Debutante Balls

By Cherrie Wilson

At debutante balls held across Australia each year, girls wear long white dresses and are presented to their communities. Supporters say these balls give young women a chance to shine, while critics say they are sexist and outdated.

Making your debut was a big deal when you were a young child in a rural community. While we had to train to dance nonstop in the heels we intended to wear and learn how to curtsy while wearing heels, finding the ideal outfit was the most challenging. I was lucky enough to have it made for me by my mum, who is an expert designer and seamstress. This event presented the opportunity to dress up, dance with your father, and experience life in the past. A night we all looked forwards to was being invited to dance, taken back to your table, served supper, and treated like an adult.

Even though we suffered from blisters, bobby pins that dug into our scalps, and a lack of air because of the cumbersome, tight-fitting dresses, it was a memorable evening. About 20 years later, my oldest daughter made her debut, and it was a memorable occasion to witness and be a part of. My youngest daughter decided against it because it "wasn't the done thing anymore" and it wasn't really her style of thing either.

We had already moved to Bribie. I was relieved that she had a choice rather than being expected, even though it's just another lovely custom that appears to have faded away. So why are Deb Balls still a thing? Debutante balls have become more popular in the 21st century, with the night changing its focus away from marriage.

It’s a night of glamour, beauty, elegance, silky, pure white dresses, and gorgeous faces. It’s a night where proud parents look on as their daughters sway to traditional dances and present themselves to society. A debutante ball is a common tradition in society, but as times change, so do traditions, and what the deb balls used to mean is not necessarily what they mean now.

The practise of a debutante ball dates back to the 1600s in England, where it was described as a formal ball at which young women of upper-class backgrounds are presented to society. During this ball, it was the parents’ hope for the 16- to 18-yearold girls that an eligible suitor would be captivated by their daughter and later ask for her hand in marriage. Upon their entry, they would normally bow before someone of high importance, such as the Queen or a mayor.

Nowadays, the debutante ball is simply a part of many school traditions. While the night still shares some similar traits to the balls in the 1600s, the meaning is different. Instead of being an event about women, newer debutante balls focus on both males and females, dancing together to symbolise their movement into adult life. The dances are made to be more fun than serious, and the event is shared with family and friends rather than eligible suitors and high-class society. The first Aboriginal debutante ball took place in 1968, when 16-year-old Pearl Anderson danced with Australian prime minister John Gorton. The debutante tradition developed into an inclusive rite of passage.

When Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne in 1952, both the young queen and her husband, Prince Philip, took an interest in modernising the monarchy, supporting the televised coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in 1953. Public engagements and philanthropic initiatives brought members of the royal family into contact with people from a wide variety of social classes, and these more accessible royal occasions meant the presentation of an exclusive group of young women from wealthy families at court appeared especially anachronistic.

Prince Philip considered the Queen Charlotte’s Ball "bloody daft" and did not understand why presentations of debutantes should continue to be held at Buckingham Palace. The queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, had a different critique of debutante presentations at court, commenting that "we had to put a stop to it. Every tart in London was getting in". With the end of formal debutante presentations at court in 1958 and the final Queen Charlotte’s Ball in 1976, garden parties, which had existed since the reign of Queen Victoria, became increasingly significant as events where the royal family could engage with men and women from all levels of society.

What is the exact reason for the ban on deb balls? Corruption is a front-runner. Back in the 1950s, many women wanted to be seen as ‘high society’ but had neither the connections nor the means to be officially invited to the debutante balls. As a result, a select number of the ball organisers began to charge hefty sums for tickets, and this led to corruption of the system.

Nevertheless, I had a good time. I can't say that I enjoyed going to beauty, grooming, and deportment lessons, but on the other hand, they have kept me out of embarrassing circumstances if I hadn't gone and acquired the "correct etiquette”.

The night itself, magic!