Time-Line History of the Melbourne Athenaeum
1835John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner arrive off Port Phillip Bay. After exploration of the area Batman writes in his diary on 7 June 1835, "This will be the place for a village."
1839A meeting is held to consider the proposal to establish a Mechanics' Institute "for the promotion of science in this rising colony, particularly amongst the young, as well as the operative classes."
The founding officers are elected in November 1839.
The patron is Superintendent LaTrobe, the president is Police Magistrate William Lonsdale, the treasurer is John Gardiner (a wealthy squatter) and secretary is the Rev. James Forbes. There are a number of vice-presidents, including Cambridge-educated Henry Gisborne.
1840The first Annual Meeting, 1 June 1840. The Rev. Thomas Osborne is confirmed as secretary. Osborne organises lectures by such speakers as barrister Redmond Barry, and begins collecting books as the basis for a reference library of books and newspapers.
1840Government auctions of town land take place (13 August 1840). Osborne lobbies every possible buyer to persuade them not to bid against the Mechanics' Institute so it can obtain two allotments. In true entrepreneurial style, Osborne quickly resells one of the allotments for a considerable profit, ensuring the Institute's cash reserves.
1841The committee reviews five competing plans for building its own premises. Mr. O'Hagan's plan is selected as "the most elegant and imposing design".
After modifications (to reduce costs), the tender is put and Messrs. Donovan and Crosbie are chosen to construct the building at a cost of £1928.
1842December 6th, the new two-storey brick building is completed. One contemporary newspaper says the building "is nearly complete and will be ready for occupation in the course of a few days. The size, arrangements and archtectural proportions of the building will make it, when finished, the noblest edifice in the province."
One of the early tenants of the Athenaeum was Melbourne City Council, who used the upstairs hall as its Council Chamber.
1845The Mechanics' Institute Annual Report for 1845 includes details on the Reading Room, a Library of one thousand volumes, and a "Museum with a collection of black and white diamond snakes, a skull, a collection of Aboriginal artefacts and various fossils and sponges."
1846The name is changed to The Melbourne Mechanics' Institute and School of Arts.
1848The Institution reports it now has 379 members, classified as Honorary, Visiting, Life and Annual Members.
A music class is established and two concerts are given.
A drawing class is established as well.
1856Gaslight is installed at the Institute. (One of the original ornate gas fittings is still on the library wall.)
1858The Committee announces the names of polar explorer Sir John Franklin and inland explorer Dr Ludwig Leichhardt will be removed from the list of honorary members, "in consequence of their decease".
1872The Institute undergoes a major refurbishment. 1 July, the foundation stone of the refurbishment hall is laid. (This can still be seen at the top of the entry stairs to the Library.) The completed hall is opened by His Excellency, the Governor Viscount Canterbury on 19 November 1872, in the presence of Chief Justice Sir Redmond Barry.
1873The name is changed to the Melbourne Athenaeum on 10 February 1873.
In September of the same year, the museum collection is presented to the National Museum of Victoria.
1887The statue of Athena, purchased by a donation of £100 by Alderman Moubray, a former Lord Mayor of Melbourne, is placed on the building.
1896In October, the first movie shown in Australia premières in the Athenaeum Hall on Edison's Vistascope "a piece of marvellous equipment". It has a season of one week. The following month the same equipment is used to film the Melbourne Cup.
1906The Athenaeum, now a regular venue for screening films, premières the Tait Brothers' The Story of the Kelly Gang - reputed to be the world's first feature-length film.
1910A permanent projection box is built as films have now become a regular feature at the Athenaeum. The upper hall is transformed into an Art Gallery. The State Government grants the Athenaeum a licence for the performance of "any interlude, tragedy, opera, comedy, stage play, farce, burletta, melodrama, pantomime, or any stage dancing, tumbling or feats of horsemanship".
1921Secretary Mr Frank Talbot and Mr E.J. Carroll, a leading picture exhibitor, enter into a lease for a new cinema. Architect Henry White gives the new 110 seat picture theatre a Greek look, with decorative urns and plaques featuring Greek figures.
1929The Athenaeum is the first theatre in Australia to screen "talkies", starting with a year-long season of The Jazz Singer, opening on 2 February 1929.
1930The lift, still in use today, was installed.
1932The Athenaeum becomes the first theatre in the world to launch an all-British cinema programme, and this policy will continue until 1948.
1933When major alterations are proposed, Melbourne City Council informs the Institution it cannot build a theatre on the site. Citing the 1910 licence in its archives, the Athenaeum is able to tell Council that they did not wish to build a theatre but merely to "alter" one, so the plans go ahead.
1939-1945During the war years most of the staff, both male and female, join the Armed Forces.
1948Newman's Chocolates leases a shop at the front and sells their distinctive products. They also sell the first milkshakes in Melbourne - in special flute-shaped glasses. Espresso coffee appears shortly thereafter.
1950Membership of the library peaks at 7579 members, including 515 Country subscribers.
1971The commercial Art Gallery, which has shown paintings by famous Australian artists including Hans Heysen, Sir Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts, John Rowell, and Albert Namatjira, has been losing patronage for many years and is closed. The vacant space is rented by the Theosophical Society until 1975.
1976The Melbourne Theatre Company is looking for a new home and leases the theatre, converting the old Art Gallery space into a small experimental theatre, renamed Athenaeum 2.
1977On 17 March, "live" theatre once more returns to the Athenaeum Theatre with Sheridan's School for Scandal.
1981The Melbourne Athenaeum building becomes entry number 501 in the State's Register of Historic Buildings, on 30 July.
1984Ms Leila Winchcombe is appointed Secretary. Leila, who had joined the Melbourne Athenaeum as a junior in 1954, is the first woman to be appointed Secretary. [Ms Winchcombe served the Athenaeum for 47 years]
1985The Melbourne Theatre Company leaves the Athenaeum, for its new home at the Arts Centre. The theatre lease is taken over by entrepreneurs Glenn Elston, Greg Hocking and Tim Woods.
1989The Melbourne Athenaeum celebrates its 150th anniversary on 12 November with a reunion of members and actors who had been associated with the Athenaeum. Comedienne Wendy Harmer compères the celebratory function.
1991The Committee assigns height rights to the ANZ Bank which results in funding for a two million dollar upgrade for the building.
1997Glenn Elston and Greg Hocking are joined by Barry Janes to form AT Management, which now leases the theatres.
Athenaeum 2 will later become the home of the Comedy Club.
2000A Ticketmaster 7 event ticketing franchise is introduced in the theatre foyer.
The first National Conference of Australian Mechanics' Institutes is held, and the Athenaeum plays a major part in the proceedings.
2004-2005The Melbourne Athenaeum celebrates its 165th birthday, starting with a small members-only function in November 2004, followed by a program of renovation and refurbishment and development of the 165th Book Project, finishing the celebrations with a special event on 24 October 2005, when the current Patron, John Landy, A.C., M.B.E., Governor of Victoria, and Mrs Landy, The Lord Mayor the Rt. Hon. John So, the Committee of Management, invited guests, library subscribers and staff, celebrate the unveiling of two plaques, one from Heritage Victoria and one from the Mechanics' Institute of Victoria commemorating the site and the activities of the Melbourne Athenaeum.