Trumpets rang out the signal, and outside was heard the booming of
cannon in royal salute.
After a brief pause the Duke of Cornwall and York stepped forward once
more and read a special cable message of congratulation from His Majesty
the King. And now Australia asserted herself. She had been suppressing
her feelings to show that she knew how to behave with old-world decorum
in the presence of Royalty, but this message, direct from the King
himself, was too much--they simply had to cheer. And cheer they did. It
was done without order or without concert. It was taken up time after
time by sections of the audience; it ran round the aisles, and surged
through the galleries; a hearty, spontaneous, irrepressible Australian
cheer. It was not down in the programme, but it formed a most effective
part of it.
The final part of the ceremony, which altogether occupied about
three-quarters of an hour, was the swearing-in of members by the
Governor-General. He stood on the dais and read out the oath, whilst the
members, Bible in hand, followed him in sections.
Pages:
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409