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Historic Buildings Preservation Act (1974) Victoria was the first state to enact legislation to protect historic buildings. It established the Historic Buildings Preservation Council (HBPC), the Historic Buildings Register and the Government Buildings Register for government-owned buildings of historic importance
Heritage protection and conservation have had a remarkably short history, for something so important and so world-wide. It began in post-war Europe in 1954, with UNESCO's Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
Until July 2004, Australia had 13 sites listed on the World Heritage List, all of them natural heritage or combined natural and cultural heritage sites. In all these cases cultural heritage meant indigenous heritage. There were no European (post-contact) Australian heritage sites listed and no places in Victoria.
July 2004 Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, Melbourne, inscribed on the World Heritage List. This is Australia's first European-based cultural heritage place on the World Heritage List, and the first place ever in Victoria.
Royal Exhibition Building
The Royal Exhibition Building is in the Carlton Gardens, at the north-eastern edge of the central business district. It sits adjacent to the Melbourne Museum; and is the largest item in Museum Victoria's collection. It was designed by the architect Joseph Reed (who also designed the Melbourne Town Hall and the State Library of Victoria). It was completed in 1880, in preparation for the Melbourne International Exhibition. 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, held in the building on 9 May 1901, at the inauguration of the sovereign Commonwealth of Australia. UNESCO
Melbourne Town Hall
It is located in the central business district. It is the seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Melbourne. Melbourne was officially incorporated as a town on December 13, 1842, with Henry Condell as its first Mayor. The foundation stone of a new, grander Town Hall was laid on November 29, 1867 by the visiting Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, after the demolition of the first. The current Town Hall officially opened on August 11, 1870 with a lavish ball.
Shrine of Rememberance
One of the largest war memorials in Australia. It was built as a memorial to the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I, but soon came to be seen as Australia's major memorial to all the 60,000 Australians who died in the war. It now serves as a memorial for all Australians who served in war
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban rail network of Melbourne, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city blocks. The Melburnian idiom "I'll meet you under the clocks" refers to the row of clocks above the main entrance, which indicate the departure time of the next train on each line
Parlament House
has been the seat of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia, since 1855, It is the largest 19th century public building in Australia and one of the finest examples of the civic architecture of the British Empire period anywhere in the world. In 1851, even before the colony of Victoria acquired full parliamentary self-government, Governor Charles La Trobe instructed the colonial surveyor, Robert Hoddle, to select a site for the colony's new parliament to meet.
Melbourne Trades Hall
Melbourne Trades Hall is a Trades Hall building located in the suburb of Carlton, and home to the Victorian Trades Hall Council. The original Trades Hall was opened in May 1859 after being built by workers as an organising place for the labour movement in Melbourne. The workers financed the construction of the building themselves. The hall underwent an upgrade from 1874 to 1925 at the hands of architectural firm Reed & Barnes and it remains one of the most historically important sites in Melbourne today.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, is the cathedral church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, currently His Grace, Archbishop Denis Hart. It is known internationally as a leading example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture. In 1847, only 12 years after the foundation of Melbourne, the Colonial Secretary of Victoria granted the Roman Catholic church a block of land for a church in the Eastern Hill area. The Cathedral was dedicated to St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland In 1970 Pope Paul VI became the first Pope to visit the Cathedral, and in 1974 he conferred the title and dignity of minor basilica on it. In 1986 Pope John Paul II visited the Cathedral and addressed clergy during his Papal Visit
The Scots' Church
The Scots' Church, a Presbyterian church was the first Presbyterian Church to be built in the Port Phillip District (now the state of Victoria). In 1838, three years after the founding of Melbourne, The original Scots' church was built to accommodate the congregation established by James Forbes. This building was demolished because of concerns that the tower and spire would collapse after it developed huge cracks and became crooked.
St Paul's Cathedral
is the metropolitical and cathedral church of the Anglican diocese of Melbourne, Victoria. It is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne and Metropolitan of the Province of Victoria. It is a major Melbourne landmark
St Paul's is built on the site of Melbourne's first Christian service, conducted on the banks of the Yarra a few months after Melbourne was founded in 1835. In 1986 Pope John Paul II made a visit to the cathedral in recognition of the dialogue between the Anglican and Roman Catholic clergy in Melbourne, fostered by the former Archbishops of Melbourne the Right Reverend Sir Frank Woods and the Right Reverend Sir Frank Little.
Old Melbourne Gaol
Melbourne Gaol (more commonly known as The Old Melbourne Gaol) is a prison located in Russell Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Built in 1864 the gaol was the setting for 135 hangings, the most infamous being that of bushranger Ned Kelly in 1880. The jail was closed in 1926. The building is currently a museum; it is rich in history and atmosphere, drawing thousands of tourists annually.
State Library
The State Library of Victoria is the central library of the state of Victoria, Australia, located in the city of Melbourne. The Library's combined collections contain over 1.5 million books and 16,000 serials, including the diaries of the city's founders, John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner, as well as the folios of Captain James Cook.
In 1853 the decision to build a state library was made at the instigation of Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe and Sir Redmond Barry.
East Melbourne Synagogue
In 1857, the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation was established after separating from the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation. Today, the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation is the only synagogue in the City and serves as its Jewish Heart and centre.
City Museum at Old Treasury
The Treasury Building is often regarded as one of Melbourne's finest 19th century buildings. Most remarkably its architect, J.J. Clark of the Victorian Public Works Department, was only 19 years of age when he designed it. The Treasury is constructed from Bacchus Marsh sandstone, and designed in the "renaissance revival" tradition. The Treasury Building's barrel-vaulted basement was designed to store gold bullion, and the floor above it is a metre thick!
New Treasury Building
Princes Bridge
is a historic bridge that crosses the Yarra River. Two bridges with this name have existed on the site, the first being a single span bridge designed by David Lennox opened in 1851 to replace an earlier wooden trestle bridge which opened in 1844. The sandstone bridge was at the time the longest single span bridge in the world. It lasted for a good thirty-five years until an increase in traffic across the bridge and the need to widen the river required that a longer bridge was built.
Princess Theatre
The Princess Theatre is the second building on the present site - the first being Astley's Amphitheatre which opened in 1854 containing a central ring for equestrian entertainment and a stage at one end for dramatic performances. It was named in honour of Philip Astley's - the Astley Royal Amphitheatre, near Westminster Bridge, London
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