Summary

Coverage of the 'Distribution of Awards' at the Melbourne International Exhibition (MIE), printed on pages 118-121 in 'The Australian Sketcher' newspaper, published by G N & W H Birks in Adelaide, 16 April 1881.

These pages describe the awards ceremony, which was held at the (Royal) Exhibition Building on 22 March 1881. It was overseen by the Governor of Victoria, George Augustus Constantine Phipps, 2nd Marquis of Normanby (1819-1890). Sir William Clarke, President of the MIE Commission, read out the list of Awards. The ceremony, attended by 13,000 commissioners, invited guests, exhibitors and friends, took only half an hour. In his address, Sir William stated that attendance at the Exhibition had reached one million and that the financial results 'had been extremely satisfactory'. The juries awarded 2465 exhibits the First Order of Merit, 2013 the Second Order of Merit, 1651 the Third Order of Merit, and 312 the Fourth Order of Merit.

Physical Description

Page 118 describes the Distribution of Awards Ceremony for the Melbourne International Exhibition 1880, held on 22 March. The page is in three columns with a hand drawn sketch of three Cupids above the article. Page 121 is a black & white woodblock illustration entitled 'Paying Day at the Zoo Feeding the Lions'. It shows a group of men, women and children accompanying a zoo keeper while he unlocks an enclosure. Three lions are faintly visible behind the bars of the enclosure. Page 114 contains three columns of news text, with two articles describing the ceremony and the Exhibition generally.

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