Sketch for the Opening of the First Parliament 1901

Tom Roberts made this oil sketch of the Opening of the First Parliament, and it captures the pomp and ceremony of this symbolic event in Australian history. Roberts made many sketches such as this in preparation for a large-scale painting of the same subject. It depicts the formal opening of the first Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia in Melbourne on May 9, 1901. The building is filled with dignitaries and representatives, a symbolic representation of a newly united nation. Consider how the building almost disappears; subsumed by a crowd. The artist made a conscious effort to depict as many people as possible in his final painting. This can be interpreted as an attempt to represent the diversity of the Australian population, although Indigenous Australians are notably absent. To understand Roberts’ artistic choices fully, one needs to explore archival photographs, parliamentary records, and newspaper accounts of the event. The social and political context of the Federation era shaped both the event itself and its artistic representation.