- Address: Parkes Pl W, Canberra ACT 2600, Australia;
- Website: nla.gov.au;
- Phone: +61 2 6262 1111;
- Open: from 10 to 20 hours, on Friday - to 17;
- Cost: 20-50 dollars
One of the monuments of architecture, culture and history of Australia is without doubt the National Library of Australia, located in Canberra . Originally, the Library was located in Melbourne , but the massive reorganization of 1927 facilitated the transfer of the National Library to Canberra, where it became part of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library. Only in 1960 the Library becomes a separate administrative unit and receives independence.
Architecture of the National Library of Australia
Architects, who designed the building, preferred the Greek style when erecting the sights. People who visited the National Library of Australia in Canberra, celebrate an unprecedented atmosphere, inspired by myths, the Gods of Ancient Greece. The building of the Library is decorated with white marble, the columns decorating the external facade are made of marble and the strongest limestone. The interior decoration of the building of the National Library also used marble, but of different colors, which was delivered from Greece, Italy, Australia.
Treasures, stored in the halls of the Library
The Hall of the Library is decorated with magnificent stained glass windows made by Leonard French, Abyssinian tapestries made of high-quality wool of Australian sheep. There are also shelving, storing photographs of Australian premiers, located in chronological order. The main decoration of the hall is considered to be a mock ship belonging to Captain Cook.
The ground floor of the National Library is considered the most interesting, because it is here that the most valuable books that were purchased during the years of its existence are stored. Some exhibits number more than one hundred years, but there are books dating to our time. The fact is that according to the law of Australia, any manuscript published on the territory of the state is obligatory provided to the funds of the National Library. This requirement makes a truly invaluable contribution to the formation of the culture of the younger generation, which has the opportunity to get acquainted with the books of the authors of their country, writing about Australia, its traditions and customs.
Today, the museum stock of the National Library of Australia is counted with more than three million book exhibits, an impressive portion of which donated to ordinary Australians. Workers of the library are engaged in the digitization of books, it is known that for today more than 130 thousand copies have passed this procedure.
In addition to books, old newspapers and magazines are kept, which are so nice to look through and to visit in the past, there are musical records and records telling about the times of brilliant composers and the preferences of music lovers of different years.
All the exhibits keep the spirit of history and the past time, because their value is so great. In addition to the above exhibits, the National Library of Australia is proud of the collection of scientific works that have made it possible to make a breakthrough in science and technology. A separate place is devoted to expositions of photographs of people who made a significant contribution to the development of the country. But the most valuable exhibits of the National Library are undoubtedly the onboard magazine, which was led by Captain Cook and Wills' diary, which tells about the journey of Robert Burke.
Helpful information
You can visit the National Library of Australia in Canberra every day. Opening hours from Monday to Thursday: from 10:00 to 20:00 hours, from Friday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00. Because of the great popularity of sightseeing tickets it is better to purchase in advance. Their price varies from 25 to 50 dollars. Weekly tours are organized, introducing not only the main premises of the Library, but also those that are covered from the eyes of the townsfolk. The cost of the tour can be found on the official website of the National Library of Australia.
How to get there?
If you decide to travel by public transport, then choose the buses under numbers: 1, 2, 80, 935, which follow to the stop "King Edward Tce National Library", located 20 minutes walk from the goal. The daredevils, who chose an independent excursion, will be able to rent a car and reach the library at coordinates: S35 ° 17'48 ", E149 ° 7'48". If these options do not satisfy you, order a taxi that will take you to the right place.
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