Art and Heritage Collection Store: Melbourne Town Hall
Add to ItineraryDescription
In 2022, after 22 years on the periphery of the central city grid, the City of Melbourne’s Art and Heritage Collection Store moved back to its original home: Melbourne Town Hall.
This once-in-a-generation relocation has had an exciting impact on the way the collection is stored and showcased. Open storage display is now the key to the collection’s presentation, and closely tracks what is developing as a global trend. Emblematic of this change is the collection’s shift back to the civic heart of Melbourne, while many other collections are moved to faceless stores in outer suburbs.
By any standard the City of Melbourne's art and heritage collection is eclectic. The collection comprises over 13,000 items, including public art maquettes, street art, Moomba, Olympics, photography, works by First Nations artists, books, plans, Council and ceremonial and contemporary art including artworks related to the Metro Tunnel Project.
The collection store provides a centre for research, conservation and collection management. Items held in the store are brought out on display on a rotational basis.
What's On
Visitors will gain exciting insights into the history of Melbourne and have the opportunity to see items they’ve never seen before including contemporary art, historical artefacts, books and plans, street art, photography and more.
Tours will be led by guides who will identify key artworks and artefacts in the collection store.
Images: (1) City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection, 2023. Photos: Tobias Titz. (2) City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection, 2023. Photos: Tobias Titz. (3) City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection, 2023. Photos: Tobias Titz. (4) City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection, 2023. Photos: Tobias Titz. (5) Melbourne Town Hall, Administrative building, 2023. Photo: Tobias Titz. (6) City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection, 2023. Photos: Tobias Titz.
Important Details
Time & Date
Saturday 27 + Sunday 28 July
Tours running every 20 minutes starting at 10am. Last tour departs at 3.20pm
Running for 60 minutes in groups of 15
Bookings required—$7 booking fee applies
First release tickets: 12pm Wednesday 3 July
Second release tickets: 12pm Saturday 6 July
Meet at Melbourne Town Hall, admin building. Enter via Swanston St entrance, next door to Melbourne Visitor Hub.
Upon arrival guests must check in via security, bags must be cloaked and photo identification is required to obtain entry to the building.
Photography for non-commercial purposes is permitted.
Prams and bags are not permitted on tours. Prams can be left in the security storage area and bags can be kept in the lockers at visitors' own risk.
ACCESSIBILITY
Partially wheelchair accessible, Accessible bathroom, Elevator access
Melbourne Town Hall is a heritage building and access to the Art and Heritage Collection Store is limited in some areas. There is accessible lift access to Level 4, but some of the doorways may not be wide enough for some wheelchairs or walkers. Six of the rooms included in the tour have doorways that are 88cm or wider, two are 83cm and one is 78cm. Please email citycollection@melbourne.gov.vic.au if you would like to discuss further.
Location
Melbourne Town Hall, Level 4, 90/120 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000
