Strolling the Stunning & Stupendous Halls of the State Library Victoria, Melbourne

I love old buildings and when said buildings are full of books, I just about die and go to Heaven! So, when I was given the tip that the State Library Victoria offered free tours focusing on the history of the building, I was in!

Libraries have changed so much since I was a kid. Being an avid reader from an early age I loved visiting my town’s library, but I was a tad too noisy and busy for the fusty librarian intent on keeping rowdy kids under control AND quiet. It seems these days, libraries have evolved to become community spaces, meeting places, study centres, as well as reading places and the hum of noise is definitely above sh, sh, shoosh levels.

Join me for a not-so-quiet stroll along the elegant halls and galleries of the State Library Victoria and prepare to be dazzled.

The State Library Victoria is an imposing building – one of the many historic buildings lining Melbourne’s formal grid-pattern streets. First opened in 1856, it has grown physically with multiple construction additions, both vertically and horizontally. According to the Library’s website, the Library now comprises over 24 separate buildings that have morphed together in varying degrees.

Our guide for the tour was a passionate volunteer called Felicity. You could just tell through her words and energy that she truly loved the building, the role it played in shaping the people of Melbourne, and the broader Victorian community.

The library itself was the dream of two wealthy Melbourne identities – Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe and Judge Sir Redmond Barry. They both believed in the power of the book and set about constructing one of the first truly public libraries in the World. Up until that time, most libraries were privately owned and for the dedicated use of the rich and elite, monasteries or universities. When the library opened over 165years ago, any person over the age of 14years could become a member as long as they had clean hands. I imagine hygiene standards were not as high as today and the majority of people were manual labourers, so clean hands were an important consideration for the preservation and care of the precious books. What a revelation this place must have been for the working classes and the less educated?!

Starting from the Swanston Street entrance (the original section of the Library), Felicity pointed out the marble staircases, colourful hand-painted frescoes and delicate stained glass windows at the same time as describing the important impact of La Trobe and Barry on the people of Melbourne. The library opened with 3,846 volumes and now houses over 5million books, magazines, maps, photos and other reference materials including a large family history research section.

Making our way up the imposing staircase, we turned right into the glorious Ian Potter Queen’s Hall – all fluted columns and natural light – before turning left into the La Trobe Reading Room and The Dome. My heart soared! This is the room I had seen in pictures and was the impetus for visiting the Library.

It is simply wonderful. Yes, it is just a room with books and a place to study, but its soaring ceilings, the elegant lines of the galleries, and glass dome create such an atmosphere of peace and order. It made me want to sit down and start reading immediately! 😊

But there was no time for sitting as there was so much more to explore. It turns out that as the library evolved, it became a multipurpose building, including the State’s original Art Gallery and Museum. As these features then outgrew the Library and moved into their own purpose-built premises, they left little bits of themselves behind including an extensive range of impressive artworks and Ned Kelly’s steel armour.

For the uninitiated, Ned Kelly was a Victorian bushranger on the ran-tan in the late 1870s (perhaps a little like an Aussie Robin Hood), intent on battling the government and any other source of authority. He evaded capture for quite a time by wearing a suit of armour that was impervious to bullets. It turns out his less-protected legs were his ultimate downfall (literally). In a twist of fate or irony, Ned’s armour is on display in the Redmond Barry Reading Room. Judge Barry was the man who sentenced Ned to swing by the neck for his crimes.

The State Library Victoria is so much more than a library. It’s a place you could spend all day in – they have two cafés – just taking in all the art and exhibitions. Exhibitions worth a look are:

• MIRROR – new views on photography. HERE
• Luminous – a thousand years of Hebrew manuscripts. HERE
• beruk – featuring the life of local Aboriginal leader, Beruk. HERE
• World of the Book – a walk through the history of books and publishing. HERE

If all that doesn’t interest you, there is the Cowen Gallery full of fascinating paintings revealing the early days of Victoria and Melbourne, an extensive book shop and an outdoor chess set and play area for the kids.

The State Library Victoria is a magnificent building and entirely appropriate to house the written word. Each extension and growth phase has captured the best of architectural styles, and it all fits sympathetically together. Renovations have preserved the best of the building and, at the same time, making it lighter and brighter, enhancing the use of natural light. No dim, dark fusty rooms here.

Our tour was over all too quickly and it really only whetted my appetite for more. There would definitely be a return visit.

Do you have a favourite library? Or bookshop?

The Basics

What: The History of the Library Tour is free. Book online here.

Where: 328 Swanston St, Melbourne. There is another entrance off Russell Street.

When: The Library is open every day from 10am-6pm. Tours run twice per day and last approximately 60minutes.

Why: To see a different side of Melbourne’s ‘sights’ and especially if your budget is tight.

How: The State Library is only a short walk from the centre of Melbourne and the Bourke Street Mall.

Who: For history lovers, architecture buffs and book lovers.

Related Posts: For another visually stunning book experience, don’t miss out on a visit to the Livraria Livre bookstore in Porto, Portugal.

Related Blogs: The State Library has its own blog where they feature different aspects of the library. Have a read here.

Read About it: For another quirky and historic read, grab a copy of Simon Winchester’s The Surgeon of Crowthorne. It gives you a fascinating insight into the development and compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary. It may sound dull, but it is anything but.

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