Officer's mess dress jacket : New South Wales Permanent Engineers

Scarlet superfine jacket with Garter-blue velvet stand collar and cuffs. Gold Russia braid all around jacket and along edges of collar with small eyes at the ends of the collar and bottom of the centre front, and a crowsfoot at the centre back of collar and waist edge. At each end of the collar an embroidered gold bullion grenade. Front fastened with alternate brass hooks and eyes on both sides and decorated with gilt studs on the left front edge. Pointed cuffs edged with gold Russia braid, forming a crowsfoot at the point for the rank of lieutenant. Treble twisted round gold shoulder cords, lined with scarlet wool, each bearing two embroidered silver and gold stars for the rank of Captain and a single gilt New South Wales military forces button made by 'D. JONES & Co. SYDNEY'. Jacket lined with quilted satin weave wool. Concealed pocket inside left breast. Collar lined with black cotton twill and sleeves with red plain weave cotton. Lower edge of jacket reinforced with a wide band of red morocco leather, pointed at centre back.

The New South Wales Engineers began as a Volunteer unit in 1870 and by 1881 had become a militia unit. By 1885, the Engineer Corps' strength had risen to 120. Some members of the Corps volunteered for service in the NSW Contingent for the Sudan. By 1894, the NSW Engineers consisted of four companies; two field companies, a submarine mining company and an Electric company. These companies were made up of both permanent and partially paid men. In 1902, they became part of the Corps of Australian Engineers.