Summary

Colour invitation to the Royal Review held at Flemington racecourse on Friday 10 May 1901. It was printed by Sands & McDougall.

Description of Content

Printed colour invitation on card with printed black and white photographic images set into the border. The colour border is vividly decorated with flags and sheilds and a large coat of arms. The photographic images depict various scenes of Flemington in Melbourne, in addition to two separate portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York.

Physical Description

Printed colour invitation on card with printed black and white photographic images set into the border. The border is vividly decorated with flags, shields and a large coat of arms. The photographic images depict various scenes of Flemington in Melbourne, in addition to two separate portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York. Illustrations of military servicemen on foot and horseback flank the central block of text.

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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