The mace that today forms part of the regalia of parliamentary institutions was originally used as a weapon and was carried by a royal bodyguard known as a serjeant-at-arms. The use of the mace in a parliament probably dates back to when the King first appointed a Serjeant-at-Arms to attend to the Speaker. The Serjeant’s mace was the symbol of the authority delegated from the King to the Speaker and is a trifold symbol of authority; that of the Sovereign, the Legislative Assembly and the Speaker. Yet until 1974 the NSW Legislative Assembly was one of two legislatures in Australia that didnt have a mace.There is a view that the House is not properly constituted unless the mace is present in the Chamber. In Australian legislatures, maces have usually been given as gifts from other parliaments. The Parliaments mace was presented on 15th October 1974, by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of parliamentary institutions in Australia. The Mace is Made by Garrard & Co. Ltd, of London, the Crown Jewellers. Silver with applied surface of gold; silver-gilt.
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 02:24:27 +0000
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