In 1880 a visitor to the Melbourne International Exhibition described the view of the newly constructed Exhibition Building: “At one’s feet lies the city, with its well-planned and equally well-executed streets, its commendable buildings, its domes, its churches and its towers. Then the suburbs, green almost as the country beyond and the waters of Port Phillip.”
Over 140 years later, visitors to the recently re-opened Royal Exhibition Building Dome Promenade can still look out across the Carlton Gardens, with its shady tree-lined avenues and perfect parterre garden beds towards Melbourne CBD – although skyscrapers have now replaced church towers as the city’s highest landmarks.
“While the view from the south of the dome has changed dramatically, looking out towards the east and north, visitors today still see the sprawling landscape of suburban Melbourne. The panorama is not too dissimilar to that seen by the 4,000 people who climbed to the dome on Melbourne Cup Day in 1880,” says Dr Michelle Stevenson, Head History & Technology at Museums Victoria.
Designed by prominent Melbourne architect Joseph Reed, the World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building has survived as the only ‘Palace of Industry’ from the 19th-century international exhibition movement and is still used as an event and exhibition venue to this day. The international exhibitions movement fostered a global exchange of products and ideas, with the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition featuring over 32,000 artistic, manufactured, and natural products from 33 nations and attracting 1.3 million visits over seven months – more than quadruple Melbourne’s population at the time.
“For the state of Victoria, hosting an international exhibition was an opportunity to showcase the wealth, opulence, excitement, energy and spirit of post-gold rush Melbourne for colonial and international visitors and exhibitors,” notes Dr Stevenson. “It provided an opportunity for the colony to make its mark on the world stage alongside global cities such as London and Paris.”
Reed’s design for the Exhibition Building drew on an eclectic array of architectural influences. While the overall design used the Rundbogenstil (round-arch) style, the building’s soaring 67-metre dome, which was the highest landmark in Melbourne when completed, drew directly on Brunelleschi’s octagonal Duomo in Florence. The four fanlights over the north, south, east, and west portals are reminiscent of Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace in London, built for the first International Exhibition in 1851. The layout of the building itself was also symbolic, with its form evoking a religious building – a physical temple to industry.
Other examples of structures created for international exhibitions around the world include the Eiffel Tower, which was constructed as an exhibit for the 1899 Paris International Exhibition; Petit Palais; Grand Palais; Chicago Museum of Science and Industry; Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum; and St Louis Museum. However, what makes Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building unique is the authenticity of its architectural form, including its garden setting, and its continuity of use.
In 1901, the Royal Exhibition Building hosted the opening of Australia’s Federal Parliament as it was the largest exhibition and event venue in the country at that time. The interior of the building was repainted for the momentous occasion – this is the decorative scheme that remains today. Designed by John Ross Anderson, the brown, red and green colours suited the solemn occasion, while the artwork around the dome is rich in symbolism relating to the Federation of Australia. Latin mottos, Roman gods and allegorical figures are all used to convey the ideals and hopes of the new Australian nation.
Since that time, events of all kinds have found a home in the building and gardens. Fashion and cultural festivals, flower and garden shows, culinary celebrations, musical performances, and car shows are examples of the building’s usage in recent times. The building has also been used for a wide variety of civic purposes including as an air force base, migrant reception centre, influenza hospital, Olympic fencing venue, and Covid vaccination hub.
Stories of the building’s rich heritage are further detailed in an exhibition that is part of the recently opened Royal Exhibition Building Dome Promenade experience, a regular tour of the building’s upper and lower promenade deck, staircase and basement gallery which has garnered international interest.
Museums Victoria is the largest museum organisation in the southern hemisphere and proud custodians of the Royal Exhibition Building. Book your tour at museumsvictoria.com.au
