettes were beautifully curled and dyed in all the prettiest and most delicate tints imsginable There were cream and canary, mauve, and ciel-blue feathers. The sets of plumes ls gobelin blue and heliotrope, gold-colour, and cream were most graceful and elegant. Byocke, that is longundyed feathers. which were white just touched with grey, were also to be seen, and thost were perhaps even hand somer than the dyed plumes. It is a pity that ostrich feathers are so little u-ed in hat-trimming jest now. At recent race meetings in PYris ostrich plumes have oodded over large hats, resembling the famous head-gear of the Duo hese of Devonshire. so there is a possibility of ostrich plumes becoming once more popular among Melbourne ladies.