THE ERA OF EXTRAVAGANCE 265 



Australian affairs in London, a strong committee was appointed 

 there, with the Prince of Wales as president, a sprinkling of British 

 noblemen, and Sir Graham Berry, the Agent-General. Circulars 

 went forth to all the Governments of the civilised world, and the 

 response was very general, several of them sending out special 

 commissioners to supervise their courts. To the untravelled Aus- 

 tralian it seemed as if the eyes of the world were turned upon him, 

 and he cheerfully anticipated making a display that would place 

 Victoria high in the estimation of all mankind. With this en- 

 thusiasm behind them, the Government allowed no question of cost 

 to interfere with success. And indeed, though it could not rival 

 Paris or Chicago, it ranked very high in the list of International 

 Exhibitions, and was undoubtedly the most brilliant that had ever 

 been seen south of the Line. The exhibits in all departments were 

 valuable and representative, those pertaining to furnishing and the 

 decorative arts being quite a revelation to the rank and file of the 

 visitors. No doubt they served to inflame the extravagant ideas of 

 the newly enriched, and awakened a spirit of discontent in many 

 comfortably appointed homes. The craze of aestheticism, moribund 

 in the old world, was awakened in the colony and took form in the 

 establishment of a Kalizoic society. Electric lighting, then in its 

 youth, was seen for the first time by tens of thousands from the 

 country districts. The industrial arts in every aspect were repre- 

 sented, and machinery of the highest perfection revealed the 

 wonders of modern invention to the intelligent artisan. Orchestral 

 and choral performances of a class never before heard in Melbourne 

 were given by instrumentalists of European reputation, and by a 

 trained chorus of 800 voices under the direction of a most eminent 

 conductor specially brought from England for the purpose. In this 

 item alone an immense impetus was given to the artistic side of 

 Melbourne life, by an experience which has left its impression to 

 this day. In another branch of art the public taste was also elevated 

 by the exhibition of some 2,000 paintings, valued for insurance 

 purposes at 300,000. The most important of these were sent 

 from Great Britain on loan, while France, Germany, Belgium and 

 other countries chiefly contributed modern pictures which were for 

 sale. 



