264 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



idea of Colonial life. This carnival of extravagance and luxurious 

 living, which reached its maximum during the four years coincident 

 with the period of the Gillies Ministry, gave a considerable but 

 wholly artificial stimulus to trade. Combined with the large 

 expenditure connected with the Centennial International Exhibi- 

 tion and the numerous visitors it brought to the colony, it led 

 experienced and even pessimistic persons to take a more roseate 

 view of the apparent prosperity than it deserved. 



And that really splendid Exhibition, conceived in a broadly 

 generous intercolonial spirit, intended to celebrate for all Australia 

 the foundation of this outpost of the British Crown, was certainly 

 stimulated by the general belief in the prevalent prosperity. The 

 progress of Australia and the rapidity of its development had 

 during the preceding year or two been the frequent theme of 

 English journalists and magazine articles. The remarkably fine 

 display made by the Colonies at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition 

 in London in 1886 had awakened interest in a remote corner 

 of the Empire that had hitherto attracted little attention outside 

 official circles, or those persons who had friends and relatives in 

 the southern lands. To the British public generally, thirty years 

 ago, Australia was a vague abstraction, and though Australian 

 cricketers might arouse a lively interest, Australian politics and 

 aspirations were an unknown quantity. In the critical times of the 

 Darling Grant or the Berry Embassy the English papers scarcely 

 vouchsafed space for a few paragraphs to throw light on what 

 appeared to the busy Londoners to be an unseemly squabble. 

 When on one or two occasions a leading article dealt with Vic- 

 torian affairs, it generally took a semi-paternal admonitory tone 

 that the impetuous Melbournites declared to be irritatingly arro- 

 gant. But after the Exhibition of 1886 English journalists devoted 

 far more of their space to Australian affairs and generally adopted 

 a very friendly and appreciative tone. 



The Melbourne Exhibition of 1880 had not been without stimu- 

 lating effect upon the Australian- born population, and when it was 

 proposed to repeat that exciting episode on a scale of greatly 

 increased splendour the whole community signified its delighted 

 acquiescence. Taking advantage of the prominence given to 



