Royal Exhibition Building

 

The magnificent Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens is one of the few nineteenth centry exhibition buildings to survive worldwide.  It was completed in 1880 for Melbourne’s first International Exhibition and designed by the architect Joseph Reed.  The building consisted of a Great Hall of over 12,000 square metres and many temprary annexes.  The landmark dome is believed to be inspired by the Florence Cathedral.

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 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 The White Elephant in the 1940s and by the 1950s, it was earmarked for replacement by office blocks. 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 1960s and 1970s.

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 Queen Elizabeth II visited Victoria she granted the prefix title 'Royal' to the Exhibition Building. This sparked a restoration of the interiors of the building in late 1985.

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 states 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.

Today, the Royal Exhibition Building flourishes as one of the world's oldest exhibition pavilions, symbolising the great 19th century international exhibition movement.

With its meticulously restored opulent interior, expansive galleries and soaring dome, the Great Hall offers a magnificent setting for trade shows, fairs and cultural and community events.