| Royal Exhibition Building | |
|---|---|
 The Royal Exhibition Building, with its fountain on the southern or Carlton Gardens side. | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Location | 9 Nicholson Street, Carlton, Victoria |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°48′17″S 144°58′17″E / 37.80472°S 144.97139°E |
| Elevation | 61 m (200 ft) |
| Construction started | 1879 |
| Completed | 1880 |
| Owner | Victoria State Government |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Joseph Reed |
| Other information | |
| Public transit access | Tram routes 86, 96 |
| Website | |
| museumsvictoria | |
| Official name | Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii |
| Designated | 2004 (28th session) |
| Reference no. | 1131 |
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
| Type | Historic |
| Criteria | a, b, d, e, f, g |
| Designated | 20 July 2004 |
| Reference no. | 105708 |
| Type | Community Facilities |
| Criteria | a, b, c, d, e, g |
| Designated | 21 March 1982 |
| Reference no. | VHR H1501 |
| Heritage Overlay number | HO69 [1] |
The Royal Exhibition Building is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed building in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, built in 1879–1880 as part of the international exhibition movement, which presented over 50 exhibitions between 1851 and 1915 around the globe. The building sits on approximately 26 hectares (64 acres), is 150 metres (490 ft) long and is surrounded by four city streets.[2] It is situated at 9 Nicholson Street in the Carlton Gardens, flanked by Victoria, Carlton and Rathdowne Streets, at the north-eastern edge of the central business district. It was built to host the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880–81, and then hosted the even larger Centennial International Exhibition in 1888. It was then chosen as the site for the Federation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The building is representative of the financial wealth and pride that the city of Melbourne and state of Victoria had in the 1870s.[3] Throughout the 20th century smaller sections and wings of the building were subject to demolition and fire; however, the main building, known as the Great Hall, survived.
On the 1st October 1980, it was announced that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had conferred the title of "Royal" to the Exhibition Building. It received restoration throughout the 1990s and in 2004 became the first building in Australia to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, being one of the last remaining major 19th-century exhibition buildings in the world. It is the world's most complete surviving site from the International Exhibition movement 1851–1914. It sits adjacent to the Melbourne Museum and is the largest item in Museum Victoria's collection. Today, the building hosts various exhibitions and other events and is closely tied with events at the Melbourne Museum.
- ^ "Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens". Victorian Heritage Database. Government of Victoria. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- ^ "Royal Exhibition building and Carlton Gardens" (PDF). Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ^ "Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, World Heritage Management Plan" (PDF). October 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2018.