At half-past four on 27 September 1851, one of the last duels in Australian history was fought between Thomas Mitchell, the Surveyor-General for New South Wales and Stuart Donaldson, a Member of the NSW Legislative Council who later became NSW's first Premier.
To celebrate the 225th anniversary of the establishment of New South Wales, the State Parliament is mounting a significant new public exhibition, Twenty Five: Stories from Australia’s First Parliament.
Member for Davidson, Jonathan O'Dea said "The history of NSW is full of such colourful and revealing stories. A selection of artefacts and artworks from the Parliament's collection will go on public display as part of this one-of-a-kind exhibition, each object telling a story about an event, character or decision that shaped our state. Many of these historic items will be on public view for the very first time.
Mr O'Dea said, "The Davidson Electorate has a living link with the establishment of New South Wales, through The Arthur Phillip Chapter of First Fleeters, based locally. The group comprises descendants of the passengers and crew in the First Fleet and as guest speaker at a recent meeting, I highlighted the first Governor's visit to what is now the Davidson Electorate in April 1788."
Twenty Five: Stories from Australia’s First Parliament will open at the NSW Parliament on 16 January and run until 1 March 2013.
"Unique books and photo albums, grand paintings, historic footage, early building and rail plans, Aboriginal art and Pacific artefacts, and even menus from VIP dinners in Parliament will be on display, each shedding light on our wonderful history," Mr O'Dea said.
Entry is free, with doors open from 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday, as well as a special opening on Saturday 26 January for Australia Day.
For more information visit www.parliament.nsw.gov.au or phone the education and community relations team on 9230 2047.
