The State Library of Victoria is the largest library in Victoria, with repositories holding over 1.5 million books and 16,000 periodicals! Located in Melbourne, it's no wonder the building occupies an entire block near the city centre. Among the library's top treasures are the diaries of Captain James Cook.
Just two decades after Melbourne was founded, it was decided to build a library - especially insisted upon by the then Lieutenant Governor of Victoria, Charles La Trobe. The architect chosen was the famous Joseph Reid, who later built the Royal Exhibition Centre and Melbourne's Central Hall.
On 3 July 1854, the foundation stone for the future library was laid. Construction lasted 2 years and the library was opened as early as 1856. The first book collection consisted of 3,800 volumes, but by 1861 it was expanded to 22,000 books. Together with the library, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Melbourne Museum were housed in the same building. The gallery did not move to a separate building until the 1960s, and the museum in the 1990s.
Near the main entrance of the library is a small park with a number of statues and monuments, including a statue of St George slaying a dragon and a statue of Joan of Arc, installed in 1907. Today, this small park is a favourite destination for students at the nearby University of Technology.
The library building itself is built in the Classicist style. Its domed reading room, opened in 1913, can accommodate up to 500 readers. The octagonal hall has a diameter of 34.75 metres. At the time of its opening, it was the largest reading room in the world.
From 1990 to 2004, the library building underwent a variety of restoration works, costing the state government A$200 million. A number of temporary exhibition spaces were built here, making it one of the largest exhibition halls in the world.
