Royal Exhibition Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Royal Exhibition Building |
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The Royal Exhibition Building, with its fountain on the southern or Carlton Gardens side
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Location | 9 Nicholson Street, Carlton, Victoria |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°48′17″S 144°58′17″E / 37.80472°S 144.97139°E |
| Elevation | 61 m (200 ft) |
| Construction started | 1879 |
| Completed | 1880 |
| Owner | Government of Victoria |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Joseph Reed |
| Official name: Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens | |
| Type: | Cultural |
| Criteria: | ii |
| Designated: | 2004 (28th session) |
| Reference #: | 1131 |
| Region: | Asia-Pacific |
| Type: | Historic |
| Criteria: | a, b, d, e, f, g |
| Designated: | 20 July 2004 |
| Reference #: | 105708 |
| Type: | Community Facilities |
| Criteria: | a, b, c, d, e, g |
| Designated: | 21 March 1982 |
| Reference #: | VHR H1501 |
| Heritage Overlay number: | HO69 |
The Royal Exhibition Building is a super important building in Melbourne, Australia. It's so special that UNESCO has listed it as a World Heritage Site. This means it's recognized as one of the most important places in the world!
It was built a long time ago, between 1879 and 1880. It was part of a big movement where cities around the world held huge exhibitions to show off new inventions and cultures. Over 50 such events happened between 1851 and 1915.
The building is about 150 meters long and sits in the beautiful Carlton Gardens. It's right next to the Melbourne Museum. The Royal Exhibition Building was built to host the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880–81. It also hosted an even bigger event, the Centennial International Exhibition, in 1888.
One of the most important moments in Australian history happened here. In 1901, the building was chosen as the place where Australia officially became a nation, called the Commonwealth of Australia. This building shows how rich and proud Melbourne and Victoria were in the late 1800s. Even though some parts were damaged or burned over the years, the main part, called the Great Hall, is still standing.
On October 1, 1980, Queen Elizabeth II gave the building the special title "Royal." After lots of restoration work in the 1990s, it became Australia's first building to be a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004. It's one of the last big exhibition buildings from the 1800s left in the world. Today, it still hosts many different exhibitions and events.
History of the Building
Why Was It Built?
Melbourne's first exhibition building was built in 1854. It was inspired by a famous glass building in London called The Crystal Palace. This first building was later taken down in 1969.
People wanted an even bigger and better building for a new international exhibition. In 1877, they started planning. At first, they thought about building it at Flinders Park. But soon, the idea of putting it in Carlton Gardens became more popular. People thought the gardens would be a perfect spot for a new landmark. It would also be easy for most people to walk to. The Carlton Gardens were officially chosen in 1878.
Designing a Grand Building
The government decided to spend a lot of money on the new building. They held a competition for architects to design it. Eighteen people entered, and the winner was a famous local architect named Joseph Reed. He won £300 for his amazing design.
Joseph Reed had designed many other important buildings in Melbourne, like the Melbourne Town Hall and the State Library of Victoria. The Royal Exhibition Building was his biggest project. He said his design was inspired by many different styles from around the world. It used brick, wood, steel, and slate.
The building's big dome was inspired by the famous Florence Cathedral in Italy. The main parts of the building were influenced by styles from places like Normandy and Paris. It has a cross shape, with long wings on the east and west sides, and a shorter wing to the north. The Great Hall was designed to have a huge dome, 68 meters tall and 18.3 meters wide. Windows in the dome were planned to let in lots of sunlight, making the inside bright and open.
Building It Quickly
Construction started very quickly! The main builder was David Mitchell. He also built other famous Melbourne buildings like Scots' Church and St Patrick's Cathedral.
The first stone was laid on February 19, 1879. The building was finished in just 18 months! It opened on October 1, 1880, for the Melbourne International Exhibition. The building had a huge Great Hall, over 12,000 square meters in size. It also had smaller sections and many temporary display areas.
Big Exhibitions and New Lights
In the 1880s, the building hosted two massive international exhibitions. The first was the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. The second was the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition in 1888. This second event celebrated 100 years since Europeans first settled in Australia.
For the 1888 exhibition, electric lights were installed. This was a big deal because it meant the building could be open at night! The inside of the building looked different for each exhibition. In 1880, the walls were plain. But in 1888, they were painted for the first time by an interior designer named John Ross Anderson.
Australia's First Parliament
The most important event in the building's history was the opening of Australia's first Parliament. This happened on May 9, 1901. After this big ceremony, the Federal Parliament moved to the Victorian State Parliament House. The Victorian Parliament then used the Exhibition Building for the next 26 years.
The inside of the building was repainted at this time. You can still see this paint scheme today. On September 3, 1901, the winners of a competition to design the Australian National Flag were announced here. A huge flag, 5.5 meters by 11 meters, was flown over the dome!
The building continued to be used for other exhibitions. In 1919, during the Spanish flu epidemic, it was even used as a hospital to help sick people.
The "White Elephant" Years
After 1927, the Victorian government stopped using the building as a parliament house. This was because the federal government moved to Canberra. The building was left empty and started to decay.
By the 1940s, locals sometimes called it "The White Elephant." This is a term for something big and expensive that isn't very useful anymore. In the 1950s, some people even wanted to knock it down to build office blocks. Luckily, the Melbourne City Council voted against this idea!
In 1953, a part of the building that used to house the Melbourne Aquarium burned down. The building was used for the 1956 Summer Olympics, hosting events like basketball and weightlifting. For many decades, it also hosted weekly dances, boat shows, and car shows. Many high school students in Victoria took their final exams here in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Some parts of the building were taken down in the 1970s.
Becoming "Royal" and Being Saved
In 1980, a new building with more exhibition space was built where an old ballroom used to be. On October 1, 1980, Princess Alexandra officially opened this new part. She also announced that the Queen had given the building the special title "Royal."
After people protested about the demolition of the old ballroom, more attention was given to protecting the building's history. The Great Hall was slowly renovated and restored over many years. In 1996, the Premier of Victoria suggested building the new Melbourne Museum next to the Exhibition Building. This led to more old annexes being removed.
Many people, including the Labor Party and the Melbourne City Council, were against building the museum so close. Because of this, they suggested that the Royal Exhibition Building should be nominated for World Heritage listing.
On May 9, 2001, exactly 100 years after Australia's first Parliament, the Royal Exhibition Building hosted a special meeting of the Australian Parliament. This celebrated the 100th birthday of Australia's Federation.
World Heritage Status
The year 2004 was a huge year for the Royal Exhibition Building. On July 1, 2004, it became the first Australian building to be listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The surrounding Carlton Gardens were also included. This meant the site was recognized as one of the most important 19th-century exhibition places in the world that is still mostly complete.
UNESCO said it was "the only major extant nineteenth-century exhibition building in Australia, and one of the few remaining worldwide." This special recognition helped make sure the site would be protected. After this, different levels of government worked together to create a plan to manage and protect the World Heritage site. They also created a special area around the building to control new developments.
In the same year, a project started to restore the Western Forecourt. This area used to be a beautiful German Garden in 1880 but had been covered by asphalt and used as a car park since the 1950s. Restoring it helped bring back the historical look of the site.
Recent Restorations and the Dome Promenade
In October 2009, the German Garden in the Western Forecourt was fully restored. In 2018, the Australian Government gave $20 million for more restoration work. This money helped protect and improve the building.
By 2022, many projects were finished. Outside, parts of the building's facade were repaired. Inside, the old timber floors and some staircases were restored. New, safer stairs made of concrete and steel were also added. The basement was also restored and now has an exhibition space. It tells the story of the Royal Exhibition Building and Melbourne. Experts say more restoration work is still needed, which might cost around $50 million.
The Dome Promenade at the Royal Exhibition Building has a long history as a popular tourist spot. In the late 1800s, it was one of the best places to see amazing views of Melbourne and its growing suburbs. Over 100,000 people paid to enjoy the views during the 1888 Exhibition! The promenade was closed in the 1920s for repairs that never happened.
After being closed for almost 100 years, the Dome Promenade officially reopened on October 28, 2022. This was part of the $20 million restoration work. The first public tours started on October 29, 2022. You can book daily tours on the Museums Victoria website or at the Melbourne Museum.
Current Use of the Building
Today, the Royal Exhibition Building is still a very busy place! It hosts many different festivals and fairs. Some popular events include the Melbourne Fashion Festival, the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, and Brickvention (a big LEGO fan event!). During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, it was even used as a large vaccination center.
The building is also used as an exam hall for several universities and high schools. Students from the University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne High School, Nossal High School, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School, and Suzanne Cory High School take their important tests here.
While it's still a major venue, it's not Melbourne's largest commercial exhibition center anymore. That title now belongs to the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre in Southbank.
Images for kids
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Melbourne Royal Exhibition Building (east side)
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The main hall inside the building
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The building from the pool
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The Royal Exhibition Building's fountain
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The Royal Exhibition Building from the main avenue of the Carlton Gardens
See also
In Spanish: Palacio Real de Exposiciones para niños
