Royal Exhibition Building
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The Royal Exhibition Building is located in Melbourne, Australia. It is located in the Carlton Gardens, at the north-eastern edge of the central business district. It sits adjacent to the Melbourne Museum; and is the largest item in Museum Victoria's collection.
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[edit] History
It was designed by the architect Joseph Reed (who also designed the Melbourne Town Hall and the State Library of Victoria). It was completed in 1880, in preparation for the Melbourne International Exhibition. The building consisted of a Great Hall of over 12,000 square metres and many temporary annexes.
The Melbourne Centennial Exhibition was held at the Exhibition Building in 1888 to celebrate a century of European settlement in Australia.
The most significant event to occur in the Exhibition Building was the opening of the first Parliament of Australia, held in the building on 9 May 1901, at the inauguration of the sovereign Commonwealth of Australia. After the official opening, the federal government moved to the Victorian State Parliament House, while the Victorian government moved to the Exhibition Building for the next 26 years.
The period after this time saw the building used for many purposes. As it decayed, it became known derogatively by locals as the White Elephant in the 1940s[1] and by the 1950s, ironically, like many buildings in Melbourne of that time it was earmarked for replacement by office blocks[2]. The wings of the building which once housed Melbourne's aquarium and grand ballroom were progressively demolished, leaving the main structure in place along with annexes constructed in the 1960/70s.
Following the demolition of the grand ballroom in 1979 there was a public outcry which prevented the main building also from being demolished.
In 1984 when the Queen Elizabeth II visited Victoria granted the title 'Royal' to the Exhibition Building. This sparked a restoration of the interiors of the building in the late 1985[3], and the construction of a mirror glass annexe (which was later demolished).
In 1996 the then Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett, proposed the location and construction of Melbourne's State Museum on the adjacent site. Temporary annexes built in the 1960's were removed and the between 1997 and 1998, the exterior of the building was progressively restored.
The location of the State Museum to the Exhibition Building site was strongly opposed by the Victorian State Labor Party, the Melbourne City Council and the local community.[4] It was as a result of the community campaign opposing the museum development that John Brumby, then State opposition leader, with the support of the Melbourne City Council proposed the nomination of the Royal Exhibition Buildings for world hertitage listing. The world heritage nomination did not progress until the election of the Victorian State Labor Party as the new government in 1999.
In 2004, the Royal Exhibition Building along with the surrounding Carlton Gardens was granted listing as a World Heritage Site, the first building in Australia to be granted this status. The heritage listing says that The Royal Exhibition Building is the only major extant nineteenth century exhibition building in Australia. It is one of the few major nineteenth century exhibition buildings to survive worldwide.
[edit] Current Use
This building is still in use as an exhibition centre on a regular basis, for events such as the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. It is mostly used for private tours attached to the nearby Melbourne Museum.
However, it is no longer Melbourne's largest or busiest. The modern equivalent of the Exhibition Building is the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, located in Southbank to the south of the central city area. The Royal Exhibition Building is also used as an exam hall for the University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne High School and Mac.Robertson Girls' High School
[edit] See also
- Garden Palace - Sydney's exhibition building.
- Melbourne Museum
- Carlton Gardens
- The Dome - Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building
[edit] References
- ^ "The Royal Exhibition Building" museum.vic.gov.au. URL accessed on 6 September 2006.
- ^ "Who will save Melbourne from the wrecker's ball?" theage.com.au March 15, 2004. URL accessed on 5 September 2006.
- ^ "Global status for our greatest building" theage.com.au October 21 2002. URL accessed on 5 September 2006.
- ^ "Minuets of public meeting organised by the City of Melbourne May 1996 and Article by Arnold Zable published in the Age newspaper Sept 26, 1996"
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