The commemorative booklet 'Our Invited Guests for the Opening of the First Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia : An open directory of the guests invited to Melbourne, May 9th 1901' lists invitees from each Australian State. The Misses Dowling are not on this list, however the booklet does list The Hon Thomas Dowling MLC, and his "lady" from Camperdown as well as Edwin Percy Dowling esq, Shire Secretary of Camperdown. Perhaps the Misses Dowling were part of this family. While not invited to the opening of Parliament on the 9th, the guest list for later events may have been extended on other occasions.The document design has artistic and aesthetic merit. While it is not rare, it is representative of the kinds of formal designs used for the Australian Commonwealth celebrations at the time of Federation, and is in excellent condition. Such items as this invitation have local, state and national historic significance as mementoes of a key moment in Australia's history. An invitation on card to the Misses Dowling to attend an evening reception at the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, on 9 May 1901, to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall as part of the celebrations of the opening of the first Federal Parliament. A figure of Britannia, in red dress and mailed vest holding a shield like the Union Jack, is on the left of the invitation; she reaches out her hand towards a younger female figure, representing Australia, who is dressed in blue and holds a shield which is white with a blue cross decorated with stars. The writing is on a scroll in the centre of the certificate, and there is a border of vines and vine leaves. The royal crest is at the base of the certificate.Printed on a banner across the top: 'IN CELEBRATION / OF THE / OPENING / PARLIAMENT of the COMMONWEALTH / OF AUSTRALIA' Printed below the banner: 'To meet Their Royal Highness / the DUKE and DUCHESS of CORNWALL & / YORK / His Majesty's / MINISTERS OF STATE FOR AUSTRALIA / have the honor to invite / [handwritten] The Misses Dowling / to an Evening Reception at the / Exhibition Building MELBOURNE, / on the 9th of May 1901, at 8 o'clock'.federation events - victoria, australian federation 1901, misses dowling - kew, royal visits, federation events - victoria, australain federation 1901, misses dowling, royal visits, melbourne exhibition building