The Mace

What is the Mace?

The Mace is a ceremonial club that symbolises the authority of the Speaker and the House of Representatives. It is a tradition taken from the UK House of Commons.

What does the Mace look like?

The Mace of the House of Representatives was designed in Australia to resemble the Mace of the UK House of Commons. The Mace is made of silver coated in gold. It is 132cm long and weighs about 7.8kg.

When is the Mace used?

The Mace is present in the Chamber at all times when the House is sitting. At the beginning of each sitting day, the Serjeant-at-Arms carries the Mace into the House and places it on brackets at the end of the Table. The Mace is carried out of the House by the Serjeant-at-Arms at the end of each sitting day and is kept under lock and key in the Speaker’s suite.

The origins of the Mace

Historically, a mace was a club used in hand-to-hand combat. During the twelfth century, the Serjeants-at-Arms that made up the King’s bodyguard were armed with maces stamped with the Royal Arms.

The Mace of the House of Representatives

The Mace used in the House from 1901 to 1951 was on loan from the Victorian Legislative Assembly. A new Mace was presented to the House in 1951 on behalf of King George VI (reigned 1937-1952). The Mace was a gift to mark the fiftieth Anniversary of the Commonwealth Parliament. It was still in use in the Chamber in 2001.