May 9 – A Day of Unrecognized Significance

First Opening of Federal Parliament

There are three significant days in the Australian national calendar that go uncelebrated; January 1st (Federation Day), May 9th (First Opening of Parliament) and July 9th (Constitution Day).

I have written extensively about Federation Day, here, here and here.

May 9th is immortalized by Tom Roberts’ Big Picture’ (above). Officially titled The Opening of the First Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia by His Royal Highness the Duke of Cornwall and York, 9 May 1901—it is perhaps one of the most famous paintings on public display in Parliament House.

It depicts the first-ever sitting of the Australian Parliament, held not in Canberra, but at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.

On July 9th, 1900, Queen Victoria signed the Royal Commission of Assent, the Bill providing for the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia. [1] On September 17th, Queen Victoria proclaims that the Commonwealth of Australia will come into existence on 1 January 1901. [3]

Constitution Day was first held on 9 July 2000 to mark the centenary of the Constitution in the lead up to the Centenary of Federation. Further events have not been widely held since 2001. The day was revived in 2007 and is jointly organised by the National Archives and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.^[24]

These dates are opportunities for Australians to come together and recognize the unique form of constitutional monarchy we have in our region of the world and how it came to be.

This year, the Coopers Plains History Group is hosting an open-air day in the park for members of the local community. There will be a history quiz, sausage sizzle and coffee van. Called, Commonwealth Day in the Park, it is a celebration of our unique form of republicanism; one that embraces sensible evolution through compromise, not change for the sake of change.