In the evening, the Governor and Professor Chalmers hosted a reception for the Parliament of Tasmania to mark the bicentenary of the Legislative Council.

Her Excellency the Governor was pleased to host a reception at Government House to mark a significant milestone for our State, the bicentenary of the Legislative Council of Tasmania.

Van Diemen’s Land became an independent colony in December 1825, which was administered by the Lieutenant-Governor and a Legislative Council consisting of between five and seven members.

The Legislative Council met for the first time on 12 April 1826 at Old Government House, which was located on the site of what is now Franklin Square and the Hobart Town Hall.

It was not until 1856, when Van Diemen’s Land became Tasmania and responsible government was established, that the House of Assembly was created and the bicameral Parliament sat for the first time.

Speaking to guests, the Governor noted the significant changes that had taken place in the two hundred years since that first Legislative Council meeting, notably full adult franchise – the ability of every Tasmanian adult to have a vote to determine who represents them in Parliament.

The Governor acknowledged the current and former Members of the Legislative Council, as well as the officers of the Council, including the Clerks and the Usher of the Black Rod, for their efforts in carrying out the Council’s important work.

On display at the reception was the Black Rod, carried by the Usher at the opening of Parliament. It is the second oldest Black Rod still in use anywhere in the Commonwealth, and is the only one to feature the cypher of Queen Victoria.