Opening of the first Parliament, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, 1901

This is a black-and-white photograph showing the opening of the first Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne on 9 May 1901. On the stage in the centre, in a military uniform and with a beard, is the Duke of Cornwall and York representing his father, King Edward VII. Members and officers of the new Parliament can be seen as well as some of the 12 000 invited dignitaries and their families. The photograph measures 27.9 cm x 36.4 cm.