Politicians, politics and Parliament dominated the front page of The Canberra Times on this day 45 years ago.
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There were boos and a boycott and there was turmoil as Parliament opened.
There was also tea, cake and the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, in the rose garden.
First Sir John was not to go, then he was, then he wasn't, but he did. Consequently there a complete mixture of notables, including Labor politicians for tea, orange drink, iced coffee, fish paste sandwiches and chocolate eclairs in the Senate rose garden.
Large khaki Army tents adorned the lawns in case of rain. The Governor-General and Lady Kerr tended to talk with groups on the periphery of the throng. The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, mingled more and the Whitlams were everywhere, since there were six of them present.
The chats were sociable rather than political with the new office-holders spending much of their time graciously accepting congratulations.
The tea party was not a long affair though. And it was not because of rain clouds, or Parliament resuming, or the lack of real drinks that people went early.
It was the flies. Big, sticky, dopey flies that would not be brushed away.
