AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND LIBRARIES
Added on: 9th Oct 2015
VICTORIAN STATE LIBRARY, AUSTRALIA
This library was first opened in 1856 with a collection of 3,800 books
and the famous domed reading room was opened in 1913. While the
dome’s skylights were covered with copper sheets in 1959 due to
water leakage, they have since been renovated, allowing beautiful natural
light to once again fill the reading room. This library is not only
massive – containing over 2 million books – it also has some fantastic
rarities, including the diaries of the city’s founders, folios of
Captain James Cook, and the armour of famed outlaw Ned Kelly.
THE STATE LIBRARY OF NEW SOUTH WALES,
AUSTRALIA
The oldest library in all of Australia, the State Library started as
the Australian Subscription Library in 1826, and the current
building was built in 1845. The most famous, and most stunning,
part of the library is the Mitchell Wing, which was completed in
1910. The wing was named for David Scott Mitchell who had a
fantastic collection of older books, including original journals of
James Cook. The library now houses over 5 million items, including
2 million books and 1.1 million photographs.
THE STATE LIBRARY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
The State Library of South Australia is not as large as some of the
other Australian State libraries, but it does have the distinction
of having the largest collection dating from pre-European times in its
South Australiana collection. This collection is mostly contained within
the Mortlock Wing, the oldest and most gorgeous part of the library.
Opened in 1884, the building originally held 23,000 books and employed
three librarians. Since then, the collection has expanded so much
that two massive buildings had to be added to the library, although
the Mortlock Wing remains the most visually impressive.
VICTORIAN PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY, AUSTRALIA
The Parliament House was built in stages, starting in 1855, and the
library was one of the first things completed after the Legislative
Assembly and Council. While construction continued all the way
through 1929, the building’s Roman Revival design is fluent and smooth,
so the whole thing seems like one single entity rather than a series of
extra wings tagged on throughout the years.
BARR SMITH LIBRARY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA
In 1927, the last heir to a prominent philanthropic Australian family
offered £20,000 to the University of Adelaide for a new library, on
the condition that it be named after his father, Robert Barr Smith.
The red brick library was completed in 1932, complete with two
friezes commemorating the donations of the Barr Smiths. Since the
collection expanded quite quickly, addition after addition had to be
added. These days, the library holds over two million volumes and
now spans over almost 21,000 square meters.
TUGGERANONG LIBRARY, AUSTRALIA
Lake Tuggeranong is a man-made body of water created by a dam
in 1987. As a result, the suburban town built around the lake is
equally new, but with the lovely scenery, it’s no wonder that the local
architecture is a step above typical suburban towns. The
Tuggeranong Town Centre Library is no exception and is, in fact,
one of the most picturesque buildings in town – particularly when
viewed from the water where you can see its reflection. While it might
not be particularly old or have an impressive collection of rare books,
with a view like this, it certainly deserves its place on this list.
THE GEORGE FORBES MEMORIAL LIBRARY AT
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, NEW ZEALAND
Lincoln University isn’t huge, nor is the George Forbes Memorial Library
located at the heart of the campus inside Ivey Hall, but what they
lack in size they make up for in beauty. Ivey Hall was opened in 1880
and while the library was originally opened in the George Forbes Memorial
Building in 1960, it was moved into Ivey Hall in 1988 after the building
underwent a major refurbishment.
UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO CENTRAL LIBRARY,
NEW ZEALAND
There are ten different libraries at the University of Otago, and when it
comes to looks and impressive collections, the Central Library
stands above the rest, with its gorgeous, modern architecture that lets
in ample natural light and its Special Collection containing over 9000
books printed before 1801. The library offers over 2000 study spaces for
students and over 500,000 books, periodicals and microfilms.
Comment on this