Government House is receiving its final touches at the hands of painters, gilders. upholsterers and other allied trades, and in its new external coat of cream-coloured paint, offers a conspicuous landmark to all bay arrivals. Every nook and corner of the viceregal mansion described as "a villa built round a state ball room " has received attention from the decorators. Suites destined for the use of the Duke and Duchess of York, as also those apartments allotted to Lord and Lady Hopetoun and their respective staffs have been entirely refurnished; whilst kitchens and stables are reported to have been dealt with in a most lavish manner, the latter being resplendent in the Hopetoun colours of blue and gold. In the streets, along the route from St. Hilda pier to. the Exhibition building there the opening ceremony is to take place, a double line of Venetian masts are now erected, whilst ians are hampered on the sidewalks by the movements of carpenters, erecting stands for sightseers, and painters busily engaged touching up iron and wood work, The kindred trades of painters and carpenters must be having a remarkably good time just now, as it must be many years since such lavish orders for furnishing up so many dingy buildings have been given. The Local Board of Health, however, require that all stands shall be inspected and approved of by their.survesor and engineer, before being occupied, so that officer will have his hands full of work for the next three or four weeks. At the St. Hilda end of. Prince's Bridge, the gaunt framework of the citizens' arch is now upreared, at present an unsightly structure of bare timber balks held in position by means of rope guys, the whole structure reminding one more of the "ways" in a shipbuilding yard, but there is plenty of time yet in which to transform the ugly skeleton into a thing of beauty which will last out a week or more. Meanwhile the city council have taken in hand the task of reclaiming and planting the area of waste land almost abutting on the bridge approach, and have effected really remarkable improvements with the aid of shrubs and flowering plants. During their Royal Highnesses' stay in Melbourne. the Ophir will be berthed at the Town Pier, which ancient and crazy structure is now receiving vigorous attention in the way of paint and new timbering at the hands of the Rip Van Winkle authority known to Austra~ lion fame as the Melbourne Harbour Trust. The Chinese residents and business people of Melbourne hare subscribed a sum sufficient to build an arch of true oriental design at the intersection of Little Bourke and Swanston Streets, which will be a distinctive feature of the decorations. German merchants, wool brokers, produce merchants, will erect arches displaying the resources of their respective trades.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.