Royal Exhibition Building

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The Royal Exhibition Building is a big domed hall in Carlton Gardens, Melbourne, Australia. It was finished in 1880 for a world's fair, called the Melbourne International Exhibition, which showed off machines, art and goods from many countries. The main hall is about 150 metres long and the building sits in a park of roughly 26 hectares.

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At a glance

Country: Australia
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Built: 1880
Height: 68 m

Quick answers

Where is Royal Exhibition Building?

Royal Exhibition Building is in Melbourne, Australia.

When was Royal Exhibition Building built?

Royal Exhibition Building was built in 1880.

How tall is Royal Exhibition Building?

Royal Exhibition Building is about 68 m tall.

A domed hall built for the 1880 international exhibition, where Australia's first federal parliament opened in 1901.

It is famous for two reasons. In 1901 Australia's first federal parliament was opened here, when the separate colonies joined to become one country. In 2004 it also became the first building in Australia to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, because it is one of the last big 19th-century exhibition buildings still standing.

Why was it built?

In the 1800s cities around the world held large exhibitions, a bit like giant science fairs and trade shows. Melbourne was rich and proud after the gold rush years and wanted to join in. The first exhibition hall, built in 1854, was pulled down in 1869, and a much bigger one was planned in 1877. The new building opened for the 1880 exhibition and then hosted an even larger one in 1888. It was built as a showpiece for the city's wealth.

What happened here later?

After the exhibitions ended, the building stayed in use. In 1901 it hosted the opening of Australia's first federal parliament. During the 1900s some wings were demolished or burned down, but the main building, the Great Hall, survived. In 1980 Queen Elizabeth II allowed it to be called 'Royal'. It was restored in the 1990s, and today it holds events and exhibitions next to the Melbourne Museum.

Fun facts

In 2004 it became the first building in Australia to join the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The Great Hall is where Australia's first federal parliament was opened in 1901.
It is described as the most complete surviving site of the international exhibition movement that ran from 1851 to 1914.