The Pavilion of Australia

Australia's pavilion at Expo 67 was a 2-storey structure located on Île Notre-Dame. It was built on steel and concrete pillars, with sloping exterior walls of aluminum and glass. The lower level was recessed and contained the administrative area while the upper section housed the exhibition area.

Surrounding the pavilion were Australian trees, shrubs and flowers planted specially for Expo. A large sunken pen at the rear of the pavilion contained kangaroos and wallabies. A display of coral from the Great Barrier Reef completed the "natural" setting.

Inside, a spiral ramp lead to the main exhibit area. A groovy sculptural display of color transparencies featured typical Australian images. In the main exhibit hall, large curved wooden beams rose through the floor to the ceiling. The entire space had off-white shag carpeting which swept up the walls, between the beams, and to the ceiling! How mod...

In the main hall, high-backed arm chairs equipped with stereo speakers told visitors the story of Australia. A total of 34 different "stories" could be heard, on diverse subjects, in either french or english. Some chairs explained nearby exhibits as well.

French-speaking chairs had orange cushions to distinguish themselves from the english-speaking ones which were green. A total of 14 million visitors sat in these chairs during Expo's 6-month run!

Examples of Australian engineering were shown through scale models of both the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope, and one of the world's most complex hydro electric projects. The same section featured displays of medical and agricultural research.

Another section explored Australian architecture, past and present. Typical Australian activities such as tennis, surfing and cricket were illustrated through photographs and cartoons.

A collection of modern paintings by 22 contemporary artists were hung on the north wall of the pavilion, alongside display cases that contained aboriginal bark paintings.

An adjacent boutique sold a variety of Australian souvenirs.

images: (1) FOS productions
(2-3) personal collection
(4) library and archives Canada