Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
From 1864 to 1925, two life size lion sculptures stood at the entrance to our Library. From Melbourne to London, Belgium, San Francisco, France and back again, we try trace the origin of these majestic felines.
Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
On 11 February our Library celebrates our 169th birthday. While based on the world’s great libraries, our Library was also a radical departure. Ours was a library with unrestricted access to anyone over 14, with every book available to view. The primary driver of the Library was Redmond Barry. While generally remembered as the judge at the Ned Kelly trial, Redmond Barry’s pioneering contribution to Melbourne’s cultural and educational heritage is unsurpassed
