Colony of Victoria at the Amsterdam International and Colonial Exhibition, 1883 (French)

Exposition Internationale et Coloniale an Amsterdam, 1883 / Esai sur la Colonie de Victoria (Australie). Histoire, geographie, climat, gouvernement, agriculture, produits mineraux et industriels, etat economique et social. Melbourne : John Ferres, 1883. Octavo, printed wrappers (heavily silverfished and detached), 20 pp, internally clean, LACKING foldout map.

Important glimpse of how the colony was represented to European visitors to the exhibition. The text was written by George Collins Levey, Victoria’s head representative at the Amsterdam exhibition. (Levey also represented Victoria at several other international exhibitions including London, Paris, Philadelphia and Vienna). Levey’s work was authorized by and under the direction of a committee of politicians – O’Loghlen, Madden, Young and Macbain – headed by the Hon. Louis Lawrence Smith, who in that year also happened to be president of the Victorian Winegrowers’ Association. (Smith won medals for his wines at various international exhibitions). The booklet covers the history, geography, climate, government. agriculture, mineral resources, industries, economy, and society of the Victoria.