The Opening of the First Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia

The Australian Commonwealth Parliament first opened in Melbourne on 9 May 1901, just over 124 years ago.

Thousands of people watched the royal procession as it made its way through the streets of Melbourne to the Exhibition Building

The then new King of England, Edward VII, sent his son and heir, The Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V) as his representative at the Opening where the ceremony was witnessed by 12,000 invited guests.

The online document by the Parliament of Australia titled ‘Exhibitions’’ says further as to the Opening of the first Parliament:

The senators-elect assembled on a low platform in front of a dais in the Main Hall of the Exhibition Building at 11.30am.  The Duke and the Governor-General, Lord Hopetoun, and their parties entered at 12 noon and ascended the dais.  The elected members of the House of Representatives, waiting in the western nave, were then called by the Usher of the Black Rod, and took their places to the senators.

The clerk of the parliament read the Letters Patent …

The Duke declared the parliament open and the new members of parliament then made their way to Victoria’s Parliament House in Spring Street, where the senate met to elect a president and the House of Representatives.  Detailed parliamentary business was left until 21 April 1901.

The members of the Barton Ministry after the first election were as follows:

An historical memento was published to record the Opening, known as “the Swan Souvenir”. 

That complete document as provided by the National Library of Australia is here.

The booklet is titled Swan Souvenir – The Royal Visit to Australia

I became aware of this document as I discovered an original of it in family records earlier this year.  That set me off to make enquiries, and the National Archives of Australia verified what the document was.  The booklet is 25 x 15cm and has a soft fabric like cover with a knotted piece of string acting as the binder.

The Swan Souvenir includes the following photographs of note:

1. The Duke and Duchess of Cornwell and York
2. The Barton Ministry
3. The Royal procession on Princes Bridge
4. The Opening Ceremony inside the Exhibition Building
5. The Governor General, Lord Hopetoun and Countess Hopetoun.

As obtained from the National Archives of Australia, the following is the itinerary for the Governor-General and the Duke for Thursday, 9 May 1901:

His Excellency The Governor General will leave Government House at 11 o’c, and Their Royal Highnesses will follow him a few minutes later, to attend the Opening of Parliament. The Procession will proceed over the appointed route to the Exhibition Buildings.

The Ceremony will occupy about an hour, after which Their Royal Highnesses will return to Government House, followed by His Excellency’s carriage.

In the Evening, Their Royal Highnesses will leave Government Houe at 5 minutes to 9, and proceed via Princes Bridge, Flinders St, and Spring St to the Exhibition Building, to witness the State Concert given in their honour by the Commonwealth Government.  They are due to arrive there at 9:15, and will remain there about 1.5 hours, leaving the Buildings at about 10:30 and returning by the same route to Government House.