- From
- 1901
Details
A range of celebrations were held to honour the opening of the first Federal Parliament on 7 May 1901 in Melbourne. The Duke and Duchess of York were invited to Australia as part of Australia's Federation celebrations and to open the first Parliament. The Royal visit as much as Federation became the focus of Melbourne's street celebrations. The streets of Melbourne were decorated with flags and bunting, eight arches were constructed and a procession organised. The government funded four of the arches at a cost of £1,000 each and the Citizens and German arches were funded by public donation.
The Chinese community raised £800 for the construction of a 'Chinese Citizen's Arch' and the £200 necessary for their part in the procession on 7 May 1901. They were also represented on Citizens Demonstration Committee by Wong Shi Geen. Members of the Chinese community lobbied with other Swanston Street businesses to have street decorations extended along Swanston Street so that the Chinese arch could be built. To the disappointment of the Chinese organisers the Chinese procession was not viewed by the Duke and Duchess, however it was very well received by the many spectators and the press. Instead the Chinese community was granted permission to line Swanston Street between Lonsdale and Bourke Street on either side of the Chinese arch in traditional costume when the Duke and Duchess passed by on 10 May on their way to a military parade in Flemington. Twenty-five Chinese dressed in mandarin robes while the rest wore European clothing.
The Chinese Citizen's Arch was located across Swanston Street, south of Little Bourke Street. The arch was designed by G.B.H. Austin of the Public Works Department, who designed most of the other arches, and was built by Mr W.J. Brewer of Clifton Hill. The Chinese community assisted provide the materials used to decorate it.
About 300 Chinese from around Victoria dressed in traditional costume participated in the procession which extended about half a mile in length. There were two Chinese dragons (one from Bendigo and one from the See Yup Society in Melbourne), a Chinese lion, orchestra and figures on white horses. Chinese dignitaries in the procession included leading members of the See Yup Society, the Cheok Hong Cheong and Charlie Ah Goon (possibly a leading Chinese theatrical entrepreneur). The only non-Chinese member of the procession was Charles Powell Hodges who wore full Chinese mandarin robes and brought up the rear in a carriage. Costumes and banners were reportedly brought from China but were probably bought at an earlier date for another procession.
Chinese communities in other parts of Australia also constructed arches and participated in processions to honour to the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York. In Ballarat they constructed an arch over Main Street and in Perth another arch was constructed over St George's Terrace. In Perth Chinese also joined the main street parade with a traditional dragon dance. A Chinese citizens' arch was also constructed in New Zealand when the Duke and Duchess visited in 1901.
Sources used to compile this entry: Butler, Peter, Opium and Gold, Alister Taylor, Waiura, Martinborough, New Zealand, 1977; Cooper-Ainsworth, Barbara, 'The Chinese in Ballarat, Victoria', in P. Macgregor (ed.), Histories of the Chinese in Australasia and the South Pacific, Museum of Chinese Australian History, Melbourne, 1995, pp. 168-176; Couchman, Sophie, 'Tong Yun Gai (Street of the Chinese): Investigating patterns of work and social life in Melbourne's Chinatown 1900-1920', MA thesis, School of Historical Studies, Monash University, 2001; Jack, Russell, 'The Chinese of Bendigo', in P. Macgregor (ed.), Histories of the Chinese in Australasia and the South Pacific, Museum of Chinese Australian History, Melbourne, 1995, pp. 389-393; Nicholas, Diane & Sheehan, Mary, Faint Traces: Chinese in Hawthorn before the Second World War, Hawthorn historical Society & City of Boroondara Library Service, Hawthorn, 2002; Ryan, Jan, Ancestors: Chinese in Colonial Australia, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, Fremantle, WA, 1995; Tsiatsias, Manuel, 'A celestial parade: The Chinese celebration of Australian nationhood, Melbourne, May 1901', BA (hons) Thesis, Department of History, La Trobe University, 1999.
Prepared by: Sophie Couchman, La Trobe University
Related Subjects
Archival Collections
National Library of Australia - Picture collection
- Australia Federation celebrations, Melbourne, 1901, PIC PIC Doc Photo* ; nla.pic-an13117280; National Library of Australia - Picture collection. Details
- Richard Ledgar collection of photographs, 1858-1910; National Library of Australia - Picture collection. Details
- Ron Blum collection of Rose's stereoscopic views of Australia Federation celebrations, 1901; National Library of Australia - Picture collection. Details
R.M. Fredman (private)
- Fredman collection of federation photographs, 1901; R.M. Fredman (private). Details
Royal Australian Historical Society
- Glass slide collection, http://www.rahs.org.au/rahs%20library.html#Library%20intro; Royal Australian Historical Society. Details
State Library of Victoria - Picture Collection
- Commemorative arches erected to honour the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, 1901; State Library of Victoria - Picture Collection. Details
- Gosbell collection of lantern slides; State Library of Victoria - Picture Collection. Details
- Miscellaneous album compiled by Hamilton family; State Library of Victoria - Picture Collection. Details
Published Resources
Books
- Butler, Peter, Opium and Gold, Alister Taylor, Waiura, Martinborough, New Zealand, 1977. Details
- Nicholas, Diane & Sheehan, Mary, Faint Traces: Chinese in Hawthorn before the Second World War, Hawthorn historical Society & City of Boroondara Library Service, Hawthorn, 2002. Details
- Ryan, Jan, Ancestors: Chinese in Colonial Australia, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, Fremantle, WA, 1995. Details
Book Sections
- Cooper-Ainsworth, Barbara, 'The Chinese in Ballarat, Victoria', in P. Macgregor (ed.), Histories of the Chinese in Australasia and the South Pacific, Museum of Chinese Australian History, Melbourne, 1995, pp. 168-176. Details
- Jack, Russell, 'The Chinese of Bendigo', in P. Macgregor (ed.), Histories of the Chinese in Australasia and the South Pacific, Museum of Chinese Australian History, Melbourne, 1995, pp. 389-393. Details
Newspaper Articles
- 'The Chinese: Their quaint procession', Herald, 7 May 1901. Details
Theses
- Couchman, Sophie, 'Tong Yun Gai (Street of the Chinese): Investigating patterns of work and social life in Melbourne's Chinatown 1900-1920', MA thesis, School of Historical Studies, Monash University, 2001. Details
- Tsiatsias, Manuel, 'A celestial parade: The Chinese celebration of Australian nationhood, Melbourne, May 1901', BA (hons) Thesis, Department of History, La Trobe University, 1999. Details
See also
- Craw, Leslie W., The Duke and Duchess: A Momento of their visit to melbourne and Opening of the first Commonwealth Parliament of Australia May 1901, Leslie W. Craw, Melbourne, c1901. Details
Images
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- Title
- Chinese arch (at a distance) in mostly empty street
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
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- Title
- Chinese Arch, Barkley Street, Ballarat, 1901
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Ballarat - Barkly Street
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- Title
- Chinese dragon passing under the German arch
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- c. 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne
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- Title
- Chinese Federation arch with horse and carts passing through
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
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- Title
- Chinese federation dragon outside parliament house
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne
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- Title
- Chinese procession
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901?
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
- Details
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- Title
- Chinese procession & the Chinese Citizen's Archway, Swanston Street, Melbourne, during the commemoration of the Duke of York's visit to open the first Australian Parliament, 1901.
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
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- Title
- Chinese procession and the Chinese Arch, Swanston St.
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
- Details
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- Title
- Chinese procession passing under the Chinese Arch, Swanston Street with man in dark suit
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
- Details
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- Title
- Chinese procession walking through Chinese Arch with figure in dark Chinese-style dress
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- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
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- Title
- Dragon procession in Perth
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Western Australia - Perth
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- Title
- Street scene with Chinese dragon
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne
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- Title
- The Chinese citizens arch - Swanston Street.
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
- Details
See also
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- Title
- Aerial view of Chinese federation dragon passing through the German arch
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne
- Details
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- Title
- Back of the Chinese dignitaries' carriage going through the Chinese federation arch
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
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- Title
- Chinese Arch in St. George's Terrace, Perth 1901
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- Photograph
- Date
- c. July 1901
- Place
- Australia - Western Australia - Perth - St George's Terrace
- Details
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- Title
- Chinese Arch, St. George's Terrace, Perth
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- c. July 1901
- Place
- Australia - Western Australia - Perth - St George's Terrace
- Details
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- Title
- Chinese archway, Federation celebrations 1901
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- c. 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
- Details
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- Title
- Chinese Citizens' Arch also showing man with beard and woman with dog
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
- Details
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- Title
- Chinese Dragon parade
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- c. July 1901
- Place
- Australia - Western Australia - Perth
- Details
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- Title
- Chinese federation arch (at angle) with two unposed males in front
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
- Details
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- Title
- Chinese federation arch in a mostly empty street
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
- Details
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- Title
- Chinese Federation archway with large crowd in front
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- c. 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne
- Details
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- Title
- Chinese federation procession passing through Queen's Arch, Collins Street
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Collins Street
- Details
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- Title
- Citizens Arch, Duke of York visit
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
- Details
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- Title
- Dragon walking along major Melbourne street (Swanston Street?)
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne
- Details
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- Title
- Federation band passing through the Chinese federation arch
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
- Details
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- Title
- Full frontal photograph of Chinese federation arch with no people or traffic visible.
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- 1901
- Place
- Australia - Victoria - Melbourne - Swanston Street
- Details
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- Title
- Reception at Government House (Adelaide) for Duke and Duchess of York
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- c. 1901
- Place
- Australia - South Australia - Adelaide
- Details
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- Title
- The Chinese arch, St. Georges Terrace 1
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- c. 1901
- Place
- Australia - Western Australia - Perth - St George's Terrace
- Details
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- Title
- The Chinese arch, St. Georges Terrace 2
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- c. 1901
- Place
- Australia - Western Australia - Perth - St George's Terrace
- Details
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- Title
- The Chinese Arch, St. George's Terrace Perth, July 1901
- Type
- Photograph
- Date
- c. July 1901
- Place
- Australia - Western Australia - Perth - St George's Terrace
- Details
Created: 11 July 2001, Last modified: 20 September 2005
