The Festive City: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites ('Recently Arised, How Purely You Shine')

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.