Abstract:
The Australian international exhibitions in 1879, 1880 and 1888 were the most important public events
of the nineteenth century and transformed Sydney and Melbourne into festive cities. Every detail of
their ritual provided a fresh urban focus – from the pre-exhibition transformation of the host cities, to
the exhibits on display, and the exhibition layout with its city-like structure reflecting a nineteenth
century conception of world order. Colonists were filled with pride at playing host to the great nations
of the world and in seeing their young cities shine.
The impact of the international exhibitions was profound, is largely unrecognised, and lasted through to
federation. By placing a new emphasis on the city and Australian urban culture they stimulated urban
growth and influenced its form. More importantly, they linked urban development to higher ideals of
nation building in which people began to think beyond their city towards national objectives.
Australian federation, claims John Hirst in The Sentimental Nation, was not merely a practical business
arrangement but a people’s movement and an outcome of national sentiment. I argue that the
international exhibitions were forums for engaging with the same issues of identity, destiny and
nationhood. They sowed the seeds of national sentiment and nurtured their growth through the popular
participation of all levels of society. They were a force for federation.
