Description

Eltham Library was made possible by a Federal Government grant in 1992, with the building officially opening on Sunday 22 May 1994. 

The building makes extensive use of low-maintenance natural materials and aims to achieve low energy consumption by maximising natural light and through the use of passive energy measures such as mud brick walls and verandahs. Materials include a clay brick base and well-protected mud brick walls; radially sawn stringy bark external cladding, decking and balustrading; Victorian ash ceiling linings; recycled hardwood verandah posts, window and door frames; copper cladding, guttering and downpipes; raw steel posts and beams; and blue steel automatic doors and partitioning. 

A $1.25 million upgrade in 2011 included a new children’s room and outdoor children’s garden with a Dreaming mural by Simone Thomson, installed in 2021. In 2013, Eltham Library was the first library in Victoria to get an automated book returns system.  

The Community Gallery has hosted countless exhibitions over the decades and the library displays pieces from Nillumbik Shire’s own collection. The library has also played host to many visiting authors over the years, demonstrating its literary connections to the local community. 

What's On

The 2026 theme of 'Generous City' speaks to the fundamentals of what a library exists to supply to the community—a place of safety, comfort and opportunity. What better excuse, then, than to come along to listen to the authors of Bush Modern, Jessica Lillico and Sean Fennessy speak with Katelin Butler, editorial director at Architecture Media, about their beautiful new book that explores homes built on Melbourne’s north-eastern fringe, where "necessity and imagination shaped a local movement," as described on their website.

This session will be of great local interest due the provenance of the homes and their stories.

The library is open for visits across the weekend. You can learn more about the design of Eltham Library in this episode of Modern Melbourne with architect Greg Burgess.

In Collaboration With:

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  Jessica Lillico

  Jessica Lillico and Sean Fennessy are the co-creators of Bush Modern. Jessica is a creative director, interior stylist and first-time author. Sean is a photographer known for his warm, minimal style and unique sense of observation. The couple lives in Warrandyte, on the outskirts of Melbourne, in a 1960s house designed by Alistair Knox, which they renovated in 2020.

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  Sean Fennessy

  Jessica Lillico and Sean Fennessy are the co-creators of Bush Modern. Jessica is a creative director, interior stylist and first-time author. Sean is a photographer known for his warm, minimal style and unique sense of observation. The couple lives in Warrandyte, on the outskirts of Melbourne, in a 1960s house designed by Alistair Knox, which they renovated in 2020.

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  Katelin Butler

  Katelin Butler is the editorial director at Architecture Media, where her role includes the custodianship of the centenarian magazine Architecture Australia and curation of the Design Speaks event series. She has co-edited three books: The Forever House: Time-Honoured Australian Homes (2014), The Terrace House: Reimagined for the Australian Way of Life (2015) and The Apartment House: Reframing the Australian Dream (2017), all published by Thames and Hudson. She is co-author of The New Queensland House (2022), also published by Thames and Hudson. She has been a peer juror, exhibition curator, guest university critic and speaker at various industry events and conferences. Katelin holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Tasmania and a Master of Architecture from the University of Melbourne.