Kate Winslet learned to sew for her part. Following this, she assisted Margot Wilson in creating the costumes for her character. Wilson was exclusively hired to create the outfits for Tilly.
Kate Winslet and Judy Davis had a hard time keeping a straight face while filming the scene where Liam Hemsworth strips off to get a measurement.
Production was pushed back a year to accommodate Kate Winslet's pregnancy. Filming commenced 3 months after she gave birth.
Tilly's sewing machine is a Singer 201K2. They were incredibly sturdy and very expensive, costing the equivalent of up to 6 months wages for a working woman. They are still considered one of the best sewing machines by professional dressmakers and tailors.
The fictional town of Dungatar was built from scratch as no town in Victoria, Australia, matched production designer Roger Ford's wish to achieve a Western town with Australian characteristics. Director Jocelyn Moorhouse, producer Sue Maslin, cinematographer Donald McAlpine and production designer Ford searched over Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia for three years, looking for the location for Dungatar. Out of the blue, they received a call from the location department at Film Victoria, suggesting to go look at the You Yangs. Once there, at the Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Centre, they chose to set Dungatar there, ultimately having to build the sets themselves.