In 1935, Gwen Hollaway won The Sun News-Pictorial Frock Contest — now she’s turning 100

IT’S 82 years since this 17-year-old girl appeared on the front page after winning a five-shilling frock contest, and Gwen Gordon still can’t help laughing when she remembers what the judge did.

The Sun News-Pictorial article from 1935 about Gwen Hollaway, then-17, when she won The Sun Frock Contest.

IT’S over 82 years since this 17-year-old girl from Burwood appeared on the front page of The Sun News-Pictorial for winning the newspaper’s five-shilling frock contest.

And on Saturday, May 20, that young lady reached the grand age of 100.

Gwen Gordon (nee Hollaway) won the handsome sum of 50 pounds for her blue crepe frock, one of many dresses she designed and made herself at the time.

And she laughs uproariously now when she recalls the judging process.

“There were two actors there (as judges) and one of them lifted up the hem of my skirt to have a look!” says Gwen, from Burwood.

“I’d been sewing since I was five years old.

“After that happened (the win), a lot of people wanted me to sew for them and I started a bit of a dressmaking business.”

Gwen was inundated with letters after her well-publicised win — but one in particular took her by surprise.

“I had a marriage proposal as soon as it was in the paper,” she says. “He said he’d seen the news and he would like to propose marriage to me!”

Gwen Gordon now with granddaughter Alexandra

Gwen knocked that suitor back, but went on to marry and have four children, seven grandchildren, and three great-granddaughters.

The 1935 article celebrating Gwen’s success offers a fascinating window into an era when lives were simpler and thriftiness was a greatly admired quality.

According to The Sun, the winning entries showed “wonderful skill and economy” in demonstrating what could be created with only five shillings.

Not only did Gwen’s frock win, she was awarded the maximum 100 points by the judges, including 20 points each for workmanship and sewing skill, design, colour scheme, cut and finish.

The story noted the detail in Gwen’s frock was amazing, including “tiny inverted pleats ingeniously contrived to give an unusual touch to the bodice”.

The journalist noted Gwen needed two large mirrors “for the rather intricate task of fitting the back”

As for turning 100, Gwen is still to come to terms with it.

“I just can’t believe that I could possibly be that age!” she says.

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