Summary

Highly-coloured invitation to an evening reception at the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, on 9 May 1901, to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York following the opening of the first Federal Parliament. The invitation was designed by the artists Julian and Howard Ashton.

Description of Content

Colour lithograph invitation mounted on green card. Some foxing visible across the bottom of the mount card. Text is printed in gold. Two allegorical figures border the design, representing Britan in Roman military costume and a youthful Australia with flowing hair, dressed in a classical toga. The figures are surrounded by a border of vine leaves. A coat of arms is centred at the bottom of the composition.

Physical Description

Colour lithograph invitation mounted on green card. Some foxing visible across the bottom of the mount card. Text is printed in gold. Two allegorical figures border the design, representing Britain in Roman military costume and a youthful Australia with flowing hair, dressed in a classical toga. The figures are surrounded by a border of vine leaves. A coat of arms is centred at the bottom of the composition.

Significance

On 9 May 1901 the Exhibition Building hosted the opening of the first Federal Parliament, where the new federal parliamentarians were sworn in, before an audience of 12,000 dignitaries and their families. Prime Minister Barton wanted the event to be as inclusive as possible and no other public building in Australia could accommodate such a large group of people.

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York visited Melbourne for the event, creating great excitement as they attended receptions, processions and other functions held in their honour. Melbourne's streets and buildings were elaborately decorated, and people from all over Australia visited for the celebrations surrounding the opening. The Exhibition Building was the venue for many of the events during the week of celebrations which included the opening, a conversazione, evening reception and state schools fete.

Following the opening, the new Federal Parliament sat in Victorian Parliament House until 1927 when Parliament House (now old Parliament House) in Canberra was completed. During this time Victoria's State Parliament sat in a specially designed chamber in the Western Annex of the Exhibition Building.

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