Highlights
- Spices and Indian black tea were introduced to Australians at this exhibition, who drank green tea from China before
- The exhibition laid the foundation for the export of Indian goods to Australia’s British colonies
- One of the participants of the exhibition, Murree Brewery, is still in business in Pakistan
In the 19th century, Victoria hosted one of the biggest international events of the time to make its mark in the British Empire, in which Australia and India held places of prominence due to their abundant natural resources.
SBS Urdu has accessed an unseen document that uncovers the multiple facets of a historic moment which is probably when Australia and India first met, a document that opens a window into the origins of this relationship – this document is the of the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880 that showcased the exotic wares and culinary secrets of British India, amongst other colonies of the Commonwealth.
Melbourne International Exhibition
The Indian Court at the Melbourne International Exhibition - 1880. (credit: Ludovico Hart) Source: Museum Victoria, History & Technology
The exhibition opened on 1 October 1880 with the purpose of “educating the public about the value of industry and commerce, and to stimulate trade.”
Thirty-three nations participated in the Melbourne International Exhibition displaying over 32,000 artistic, manufactured and natural items.
Melbourne’s World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building, a Victorian landmark, hosted the international event that “epitomised the wealth, opulence, excitement, energy and spirit of Marvellous Melbourne,” according to Michelle Stevenson, Head of Society and Technology at Museums Victoria.
The exhibition’s Indian Court was one of the major highlights of the event and displayed exhibits “the Australian public had not seen anything like before.”
Till 1947, India was a British colony. Modern-day countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh hadn’t yet been carved out of British India. Many exhibits that find mention in the catalogue, geographically belong to these countries today.
Doll House Furniture - Sofa & Chair, Ivory, India, circa 1880. Source: Museum Victoria, History & Technology
“It presented Melbourne as a wealthy, modern, progressive city,” said Cherie McKeich, an Australian researcher whose PhD explored the exhibition from India. She has researched and travelled India extensively.
“The Melbourne International Exhibition was part of the international exhibition movement that took place across the globe in the mid-to-late 19th century, beginning with the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London.
“They promoted commerce and trade, highlighted manufacturing and industrial progress, and celebrated culture and the arts,” Ms McKeich elaborated.
The Indian Court
Copper shield, made in Sialkot - Melbourne International Exhibition 1880. Source: National Gallery of Victoria
With the aim of establishing direct trade between India and Australia, the Indian Court of the Melbourne International Exhibition displayed its best artworks and materials to attract Australians.
“It was one of the largest and most spectacular of the colonial courts,” Ms Stevenson told SBS Urdu.
“The Indian Court was one of the most popular, mainly due to its wonderful displays of arts: carpets, wood carvings, brassware, silverware, pottery, jewellery, cashmere shawls, damascened work, musical instruments.
“There was a vast array of elaborately-carved furniture made in exotic blackwood, including tables inlaid with foliate patterns in mosaic, ivory, silver, mother of pearl and gold; that were so fine they appeared to be hand-painted; and claw-footed cabinets made in sweet-scented sandalwood,” Ms Stevenson added.
There was exquisitely-carved ivory, bone and fancy wooden articles, inlaid boxes, jewellery, richly-embroidered silk and fabric made with gold, alongside displays of dresses, ceremonial weapons and other curiosities. 
The Indian Court displayed exhibits that were classified under Bombay, Bengal, Berar, Burma (now Myanmar), Central Provinces, North West Provinces (now Pakistan) and Punjab.
Brass Spouted vessel (lota) from India - Melbourne International Exhibition 1880. Source: National Gallery of Victoria
Exhibits from modern-day Pakistan
Pottery from Multan and Peshawar, carpets and tapestry from Lahore and Kasur, lacquered-ware and leather from Pakpattan and silk fabric from Bahawalpur were some of the main exhibits which came from regions that went into Pakistan after India’s partition in 1947.
India in the 141-year-old catalogue
The fascinating history of the Melbourne International Exhibition is captured in its 141-year-old catalogue.
Published in 1880, it highlights the goods and materials that India possessed and a chance for Australians to import them.
“India abounds in an immense variety of timber of valuable quality and capable of being used for every purpose. Its coalbeds are of enormous extent and the coal is of good quality. Indigo is a most important crop, as are tea, coffee, jute, rice, wheat, bulgur, cinchona and an endless variety of plants known in the materia medica. It produces vast quantities of salt, saltpetre and various gums.
“At the last Paris Exhibition, India contributed by far the largest collection of her almost unbounded natural products, timber and wood included, as well as tea, sugar, coffee and spices and other tropical productions, that had ever been exhibited,” the catalogue states.
According to the catalogue, the population of India in 1876 was 239,395,498 (191,096,603 under the British and 48,208,895 in other native states). The British population in India, exclusive of the army, amounted to 64,061 persons in 1871.
Ms McKeich told SBS Urdu that in addition to the art pieces, raw materials were given also prominent display at the exhibition.
“These were considered more commercially-important because of their capacity for trade. The desired outcome was to encourage direct trade between India and Australia,” she said.
Australia’s love affair with tea
The publication from James Inglis & Co. to promote tea in Australia. (1901) Source: State Library of New South Wales
One of the main features of the Indian representation at the exhibition was the ‘Tea Room,’ that offered free Indian black tea to local participants who would till now drink green tea from China. Black tea has since been the traditional beverage enjoyed across the country.
“The Tea Room was set up to promote the sale of Indian tea and was one of the most popular features of the exhibition,” Ms McKeich said.
According to Ms Stevenson of Museums Victoria, it was by all accounts, “incredibly popular” and reports described that seats in the Tea Room were fully-occupied during that one hour every day.
“The Tea Room was described as quadrangular and lofty, lighted by long, narrow, clustered windows. It was decorated with Indian fabrics, carpets and hand-carved blackwood furniture upholstered in embossed amber satin.
For an hour every day in the afternoon, visitors could have a cup of tea for free served by Indian waiters. It also appears to have been a successful marketing tactic in increasing the awareness and sales of Indian tea, as on one day in Melbourne during the exhibition, more Indian tea was sold to retailers than had ever been imported into Australia in any previous year. Both wet and dry tea were on offer," Ms Stevenson elaborated.
An Australian merchant and businessman, James Inglis served as the Commissioner of the Indian Court at the exhibition. Soon after the event, he established his tea business and imported tea from India and sold it in Australia.
Interior of tea room, at the Melbourne International Exhibition, Published in the Illustrated Australian News, 4 December 1880. Source: State Library of Victoria
“By 1893 James Inglis & Co. was selling over 600,000 lb (272,155 kg) of Billy Tea and over 1,000,000 lb (453,592 kg) of packaged teas a year.
“The firm had a branch in Brisbane and agencies in New Zealand, Tasmania and Western Australia,” The Australian Dictionary of Biography .
In 1901, Mr Inglis published a promotional booklet titled, The Story of the Tea Trade. It states how tea made its way from China to other parts of the world and how Mr Inglis’ tea is processed in Indian colonies and imported to Australia.
"The story of Tea Trade" was published by James Inglis & Co. to promote tea in Australia. (1901). Source: State Library of New South Wales
The photographs in the promotional booklet depict the processing and packaging of tea leaves for sending overseas.
Mr Inglis also established a tearoom in his office with staff appointed only to drink and check the quality of the tea.
Indian goods enter Australian markets
'Tea room' at James Inglis office to check the quality of tea. Photo from 'The story of Tea Trade' (1901) Source: State Library of New South Wales
The exhibition laid the foundation of India-Australia trade with Indian tea as its “biggest success”.
“Effectively it [Indian tea trade] overtook the import of Chinese tea.
"Before the 1880s, Chinese tea accounted for 90 per cent of tea consumed in Australia. By 1900, it was Indian tea. Functional items such as carpets, rugs and matting also sold well,' Ms McKeich said.
Although works of art and craft did not inspire the Australians much, other items such as clothes, herbs and spices also started penetrating the Australian market.
“Reports suggest that while the public were dazzled by the Indian Court, the sale of India’s decorative arts was small. This was attributed, in part, to Australia being too utilitarian to appreciate Indian design.
"After the exhibition, an emporium opened in Melbourne selling Indian wares such as shawls, jewellery and Benares brassware, as well as spices such as cloves, turmeric, ginger and cardamoms," she explained.
A 160-yr-old participant remains in business
Indian artwork - circa 1880. Source: National Gallery of Victoria
Established in 1860 to cater to the British army in India, Murree Brewery is one of the oldest businesses of Undivided India that showcased its products at the Melbourne exhibition. It remains in business even today, although it now lies in Pakistan.
Although it did not account for major business in Australia, the brewery was commended for the quality of its beer at the international event.
SBS Urdu spoke with Isphanyar Bhandara, whose family took over Murree Brewery from the British at the time of India’s partition.
“We have always been known for our quality and premium products,” said Mr Bhandara.
Since the Melbourne exhibition, Murree Brewery has participated in and won beer competitions in the US (1876, 1892), France (1889), Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon (1891), France (1900) and India (1937-38).
Exhibits remain on display
Murree Brewery received medals in various international exhibitions for their products. Source: Muree Brewery
A selection of the exhibits from the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition are currently on display in the Melbourne Story Exhibition at Melbourne Museum. These include intricate carved ivory okimono figures from Japan, prize medals, Murano glass from Italy, a miniature soapstone temple from China and ornamental wall tiles from England.
Visitors can explore all the items in the museum’s International Exhibition collection and learn more about the ones on display on .
SBS Urdu would like to thank Cherie McKeich and Michelle Stevenson of Museums Victoria for their invaluable contribution in highlighting this page in history.
Click the audio icon in the picture above to listen to the podcast in Urdu.
- SBS Urdu is broadcast every Wednesday and Sunday at 6 PM (AEST).
