State Library Victoria

State Library Victoria is defined by its massive dome and grand scale, occupying an entire city block in the heart of Melbourne. Opened in eighteen fifty-six, it stands as Australia’s oldest public library and one of the first free public libraries in the world. Its founders, Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe and Judge Sir Redmond Barry, created this space as a people's university, intended to provide equal access to knowledge for all members of the community.