During the 19th century when a significant proportion of the Australian population was of British origin, patriotic devotion was often felt for the "Mother country". The title of this piece means "Victoria, by the grace of God" and was written about Queen Victoria who was monarch of British empire from 1837-1901. Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897 which was likely to be the catalyst for this piece.
Wells dedicated this music to Lady Victoria Buxton who was the wife of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Governor of South Australia from 1895-1898.
The Buxton's stimulated Adelaide's musical life and worked tirelessly for a host of religious, educational and charitable organisations. Lady Victoria became the first president of the Church of England Mothers' Union in Adelaide and founded several working girls' clubs.

Queen Victoria

Russell, George W. E.
Lady Victoria Buxton : a memoir with some account of her husband
London : Longmans, Green, 1919

Strachey, Lytton
The illustrated Queen Victoria
London : Bloomsbury, 1987

Weintraub, Stanley
Victoria : biography of a queen
London : Unwin Hyman, 1987

Australian dictionary of biography
Melbourne : Melbourne University Press; London ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1966-<2002>

Currency companion to music & dance in Australia
Sydney : Currency House in association with Currency Press, 2003

The Oxford companion to Australian music
Melbourne : Oxford University Press, 1997

The Official website of the British monarchy
Go to History, Click on United Kingdom, then using the box which reads Choose a Dynasty select from the drop down menu The Hanoverians, then in the box which says "Choose an Option select Victoria.


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