AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1507, 17 January 1901, Page 32

AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH.

THE INAUGURATION CEREMONIES ff#. ..' . AN IMPOSING PAGEANT. prc' (Special to the “N.Z. Times. ) SYDNEY, January 2. January 1, 1901, in Sydney, oroke dull and damp, and the hundreds or tnousands of people who came m in long lines cf trams and trains from the suburbs, arriving from 6 a.m. on, and tne other hundreds of thousands who pcurRG ed out of the city from dwellings, private and public, were divided as to whether to wear the light summer garb which is the vogue here on such occasions or macintoshes. As the morning wore on the sun came out, and the y ■ heat grew intense. It was not till the ■ afternoon, when the great procession and ceremony were over, that the rain came down in torrents, speedily flood- ‘ ing the streets, and people, drencned to the skin, could he seen rushing for shelly ter in all directions. s From a very early _ hour the whole procession route was crowded, and as the time for the start came the thousands of stands —fug and little—became thronged. All the preparations of months and the aspirations of years were about to culminate, and there was an electric feeling of expectancy in the air from the dawn. Many ’ people never went to bed oil New Year’s Eve at all; they sew the old year cut I.and the new one in, either at the various religious ceremonies specially held t- or in the streets, and spent the intervening hours to daylight in . wandering ;;C about the ..gorgeously decorated ways. MARSHALLING. THE PAGEANT. U. Between eight and nine o’clock the G various elements of the great procession G began to arrive at the Domain. The. yf- foot soldiers were brought in long lines r of special trams • the mounted men rode from their camps; while the artillery and engineering sections drove up. The |y metropolitan fire brigades were given a prominent part in the pageant, and / they drove in with magnificent GG teams of horses drawing their giant steam fire engines, that were a perfect marvel of polish, burnished to an extent that drew forth cries of amazement from all beholders. The troops spread over the green sward of the Domain, and executed various manoeuvres to ensure their having tire right- - formation and the right place. When G the time came for them to fall in the sight was one unique injhe history of the Empire, and the like of which may never again be seen in these southern lands. A The Imperial uniforms were most gorgeous in, the case of the Royal Artillery, the Guards, and the Lancers, but quite unexpectedly it was seen that" our men, while individually eclipsed by the splen|G dour of colour of the Imperial soldiers’ y dress as opposed to their khaki, in masses looked every bit as well as their more gaily caparisoned comrades. “ We rather take the shine out of these colonials -with our kit/’ remarked a young officer of the Guards to a group" of Imperial officers close by me. ‘“Yes.” replied one; “individually w© do, but put ten or twelve of them together and the khaki looks just as well as our colour.” And . the “ others,” as they watched the units y moving, admitted the fact. But the Imperial troops looked- unquestionably fine. ? ©ur men were very curious about the Imperial uniforms, and some of them came G over while they waited and weighed in their hanfds the great steel helmets of the Guards, and felt curiously the massive steel and leather cuirasses in which the wearers "were frizzling to assist in making an Australian gala day. And these poor / men in their heavy and absurdly elaborate uniforms suffered horribly from the heat. So did: the horses of the Guards, who have a great sheepskin over the saddles, which made the sweat pour out of the fei- poor beasts long before the march start--17 ed. The 21st Lancers contingent—all y men who took part in the famous Om_ durman charge—looked particularly fine. G The greatest interest of all was taken in the Indian troops, who looked superb, Y and afterwards went through the whole fG affair without turning a hair. But our |G" men quite held their own in appearance ■ in this great asemblage of tHe Empire, y The New Zealanders—the Maoris especial ally—were very popular, both in the H?Domain and afterwards along the route. ARRANGEMENT OR THE PROCESSION. When it almost got under way it was gd found that what might be termed the least interesting part of it from a spectacular point of view came first, and the interest was gradually worked up.. The first point of the line of route was fixed / at the Domain gates opposite St. Alary’s G.G Catherdral, where the coal arch of the Newcastle people was erected. This is gynot exactly a picturesque or handsome but it is decidedly„unique as lu? a ' s P ec imen of architecture. It consists a wooden Jframework built over with Han outer covering of blocks of coal, fit- ’ ted together like masonry, and on the Wr°P a miniature representation of a p: poppet head and a group of miners’ tools, * - etc. The motto of the arch is “Omnia ppSpncxt Labor.” The arch made a fine Upstarting point, and as the troops ydebouched through it into tho rvnftß

brilliant uniforms showed up splendidly against the sombre background. The vicinity of the Cathedral square and round to ..Queen’s place was well decorated, though not so much attention had been paid to this element here as further along the line of route. There was on or about the Cathedral a selection of the flags of different portions of the Empire, prominent amongst which was, of course, the green emblem cf Ould Ireland. In the street- there was wffrt is officially described as "a colonnade of flags and trophies of the Empire.” These consisted almost entirely of Union Jacks upon masts, which were capped with tne Royal Crown in silver, and the effect was very fine. But it was at Queen’s square itself that the decorations began to show out in all their magnificence. Hea’c, as previously outlined, on the columns there yvas erected over the statute of Her Majesty what was described as a “tinted colonnade,'' formed by the erection of a great central obeusk. nearly 80ft in height, around vouch were two circles of beautiful pillars or columns consisting of six and seventeen columns respectively, which were festooned with greenery, and presented a gorgous show of colour. On each of the six central pillars were national flags, while oh .the eighteen surrounding columns were the flags of eighteen countries cf the world arranged in a most artistic manner. Between the outer columns were hung panels decorated with the names and colours of the visiting limitary and naval forces. As previously explained, the columns were of a most elegant fluted design, with bases or ornate work ; and as they were all perfectly white they stood out in clear relief against the mass cf colour .a.mu'r. them. It will be seen that this was a fitting spot for the great pageant to enter upon its career, 'iaere was at this point a great concourse of people, who were discriminating in their remarks, but generally appreciative, if not wildly enthusiastic. The appearance of THE MILITARY

was heralded by a "further batch of mounted police, who were followed by a section of the New South Wales Lancers in their attractive uniforms. Then came the public school cadets, to the number of 2000, and preceded by their band. These “soldiers of the Queen” in embryo looked* and marched well, and in this respect showed even some cf the regulars a good example. The Royal Australian Artillery Baud:—the crack, military band of Sydney—followed, and preceded a- section of 100 of the Artillery, who formed a guard of honour. They were a really splendid body of men, and for physique and drill compared with the best cf the Imperial troops, though; of course/ they lacked the adventitious aid of busbies, breastplates, etc. The New South Wales troops who have returned from South Africa, and who came next, were not to say spruce, but they looked what they were—-men from the veldt — and their khaki-clad forms were heartily cheered. The Soudan Contingent, " in plain dress, wearing their medals, were also given a. warm reception, as a reminder that- they were not forgotten, and retired officers and men from the navy and other old war-scarred but medalled veterans likewise wer© shown that merit, even without a pension, is not wi-. bout appreciation sometimes. Now the real show began. The visiting troops made their appearance, which was the signal for the stretching of necks and the pressing forward of the crowd" in the streets to catch a sight of the heroes. Unfortunately, there was not much to distinguish the various corps, and as the troops came by they were not always recognised, especially the colonial troops, who were much alike in their khaki. First came t-he Queenslanders, partly mounted and partly on foot, and distinguished 1 as to the former by their feathers. They were a fine, upstanding lot, well bronzed and hardy-looking, and were accompanied by their band. The Tasmanians followed, to the number- of 100, and as they numbered amongst them the only Victoria Cross men from the colonies they were given a rousing cheer, and “ another for luck.” The West Australians followed—a mixed mounted and infantry party—and they slipped quietly by, there being .< no special characteristic about them. The New South Wales Police Band, a big lot of men with good' blowing power,preceded the SouthAusfcralians. who came next, and were facetiously dubbed “ crow-eaters ” by some wag. These, again, were partly mounted and partly on foot. Then followed the Victorians, a particularly fine representative corps. 640 strong, who were supposed to be picked men, and made a good showing. They were a composite body, with their own band. As they marched by they were heartily cheered, especially the artillerymen, the rangers, and the mounted infantry. They were evidently well drilled, and marched capitally. A picturesque feature of the corps was the , SCOTTISH CONTINGENT. who looked well in their kilts. And last of the visiting intercolonial troops, but certainly not least, came our own New Zealanders. They were IbO strong, led by 31ajor Hawkins, and 1 a particularly fine appearance they cut, though it was a matter for regret that the returned 1 men from, South Africa were not mounted. The latter looked war-stained, and lacked the brilliancy imparted by scarlet and 1 gold, but there was the unmistakeable real metal there, and their well-C/af,-nr> orvl.rlT/iWI-gT —.L :.N

them again and again. The presence cf the Tutaiichaffs contingent (and especially the A'lacri section of the latter) also evoked loud applause. Of the Alaoris, a Sydney paper remarks: “The Maori troopers in the ranks were the therfic of admiration. -Stalwart and handsome, they made' pigmies of most of their comrades./’ Speaking of the New Zealand Contingent as a whole the same paper says : “Great favourites were the Maori landers, and they were greeted with hearty cheers.” Thc-n came the piece do resistance of the programme — the Indian and Imperial troops. The Australian Horse Band (mounted) led the way for the former, whose appearance was the signal for a hearty and continuous burst of applause. Their gorgeous uniforms, remarkable head-dresses and soldierly appearance, both mounted and foot, were the subject of general admiration, and it is safe to say that ■ their appearance in Sydney will never bo forgotten. The only regret is that they are so few in numbers, and that, kaleidoscopic-like, they no sooner appear than they are gone. But enough was seen of them to show us that they . are true soldiers—grim, strong, thoroughly disciplined, not a muscle of their features indicating the pleasure they must have felt at the welcome they received. The mounted men sat their horses like statues._ as though man and beast were of solid marble, and they fully exemplified the pomp and panoply cf war in the remarkable costumes they displayed. “The footles/’ though less picturesque, were also stern and reso-lute-looking soldiers, who would give a. good account of themselves even against well-trained European troops. The New South Wales Lancers’ Band (mounted) .preceded the Imperial Contingent of 1000 men, -who formed a military spectacle the like .of which will probably never be seen again in Australia. It is indeed hard to imagine any circumstance which should warrant their reappearance, for while the making of a nation is in itself a. reason to 1 explain such an occasion now, it is difficult to imagine any other event of a like nature. It is without doubt a fact that the- Imperial troops fully bore out all 1 lie impressions previously formed as to their physique and picturesqueness.' In the matter of discipline they were ideal soldiers. To those who had never before seen Imperial troops in review order it was simply a revelation. It was on the- mounted men that attention was chiefly centred, for they were the creme do la creme of the British cavalry corps. And a wondrous brave show they made. The Life Guardsmen, splendid-looking • in their steel cuirasses and helmets, sheepskin horse-cloths, and great jack boots, formed an imposing spectacle, and one was almost inclined to regret the fact that such a fine-looking body of men should be nicknamed ''Tin-bel-lies.” It was fortunate for them that the day was only hot and not wet. As it was they were merely baked ; if to this had been added rain, they would have been at least stewed, if not boiled. The Dragoons, Lancers, arid Hussars, who followed in that order, were likewise fine set-up, dashing, typical cavalry men, and one can well "under_ stand how the nursemaid of Hyde Park gives out her heart to these heroes. They do not sit their horses altogether in a way to please Australian critics, but that is a fine detail. They are fine-looking men, who manage their horses well, and they quite equalled expectations. The Royal Horse Artillery and the Royal Field Artillery, with their guns, also attracted great attention ; while the Royal Engineers, with their sections of pomtoons. CAPTIVE BALLOON, etc., were objects of much curiosity. The infantry were led by the band of the Highland Light Infantry, the oqJLy band with the Imperial troops except the pipers. and it was noticeable that the music discoursed was less brassy than that of most of our colonial bands. It was certainly very fine. The Royal Garrison Artillery—serviceable looking, but not specially notable in appearance—headed the Foot Brigade, and they were followed by the Guards’ group (comprising the Grenadier Guards, _ C’oldstreams Scots’, Guards and Irish Guards). The immense headgear of these well set-up fellq.ws, with their springy step, was, of course, the subject of sympathetic comment ; and the men who had to wear bearskins on such a day were indeed to be pitied. A batch of line corps follow, ed. but they did not excite much comment. Amongst the Fusiliers, who came next, there was much to claim admiration. The various rifle corps were not so picturesque as some of their compatriots, and when the pipers of the High landers’ Contingent appeared the public were ready to give them the welcome they deserved. The Black Watch and Seafort-h Highlanders were specially -well received, and a really great spectacle they presented. The rest of the infantrymen were not so specially noticeable as to elicitmuch remark. Attention was then turn, ed to the Naval Contingent, who, though always with us, are always popular. They were led by the band of the Royal Arthur, and the nuggetty figures of the men as they stepped briskly along aroused hearty cheering. Various unattached and Reserve officers (mounted) made a good display, andi then came th© visiting commandants, each preceded bv a.--staff ..

gorgeous. The Commandant- of the New South Wales Forces (General French) presented a capital appearance as his horse pranced and curvetted, but the carriage cf the Admiral seemed to fall rather flat after so much splendour of colour. Now came the Vice-regal party. The State equipages consisted of two particularly handsome carriages driven, by teams of four, with postillions, all marveds of sartorial art and decoration, together with footmen whose powdered hair had the appearance of bunches of thin candies, the powder having apparently been somewhat affected by the perspiration engendered by the weather. His Excellency, looking still pale, but much bet, ter than when formerly seen m public, occupied the rearmost carriage, and Jus appearance was the signal-for a burst of applause, which was kept up along the whole line of route. As the v ice-regal representative passed St. Alarv’s Cathedral a great demonstration was given by the children of the Roman Catholic schools, who sang, in a choir of at least 1000 voices, a song of the Commonwealth, the words of which were from the pen of Air Quinn, ALP., and the music by Air Delaney, the conductor. At its conclusion the children gave three hearty cliesrs., and then sang the National Anthem, iii which the people heartily joined. This was a good start for Lis Excellency, and shortly afterward*, with his escort (the New South W ales Lancers, the Alounted Infantry and the mounted troops), he turned into Queen’s place, and on into Macquarie street, where the plaudits of the people indicated that he was having a hearty reception.

CHRISTENING- THE NEW-BORN NATION.

THE SWEARING -IN CEREMONY. If the scene in the streets of Sydney was a brilliant and inspiriting one, it was but as a preliminary to the magnificent spectacle which followed in the Centennial Park. In the city itself it was not possible to get more than glimpses of the immense crowds in the streets, who were spread over some miles, but at Centennial Park the position might be compared to that of a noble lake which is feds by a river and other small tributaries. Here, at the end of the route of the procession, _ was congregated a mass of, people which at its maximum must have numbered nearly 200,000. The Sydney daily papers have fixed the total at a quarter of a million, and it may have been so, but there are no methods by which the figures can be well arrived at. As one who has seen the record attendance at the Melbourne Cup—estimated at about "100,000—I should .say, by making a comparison, that there, must have been between 150,000 and 200,000 spectators. From an early hour in the morning trains and ’buses from all parts of the metropolitan area began to arrive with parties to take up choice positions, and the trained choir of school children to the number of 15,000 were brought in early and allotted their positions. Every reasonable provision had been made for the convenience: of the latter, who were supplied with lunch, water, etc. The adult choir of 1000 picked voices also were early on the scene. Before eleven o’clock there must have been 40,000 people on the ground, and' from this hour the total steadily increased till it had reached the number I have approximated. Of course, at the outset there was nothing to attract sightseers, and those who arrived early did so in order to get a : full view of the swearing-in ceremony, to do which they had to secure positions. The ceremony was performed by Sir Frederick Dariey, the Chief Justice. As liis Excellency kissed the hook cm each occasion, the crowd, who could witness the action, cheered lustily, and when at the termination of this part of the ceremony he signed the documents, the Royal Standard above the pavilion, vas opened out and the soldiers gave th© Royal salute, and a salvo of twentyone guns was fired, amid a perfect babel of cheers. • Lord Hopetoun then shortly proclaimed that he had taken the oath and assumed the duties of Gov-ernor-General, andi that Australia had become a nation. The IMPRESSIVENESS OF THE MOMENT

seemed to be felt by a large section of the immense concourse, for a quiet appeared then, to fall upon them, and they watched every incident with intense interest. It is not every day one can look upon the coming into being of a great nation, and this factseemed to have taken hold of the people. Next in importance to the swearing-in of the Governor—though, of course, far behind it in actual interest —was the swearing-in of the new Alinisters, who, in the order of their offices, came forward and took the oaths. Each was greeted with cheers by the assembled crowd, who thus had an opportunity of seeing the men who were to govern them in the future. For the most part the Ministers of the other colonies-are strange) toi the great- mass of the people ©f Sydney, and the fact has apparently hardly yet-dawned upon the latter that for the future they are to be part cf one great State, with new conditions which have not veti

Messrs R. E. 'O’Connor (New South. Wales), and Lewis (Tasmania), who areto- act as honorary Ministers, the business for which all had assembled, was over, and the vice-regal party withdrew. There yet remained the swearing-in of the Lieutenant-Governor or'the State, of New South Wales •and the Ministers of the State, who were duly installed into their ofricteis; under the new regime. The crowd, after watching the troops depart, gradually dispersed, but not till a great number of them had inspected the pavilion and made themselves acquainted with the details of- the historical spot. Unfortunately for - a good many, they were not aide to get off m time to escape a heavy thunderstorm which occurred, and which drenched crowds of people who had been pre pared to spend the rest of the day ih the. parll.i Taken as a whole, the spectacle was one which will never be effaced from the minds of those who were privileged to witness it.