Melbourne Athenaeum
(1839-present)
place and Mechanics' Institute
Aged 185
Wikidata WikipediaThe Athenaeum or Melbourne Athenaeum is an art and cultural hub in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1839, it is the city's oldest cultural institution. Its building on Collins Street in the East End Theatre District sits opposite the Regent Theatre, and currently consists of a main theatre, a smaller studio theatre, a restaurant and a subscription library. It has also served as a mechanics' institute, an art exhibition space, and a cinema. The building was added to the National Trust's Register of Historic Buildings in 1981 and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
DbPedia
Commemorated on 2 plaques
MIV Historical Plaques Program #0013
The Melbourne Athenaeum. Established as the Melbourne Mechanics' Institute 12 November 1839. The Melbourne Mechanics' Institute was founded in 1839 with Mr Charles Joseph LaTrobe, Superintendent of the District of Port Phillip and Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony of Victoria, as Patron. Captain William Lonsdale as President, and the Rev. James Forbes as Secretary. The present site was purchased on 13 August 1840. The Institute became the Melbourne Mechanics' Institute and School of Arts in 1846 and the Melbourne Athenaeum on 10 February 1873. As part of the 165th birthday celebrations, this plaque, No. 13 in the MIV series, was unveiled on 24 October 2005 by John Landy, A.C., MBE Governor of Victoria
188 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia where it sited
The Athenaeum Building is registered by Heritage Council Victoria. The original Mechanics Institute was built on this site in 1842. The present building was completed in 1886 to a design by architects Smith and Johnson. The statue of Athena on the parapet is a distinctive featured. (Victorian Heritage Register Number H0501)
188 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia where it sited