Summary

Sepia postcard of a floral arrangement in the Carlton Gardens. The postcard, which is unused, was made in Germany and depicts a shield, a kangaroo and an emu above the words 'Advance Australia'. Originally dated to around 1917, its manufacture in Germany would preclude a war-time date.

'Advance Australia' was the motto of the Australian Natives Association, which held ten displays at the Exhibition Building between 1905 and 1926. The Australian Natives' Association was established in Melbourne in 1871 as a non-partisan and non-sectarian friendly society for Australian-born, white men seeking to shape Australia's nationhood and identity. The ANA was a strong advocate for Federation and became an advocate for White Australia. It was a staunch supporter of trade protection and immigration restriction, and Prime Minister Alfred Deakin was a member.

Physical Description

A black & white photograph showing a parterre garden bed decorated with a shield in the centre, a kangaroo on the left and an emu on the right. Underneath the shield are the words 'Advance Australia'. The patterns are formed from flowers and grass and are within the gardens of the Exhibition Building in Melbourne. On the reverse of the card there is a handwritten inscription and address in black ink.

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