Card of the Day: Opening of Parliament House, Canberra

For King George V and Mary of Teck, the late 1920s, following the Great War, were punctuated by a series of events which were intended to build moral and bolster the Empire. Their Majesties spent a large amount of time traveling around Britain and the Commonwealth, attending celebrations, memorials and opening and dedicating buildings. When they were unavailable, the Royal couple’s children often stepped in to represent the Royal Family. While the Prince of Wales (David, the future brief King Edward VIII) was usually the next appropriate stand-in, he often would have other stresses on his schedule—largely personal. Therefore, the Duke and Duchess of York, Bertie and Elizabeth (the future King George VI and “Queen Mother”) were usually tapped to go to these occasions. The Twenty-eighth card in the series of Silver Jubilee cigarette cards by Wills’s Cigarette Co., shows the Duke and Duchess of York opening the Parliament House in Canberra, Australia

The reverse of the card reads:

THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA


On May 9th, 1927, the Duke of York opened the Parliament House in the new Australian capital of Canberra. At the inauguration, he dwelt on the Dominion’s progress in a quarter of a century, and the hopes which the transfer of Federal Government to a fresh city, marking a new epoch, aroused. So overwhelming were the crowds at Canberra that 2000 visitors had to be content with accommodation under canvas. The day after the Parliament House ceremony, the Duke, by the King’s special authority, invested Mr. Stanley Bruce, the Premier, and other prominent Australians, with New Year Honours.

The Parliament House still stands, but is referred to as “Old Parliament House,” having been replaced by a new facility which was opened by Queen Elizabeth II. IN the King’s Hall, large-scale statue of King George V remains on display.

The event in 1927.