Mess waistcoat : Brevet Lieutenant Colonel C H Bartlett, New South Wales Headquarters Staff

Dark blue superfine waistcoat with closed neck. Front edge of collar, fronts and along the bottom edge to the side seams, all trimmed with gold Russia braid. Just inside this edging gold Russia braid eyes extend from the side seams to the front of collar; the Russia braid only extending round the back of the collar without eyes. Large welt pocket at each front also trimmed with Russia braid eyes forming a crowsfoot at each end. The back of the waistcoat appears to have been replaced with scarlet acetate fabric. The left front of the waistcoat, to base of collar, is decorated with a row of small gilded brass studs, although the fronts fasten beneath these with a series of alternate brass hooks and eyes that extend to the top of the collar. The waistcoat is fully lined with cream cotton twill, with a piece of elastic inserted between the lining and back scarlet fabric, which has also been replaced. Collar lined with black silk twill where five small fabric covered metal buttons are sewn, to take a white starched collar liner, although one is missing.

Mess waistcoat worn by Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Bartlett probably from 1899 onwards. Charles Henry Falkner Hope Bartlett was born in 1 August 1853 at Broadwater Station, near Maitland in NSW. His first military appointment was as a lieutenant in the East Maitland Company of the Northern Battalion, NSW Volunteer Force in 1872. In March 1875 he was promoted to captain. He reverted to the rank of lieutenant in 1878 when his corps were amalgamated but was promoted again to captain in 1880. Bartlett resigned in 1883 when he took up an appointment as adjutant in the NSW Permanent Military Forces.

In 1885 he went to the Sudan as adjutant with the New South Wales Infantry Contingent to the campaign. He took part in the advance on Tamai and was Mentioned in Despatches. He received the Egypt medal with clasp 'Suakin 1885' and the Khedive's Star.

In 1887 Bartlett went to England where he underwent training in musketry and in the operation of Gardiner and Nordenfeldt guns. After his return to Australia Bartlett was promoted to major in 1887. He was deputy assistant adjutant general on the NSW Headquarters staff from 1893 to 1895. He received a promotion as brevet lieutenant colonel in 1899 and was appointed to the administrative and instructional staff of the 3rd and 4th Regiments in 1902. In 1906 he became assistant adjutant general and chief staff officer with the Commonwealth Military Forces where he was recommended for promotion to Colonel. Bartlett was appointed aide-de-camp to the governor-general, the Earl of Dudley, in 1909 and retired as a colonel on 1 April 1912. He died on 17 June 1916 at Woolahra, Sydney.