On 1 January Sydney celebrated Australia becoming a Federation by hosting a grand procession through its streets. Erected at the intersection of Park and Elizabeth Streets was the Federation ‘Commonwealth Arch’ (also referred to as the ‘Citizens Arch’). It was the largest and most expensive arch in the celebrations and was constructed by Hudson and Son under the supervision of its designer, Varney Parkes, son of the late Henry Parkes. The entire structure appeared to be made from marble but was in fact constructed using ‘bagesse’ plaster, a new process patented by Taylor and Knox.
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Post by Geoff Barker, Assistant Curator
