A site of 35 acres on the high ground of the Inner Domain along Macquarie Street was chosen for the exhibition. James Johnston Barnet designed a massive building called the Garden Palace. The nave of the building measured 800 x 60 feet and the transept ran for 500 feet. A large dome 100 feet in diameter rose 90 feet above the building. The builder, John Young, finished the building in just eight months at a cost of £191,800. International response grew so rapidly that in June 1879, construction began on two large machinery halls and an art gallery.
International Participation
There were 23 nations represented at the Exhibition. Africa: Cape Colony; America: Canada, United States; Asia: Ceylon, India, Japan, Malaya, Singapore, Straits Settlement; Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland; Oceania: Fiji, New Caledonia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria. There were 9,345 exhibitors providing about 14,000 exhibits. After being granted self-governance during the 1850s the Australian colonies, Victoria and New South Wales, saw a steady economic growth as result of the discovery and exploitation of gold reserves. After 20 years proposals were made for organizing an exhibition modelled on the great exhibitions of Europe, with an aim to promote commerce and industry, along with art, science and education. In 1879 Melbourne filed a plan to the Parliament. However, Sydney wanted to be the first and managed to organize an exhibition in record time. The Sydney International Exhibition opened in the autumn of 1879, but it wasn't really universal and therefore not officially recognized by the Bureau of International Expositions. Melbourne decided to start their exhibition shortly after the one in Sydney, so the participants could transport their exhibits during the winter of 1880. After the exhibitions many of the exhibits were selected to be at display in the Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum. The Garden Palace itself was used by the government until a fire destroyed the building on September 22, 1882.
