The Athenaeum or Melbourne Athenaeum is the oldest public institution in Victoria, Australia, founded in 1839. The first President was Captain William Lonsdale and the first Patron was the Superintendent of Port Philip, Charles La Trobe. Originally it was called the Melbourne Mechanics Institute. This was expanded in 1846 to the Melbourne Mechanics Institution and School of Arts. The building on Collins Street was completed in 1842. The Athenaeum played a role in the establishment of Mechanics Institutes in Victoria. Emperess Victoria of the United Kingdom etc. ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... William Lonsdale (September 9, 1794 - November 11, 1871), English geologist and palaeontologist, was born at Bath. ... Charles La Trobe (March 20, 1801 - December 4, 1875) was the first lieutenant-governor of the state of Victoria. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne Central Business District and runs from east to west. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Historically, Mechanics Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide adult education, particularly in technical subjects, to working people. ...

The Melbourne City Council meet in the building until 1852 when the Melbourne Town Hall was built. The arms of the City of Melbourne The flag of the City of Melbourne The City of Melbourne is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... During the Melbourne International Comedy Festival the Melbourne Town Hall acts as venue to a large number of the performances. ...

The Institution changed its name to the Melbourne Athenaeum in 1873. At that time, as now, a major activity was a library. In 1877, membership was 1681 and in 1879 there were 30,000 visits to the library. In 1880 it was reported 'that the floor of the large hall was the only one in Melbourne expressly constructed for dancing'. The front of the building was rebuilt in 1885 and 1886. 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

In October, 1896, the first movie was shown in Australia in the Athanaeum Hall. The Hall became a regular venue for screening films and the premier of The Story of the Kelly Gang by the Tait brothers was at the Athenaeum in 1906. The theatre in its present form was created in 1921. The theatre was the first venue in Australia to screen talking pictures. The Melbourne Theatre Company leased the theatre from 1976 to 1985 when the lease was taken over by various entrepeneurs who formed AT Management in 1997. The Story of the Kelly Gang (also screened as Ned Kelly and His Gang) is widely regarded as the worlds first feature length film. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Melbourne Theatre Company, which is the oldest professional theatre in Australia, known popularly as the MTC, is based in the Malthouse Theatre on St Kilda Road in central Melbourne, and also the Fairfax Theatre in the Victorian Arts Centre. ...

The Athenaeum housed a small museum in its early days and then an Art Gallery, which closed in 1971.

The library continues to exist as a large subscription library with members throughout Victoria, although its membership has declined from a peak of 7,579 in 1950.

The building was added to the Register of Historic Buildings in 1981.

Reference

The Melbourne Athenaeum, a short history, 2001.