Australia’s oldest public library, one of the world’s first free public libraries, and now acknowledged as one of the world’s busiest and best. State Library Victoria, home to the State Collection, is a place where millions are welcomed into a ‘great emporium of learning’ each year, just as our founders envisaged over 160 years ago. Established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, State Library Victoria is Australia’s oldest public library and one of the first free public libraries in the world. We are Victoria’s library of record, home to the State Collection, free to access and open to all.
