In the 19th century, an appropriately draped “chair of state” under a canopy was deployed on formal occasions when the monarch or her vice-regal representative was present. These chairs were conspicuously larger than any surrounding chairs, acknowledging the status of the occupant. Dr La Nauze traces the history of Victoria’s chair of state made c 1859, outlining the role Flint Ramsay & Co played in its genesis, and the ambiguous symbolism of the Southern Cross.