OPENING OF THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

West Coast Times, Issue 351, 7 November 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

OPENING OF THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

(from the argus.) The third Melbourne Exhibition of natural products and works of art was formally opened by his Excellency the Governor at noon on 24th of October, in the presence of a large concourse of -ladies and gentlemen. The first of these now familiar gatherings took place in 1854, anticipatory of the Paris Exhibition held in the following year. It was a creditable display for the period ; and the fact of a light and presentable structure of wood and glass having been erected for the purpose added to the enthusiasm which the occasion evoked. The collection of articles constituted, however, rather a bazaar, than an exhibition, iv the modern sense of the term, most of them having been supplied by fancy goods men and general importers. Native produce was but poorly represented, and out of the entire lisj; of exhibitors only thirty-six were in a position to contribute to tho Australian court at the Paris international exhibition. The Exhibition held in 1861 was a great improvement on its predecessor, the articles exhibited of local growth and manufacture being numerous and interesting. The building constructed iv in 1854, with the addition of an annexe nearly as large as itself, was used for housing this collection. The affair was an undoubted success here, and resulted in the Victorian court achieving a posi - tion of proud pre-eminence at the London gathering of 1862. It was declared by the compiler of the " Illustrated Catalogue" fur that exposition that " a more extensive and varied collection had never before been sent from any British colony to Europe." These two events, however, though notable in .Melbourne annals, sink into insignificance when compared with the magnificent undertaking which was inaugurated on the 24th. Both in conception and execution our third Exhibition stands out as a grand and peculiar one. For the first time, tlie various colonies of Australasia meet in friendly competition at an independent gathering, It has been many months in preparation, aud the interest attach • ing to it has gradually increased, as exhibition after exhibition, in preparation for the central one, has been held in the 1 u'ge provincial towns of Victoria and the capitals of the neighboring colonies. The response to the invitation issued by the Victorian Commission, though for a time in some quarters doubtful, has been a satisfactory one, and Melbourne may well feel gratified at the triumphant result. Whoever may have originated the idea of holding ,-m intercolonial exhibition, to Government and Parliament belong the credit of having promptly adopted it, and taken steps to insure its realisation. The Commission nominated for the purpose was appointed a year ago—viz., on the 27th October, 1865. Mr J. G. Knight, -who from his previous experience in connection with the Victorian Exhibition of 1861, the London Exhibition of 18G2, and the Dublin Exhibition of 1865, was generally regarded as the fittest for the work, and was made secretary to the commission. It was speedily perceived that the structure which had served for the previous exhibitions would be utterly inadequate to accommodate the collection which the various colonies might be expecced to bring together ; and one of the first important acts of the commission was to decide on uniting with the trustees of the Public Library in erecting an edifice worthy of the occasion, and suitable for the requirements of a museum after the temporary purpose had boon served. A.s a consequence of this resolution, we have the building which has now been open to the public. Excepting in so far as the plan of this structure is concerned, Mr Reed, the architect, has enjoyed but little opportunity of displaying his taste. Only the foundations end the lower walls of the great hall and octagon are permanent ; the superstructure is of wood, which though capable of sustaining its postion for many years, admits of no elaborate architectural embellishment. The result is that the exterior of the pile is" as ugly cs was the monster shed which CViptain Fowkes constructed for the last London show and the beauty of the interior is solely owing to its large size, and to the elegant decorative coloring whicli has been laid upon it. The name of the gentk-man. — Mr X T. Bateraan — who lias accomplished this portion of the work deserves to be remembered wherever any interest in the success of the Exhibition is felt. Even filled with all the rich exhibits which the colonies conld contribute, the large room and octagonal hall owe one-half their charm to the delicate and harmoniously blended tints upon which the eye rests when lifted to the upper part of the walls and the roof. The buildings occupied by the Exhibition consist of the great hall in which the mayor's fancy-dress ball was held a spacious octagon leading to it from the Public Library, two* openair courts on each side of this octagon, a northern wing containing the machines, a southern wing devoted to the

pictures, and a large iron annexe, entered from the central hall by a short covered way, and leading direct into llujgsell street. In addition to these, there arc the unoccupied portion of the garden in the rear of the building, which will speedily wear a more ornamental aspect than it now presents, and the basement underneath the pic-ture-gallery set apart chiefly as dininghall and refreshment-rooms, but also with cellars devoted to the exhibition of preserved meats, wines, beers, &c, of which there is a fine collection. When it is remembered that the central hall is 220 feet long and 82 feet in breadth, and that the , rest of the structure is built on no lim'ted scale, the amount of space at the disposal of the commission is seen to be considerable. Large as it is, however, it has been found insufficient, and in many instances the goods have had to be crowded together in away that scarcely does justice to their handsome appearance. But this has been unavoidable. As it is too frequently the caso in enterprises of this kind, the exhibits have been crowded in at the last moment, rendering the process of arrangement extremely difficult. At the date originally fixed by the commission as the limit for the receipt of applications for space, very few had come in ; it therefore became necesssary to extend it from time to time, until at length applicants became almost more numerous than welcome, and the decided success of the undertaking was assured. This lateness of entry, however, has led to some confusion, both as regards position in the rooms and accuracy in the catalogues. These latter have been very neatly printed by Messrs Blundell and Ford. Before proceeding to give a detailed account of the opening, and Mich description of the exhibits as a first inspection renders possible, we would briefly refer to the brilliant scene which set off Thursday's ceremonial. To those who had seen the hall on the previous evening, the aspect it presented produced a surprise which can only be fittingly characterised by the use of Dominie Sunpsou's favorite word, " Prodigious." Notwithstanding that the men under Mr Knight's charge had been working for the preceding two weeks with a vigor untiring, Tuesday witnessed a spectacle of confusion which seemed hopeless. One night, without the aid of fairies, had accomplished wonders. A golden pyramid roared its crest to the roof, where before had been vacancy; ugly half-finished trophies had grown into things of beauty ; banners, before huddled together out of sight, hung in proper order ; eyesores of partitions had disappeared, discovering long unencumbered vistas; empty cases had become full ones —in short, a vast lumber-room had been turned into a splendidly appointed bazaar. By half-past ten all this was completed. At eleven the season ticketholders began, to stream into the building ; and at twelve, when his Excellency the Governor, accompanied by Lady and the Misses Manners-Sutton, entered, and the excellent orchestra in the gallery struck up the National Anthem, the room was crowded. It is not too much to say that a finer sight has never been witnessed in Australia. The centre of the building, occupied by the decorated dais and its approaches, and filled with the well-dressed throng, 'to whom the privilege of entree had been accorded, the rest of the floor of the room yet more densely packed, the prettily arranged courts, each with its distinctivebannors ; the elegant trophies and crystal ornaments, and the fine expanse of lofty roof, made up a scene which we venture to assert few colonies have ever beheld, and the effect of which to those present was heightened by the grand music of the " Hallelujah Chorus," pealing through the hall.