Caleche, c.1860s

DESCRIPTION

DescriptionThe caleche is a horse drawn carriage that is owned and used by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (the RAS) to carry the party that will officially open the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

In 1967, the RAS Director announced that the Society intended to purchase an old-fashioned horse-drawn carriage for use on official occasions at the Showground. The Director felt that this carriage would add a touch of old-world stateliness to the Showground on occasions such as the official opening of the Royal Easter Show. An extensive search began and the caleche was purchased in the Netherlands in 1968. It arrived in Sydney in 1969; at the time of purchase the caleche was nearly a century old.

The carriage was constructed by coach-builders named Schuurman in Brussels (Belgium) between 1860 and 1865 for a Dutch Baronet. It was originally a cream coloured carriage complete with open lanterns and poles. The RAS also purchased a harness for four horses and livery for the coachman and footman in traditional style. It was repainted in 1969 and the coat of arms of the RAS of NSW applied. It is used for the official opening of the Royal Easter Show each year and carries the Governor of NSW or Governor-General. The first time it was used, it carried Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne to the Main Arena where they officially opened the 1970 Show.

The coat of arms that appears on the caleche is the longstanding emblem used by the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales. Royal assent was given to the Society in 1891, and from this time the Society adopted the royal coat of arms used by Queen Victoria. In this coat of arms the shield is quartered, depicting in the first and fourth quarters the three passant guardant lions of England; in the second, the rampant lion and double tressure flory-counterflory of Scotland; and in the third, a harp for Ireland. The dexter supporter is a crowned English lion; the sinister, a Scottish unicorn. According to legend, a free unicorn was considered a very dangerous beast; therefore the heraldic unicorn is chained. In the greenery below, a thistle, Tudor rose and shamrock are depicted, representing Scotland, England and Ireland respectively.

There are two mottos depicted on the coat of arms. Both are written in Old French, dating from the period of Norman rule in England, when French was the primary language of the English Court. One is the motto of the Order of the Garter: ‘Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense’ – Evil be who evil thinks. The other is the motto of the British monarch: ‘Dieu Et Mon Droit’ – God and my right.Datec.1860s

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Caleche, c.1860s