Victoria State Library History

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Introduction The Victoria State Library is located on 304-328 Swanston Street within the Melbourne Central Business District. The site is bounded by Russell Street, La Trobe Street, Little Lonsdale Street and Swanston Street, with an area of 1.927 hectares. Today, the State Library's collections include over two million books, hundreds of thousands of pictures, newspapers, maps and manuscripts, and large numbers of audio, video and digital material, all reflecting the culture of Victoria over the past 150 years . Housed within the premise are 9 businesses, 1 shop and 2 food and drink outlets. Location of Victoria State Library within Melbourne CBD. (Source: whereis.com) Its history dates back to 1853, when the Trustees of the Public Library…show more content…
1884 1870-83 (10) Portico 1870- Extant (A) (11) Covered way 1874- c. 1884 (12) McArthur Gallery 1874- Extant McArthur Gallery (V) 1884-86 (13) Covered way 1884- c. 1887 (14) South Wing (Barry 1886- Extant Verdon Hall / Barry Hall) Hall (O) 1887-98 (15) Swinburne Hall 1887- Extant Swinburne Hall (W) (16) McCoy Hall 1892- Extant Redmond Barry (E) (17) Stawell Gallery 1892- Extant Stawell (D) (18) La Trobe Gallery 1892- Extant La Trobe Gallery (U) 1899- (19) South West Pavilion 1899- Extant South West Wing (S) 1912 (20) Baldwin Spencer 1906- Extant Baldwin Spencer Hall Hall / Kershaw Hall (F) 1913-26 (21) Dome Building 1913- Extant Dome Building (B) 1927-31 (22) Buvelot Gallery 1927- Extant Bindon Hall / Thorpe Wing Hall (T) (23) South Rotunda 1927- Extant Cowen Gallery / Stawell (D) 1932-64 (24) McAllan Galleries 1932- Extant Bride (G) (25) North Rotunda 1941- Extant Cowen Gallery / Date Number Description Built Demolished Building name and range code 2008 (26) Childers Room 1941 c.1999 Stawell…show more content…
Between 1990 and 2004 it was refurbished and redeveloped for sole library use to a design by Anchor Mortlock & Wooley. Between 2008 and 2010 the Southern Wing (former Barry Hall) was refurbished into the Wheeler Centre with Montlaur Project Services being the project manager. Of note are the murals in Queens Hall of "War" by Harold Septimus Power installed in 1924 and "Peace After Victory" by Napier Waller installed in 1929. In the forecourt are the statues of Redmond Barry by James Gilbert installed in 1887, Saint George and the Dragon by Joseph Edgar Boehm installed in 1889, a replica of Jeanne d'Arc by Emmanuel Fremiet installed in 1907 and Charles La Trobe by Peter Corlett and installed in

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