Summary

Black and white engravings and text from The Australian Sketcher, 6 Nov 1880, pp. 295-96, published by Wilson & McKinnon, Melbourne. Page 295 consists of three columns of news and articles describing the various exhibits at the Melbourne International Exhibition. Page 296 contains a full page illustration of the Victorian Court at the Exhibition. The gilded rhombic dodecahedron, representing the quantity of gold mined in Victoria, hangs from the ceiling.

Explaining the origins of the rhombic dodecahedron, the Argus wrote:

A twelve-sided rhombic crystal has been chosen for the Victorian trophy. Each of the rhombs has sides 9ft. long, and the longest diameter of the figure is 22ft. It has been a complicated matter to so design the crystal that it shall represent by its bulk the total quantity of gold, in ounces, raised from the alluvial and quartz mines of this colony. The adoption of a rhombic dodecahedron was suggested by one of the offices of the Mining department, and two other gentlemen in the same office calculated the dimensions. The crystal will be mounted on a pedestal in the section devoted to mining in the Victorian court. Its vase size and unusual form will procure it abundant notice from visitors.

As the Australasian Sketcher was published by Wilson & McKinnon, and, in 1889, absorbed into the firm's subsidiary paper, the Australasian, the contents of the latest addition was cross-advertised in the Argus. A listing in the Argus on Thursday, 11 November 1880, p. 4, provides details and captions of the contents of the latest edition of the Australasian Sketcher, that of Saturday, 6 November, that includes the illustrations described above. Although this sheet has no date markings, it is clearly the same edition as advertised.

Physical Description

Black & white engravings and text from The Australian Sketcher. Page 295 consists of three columns of news and articles describing the various exhibits at the Melbourne International Exhibition. Page 296 contains a full page illustration of the Victorian Court at the Exhibition. Exhibits were chosen to represent Victoria's industrial and manufacturing capacity and were divided into the categories of arts, ladies' work, mining, agriculture and machinery. The mining exhibits are most clearly shown in the illustration. The gilded rhombic dodecahedron, representing the quantity of gold won in Victoria, hangs from the ceiling. In the foreground, men, women and children are inspecting the specimen cases. Displays of Bendigo gold are part of the exhibit. The Court is decorated with colonial flags.

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