The Melbourne Athenaeum Archives | | This site is under construction items here are for educational purposes of the creator. |    | History Of Melbourne In 1837 the township of Melbourne was surveyed and named. Magistrate, Captain William Lonsdale , was sent from Sydney to maintain law and order. The attempts to stop settlement had clearly failed and the administration of New South Wales was forced to deal with Victoria as a successful, and semi-autonomous, colony. This was converted into a reality in September 1839 when Charles La Trobe , the newly appointed Superintendent of the Port Phillip District, arrived from England. In his wake the colony established of a separate police force, a customs office and, perhaps most importantly, a separate Lands Office. | Melbourne is a fabulous city. Many histories have been written about the people, politics, administration, settlement, immigrants and commerce. Here is another history, about an organisation which still continues after 170 years, in the centre of the city at 188 Collins Street, next to the Town Hall. The subscription library is open to anyone who wants to join. The theatre is one of the most popular entertainment venues in the city. In the past, exhibitions, meetings, lectures, educational classes, dances and formal balls, films, musical, theatrical and other entertainments were held at the Melbourne Mechanics Institution hall. Today the theatres continue to entertain Melbourne’s people and provide a space for social and cultural events. There was a museum once and an Art Gallery. The library, which started in 1839, continues to provide an excellent service to its members in the city, suburbs and country areas—50,000 volumes at the last count. Building | 1915 minutes 1978 minutes |
|
|