State Library Victoria is one of Melbourne’s founding institutions, established 168 years ago in 1854, barely 20 years after the city was settled. It opened as the Melbourne Public Library, and is not only Australia’s oldest public library but also one of the first free public libraries in the world. The Library was created as ‘the people’s university’ – a place of learning and discovery for all Victorians. It was also given responsibility for preserving Victoria’s heritage by collecting items of historical and cultural significance for future generations.
