McDonald Room, Menzies Library, ANU
Expressions of Australian nationalism at international exhibitions, 1851-1939: presenting Australia in the United States of America
Louise Douglas, School of History, ANU
The Australian Court, Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1876, Illustrated Adelaide News, (hand-coloured).
On 23 July 1914 enthusiastic pledges, flag raising and singing of the The Song of the Commonwealth saw the Commonwealth of Australia dedicate the site of its first national exhibition pavilion outside the British Empire. The pavilion was to be part of San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific International Exposition and this was Australia’s first attempt at presenting within the USA as a unified nation.
Australia’s colonial and federal governments actively used international exhibitions to promote their interests to the world. This paper explores aspects of Australian nationalism visible in the organisation and presentation of displays at four international exhibitions held in the United States from 1876 to 1939. In particular, the paper addresses fruitless efforts to organise a single, unified colonial display in the second half of the 19th century and the confusion Federation and dominion status created in the United States.
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Please direct enquiries to Kynan.Gentry@anu.edu.au
Louise Douglas has had long career working in major museums and is in the final stages of completing her doctorate in History at the ANU. She is an Associate at the National Museum of Australia’s Centre for Historical Research.