One of the places I didn't visit when studying in Melbourne during undergrad years - the State Library of Victoria. This time - I decided to take the opportunity to visit the State Library, as I heard that the interior was really beautiful.
The State Library is the central library in Victoria, and holds a large collection of books - including historical accounts and diaries. It also houses the original armour of Ned Kelly - a notorious bushranger in the 1800s. The library was opened in 1856, and was designed by local architect Joseph Reed.
The open field in front of the main entrance used to be fenced up, but the fence was removed in 1939. Right now, the open field is used as a popular lunch spot for people in the city.
When I walked in from the main entrance, I spotted these stairs leading up to some wall paintings, but these weren't open for the day, so I couldn't explore it further. I managed to explore 2 major reading rooms though - the La Trobe Reading Room and the Redmond Barry Reading Room.
Some of the public areas in the State Library. There were lots of multimedia available for people to use.
Passed through the Stawell Gallery - an art gallery with gorgeous paintings and sculptures, before heading to the Redmond Barry Reading Room.
Check out the wonderful details on the staircase!
Took some time to walk around the Redmond Barry reading room. It was pretty quiet that day, and some students were still studying for their exams. Fortunately mine had ended long ago - I hope that I won't have to take any more exams anymore...
The next place I visited was the La Trobe Reading Room. The La Trobe Reading Room is another major reading room in the State Library, and this is where historical artefacts and books have been housed. Of course, there is a massive study area at the ground floor of the Reading Room, arranged strategically. I went to the higher floors first, before going down to the ground floor.
The giant reading room was designed to be symmetrical, with lots of lovely carvings on the walls and vintage-looking lights. When I first walked into the reading room, I was in awe...the whole place was just so beautiful! And it was kind of a waste that I didn't bring my telephoto lens. Fortunately I could zoom in (using my 18-55mm lens) to get decent details...
There were balconies on each floor, which housed really old books. Unfortunately the doors were locked at that time, so I couldn't go in. But I could take pics of these balconies from strategic points in the library.
And here's one of the strategic points! I was walking along the corridor and enjoying the exhibits when I spotted this window...there were many more along the way too!
The famous dome of the reading room, which allows natural light to come in during the day. There're also smaller windows in the periphery of this dome. I was pretty lucky as I went to the State Library on a sunny day.
Down to the ground floor of the La Trobe Reading Room, where many books were housed, and also where people could sit and study. The tables were arranged such that they radiated outwards, in synchrony with the design of the dome.
The centre of the Reading Room. This is meant to be a podium where someone sits on top, but it was closed when I went. I think it's now used for exhibits and preserving historical artefacts.
Perfect symmetry - from all angles...
Lovely stained glass exhibit on the highest floor of the La Trobe Reading Room. I climbed to the highest floor of the reading room first, before descending slowly till I got to the ground floor...
Of course, no day trip is complete without chocolate! I've always loved Max Brenner's ever since I came to Australia to study, and on that day, I had a strong craving for chocolate souffle and thick Italian hot choc. So I went for it! And got a massive sugar rush...
So I walked all the way to Birrarung Marr - a public park located on the banks of the Yarra River, opposite the CBD. Birrarung Marr means "river of mists" according to the Wurundjeri people - indigenous inhabitants of this area, in the past.
View of part of the CBD when crossing the bridge to get to the park...
Main reason for going to Birrarung Marr? The Federation Bells!
I learnt about the Federation Bells when attending a conference in Melbourne, and I really wanted to take a look at them. So I decided to head down to Birrarung Marr after visiting the State Library...and since I was high on sugar after all those chocolate, I managed to walk all the way there! I was so happy when I managed to find the Federation Bells!
The Federation Bells consist of a collection of different sized inverted bells - there're 39 bells in total and cover three octaves of music. The Bells are computer-controlled and play compositions from the public, three times a day. Pretty amazing!
The sun was just beginning to set, so I decided to head back to the city and take a tram back.
Angel, by Deborah Halpern. This gorgeous sculpture is 10 metres high and was installed here in 2006.
And that's it for today! More pics coming up soon! Do stay tuned!