ABSTRACT
The Great Exhibition's commissioners called upon East and West, Old and New to participate in their grand spectacle in London in 1851. Enterprising colonists among those few individuals stared down the impending deadlines and embraced the great commercial opportunities offered by collecting, forwarding and displaying colonial exhibits in London. Individuals and companies also prepared commercial samples of some common colonial goods, such as the pieces of colonial tweed, manufactured from colonial wool, at less cost than complementary English manufactures. Colonial legislators and legislatures played increasing roles as funders, organizers and members of such commissions. The expansion in the Australian colonies displays space, their official commissions, and the quality and quantity of their exhibits continued at subsequent North American and European exhibitions. Australian displays grew to occupy over 110,000 square feet by the time of the Franco-British Exhibition in 1908. Sydney's success was later duplicated at Melbourne's own International Exhibition the following year.
