A step back in time for race ball

Punters who attended Friday night’s Marble Bar Race Ball dressed in 1890s period costume to mark the 120th anniversary of the local races.

Those who made the effort to come into town on a Friday commented on how nice it was to have the ball be a special focus rather than a Cup afterthought.

The Civic Centre was painstakingly decorated by the Ball Organising Committee who sourced materials from around the world.

According to organiser Blythe Calnan the drinks were cold, the food was tasty, the bands were on fire and the night went off like a frog in a sock.

“We really enjoyed talking to everyone attending the ball and seeing where they came from, why they chose to attend and how their night was going, it was very rewarding to see everyone having such a good time,” Ms Calnan said.

“The committee was really impressed at the effort people put into their costumes, especially the ladies who made their own dresses.”

One such dress-making lady was Belle of the Ball Maria Sarubin, who made the long journey from Geraldton to attend.

“I just think it’s so wonderful that such a small community put in so much effort to organise everything and have it so well publicised and advertised so that people who are from out of town like me can actually plan to attend,” she said.

Ms Sarubin wore a cotton drill, satin and velvet gown made with a butterick historical pattern.

“I left it quite late and was still sewing on buttons two hours before the ball,” she said.

Moly Mines acting chief executive Collis Thorp said the rich history of Marble Bar made the weekend so special and drew-in the crowds.

“Marble Bar is seen to be a mining town, whereas you go into a lot of towns in Queensland, bloody Victoria, Tasmania, overseas and a whole heap of s…holes, they’re not real mining towns,” he said.

“The community has gone to a lot of trouble to put it on and it’s been highly successful…you’ve got to be impressed with it.

“Marble Bar was here in the 1880s or 1890s and all the period costumes are the era that would have taken place when Marble Bar first became a mining town so I think (the theme is) a good idea.”