Cultural life

The National Gallery of Victoria (1861), in Melbourne, houses an extensive international collection in the older of its two buildings; the newer building, the Ian Potter Centre (2001), is dedicated to Australian art. The creation of the Arts Centre (1984), on land near the centre of the city of Melbourne, was an important cultural development for the state. The multifunctional institution includes art galleries, courtyards for theatrical productions and displays of sculpture, underground theatres, a convention and concert hall, a display centre, and a hall for state receptions. There are also art galleries in smaller cities, including Ballarat, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Geelong, Warrnambool, Hamilton, Benalla, and Shepparton, among others. Many of these galleries sponsor annual competitions. The Pioneer Settlement Museum, featuring historic buildings, machinery, and paddle steamers, has been built on a large site at Swan Hill, while the Sovereign Hill attraction at Ballarat realistically re-creates the artifacts and atmosphere of the gold-digging era.

The Library Board of Victoria manages the important State Library of Victoria (founded in 1856 as Melbourne Public Library) and advises the government on the promotion of library services throughout the state. Throughout the 20th century the State Library built up strong collections in many fields, but shortages of funds and rising costs have limited the areas where collections are maintained in depth. The library’s emphases include historical bibliography, fine arts, biography, military history, and British typography. The collection of Victoriana in the library and the state archives are especially valuable historical sources.

Melbourne’s orchestra has made successful overseas tours, and the city has many cinemas, theatres, and restaurants. The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) plays an important part in stimulating interest in historic architecture, places of scenic beauty, and rare flora and fauna. A number of old buildings have been acquired and restored, and a schedule of other buildings to be acquired has been prepared to avoid the possibility that a major cultural loss might occur through their demolition. Museum Victoria oversees several cultural and scientific institutions in the state capital, including the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne’s Carlton Gardens, built in the late 1800s to host major international exhibitions, Museum Melbourne, emphasizing the history of Victoria, the Migration Museum, which documents international migration into Australia, and Scienceworks, an interactive science museum and planetarium. In 2004 the Royal Exhibition Building became the first historical building in Australia to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Leisure facilities are particularly plentiful and well-developed in Melbourne. An extensive casino and entertainment complex was completed on the south bank of the Yarra River in 1997. Melbourne Park (1988) is the site of a multipurpose arena (2000), as well as the National Tennis Centre, which hosts the Australian Open competition each January. The sports (especially Australian rules football) and entertainment stadium in the city’s Docklands (2000) supplements the renowned Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Flemington racecourse, both of which have remained in operation since their establishment in the mid-19th century. Australia’s richest and most prestigious horse race, the Melbourne Cup, is run annually at Flemington course on the first Tuesday in November.

Victoria is dotted with numerous state and national parks, notably Alpine National Park, which protects some 2,500 square miles (6,500 square km) of the Great Dividing Range. The Healesville Sanctuary, roughly 40 miles (60 km) east of Melbourne, serves not only as a wildlife conservation centre, supporting more than 200 native species, but also as a cultural centre, preserving and transmitting indigenous knowledge through guided tours into the protected bushlands. Off the southwest coast of Victoria, the Twelve Apostles, a spectacular formation of limestone sea stacks, are part of Port Campbell National Park; the historic collapse of one of the stacks occurred in 2005.

Several daily newspapers circulate throughout the state, but Melbourne’s major dailies have a combined countrywide readership of well in excess of one million. Most of the other urban centres throughout Victoria have their own local papers. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, financed by the government, provides comprehensive radio and television service to the entire state. There also are many commercial radio stations and several commercial television stations.