THE CITY OF MELBOURNE. 



457 



plan, conceived on a scale of magnitude suggested by a sagacious forecast of the future 

 importance of Melbourne, the northern, eastern and central portions remain to 1,. .i.-d. 



The foundation stone of the institution was laid by Sir Charles Hotham on the -jrd of 

 July, 1854, and that portion of the Library which received the name of the pu.-.-n's 

 Reading-room was opened by Sir Henry Darkly on the 241)1 of May, 1859. Additions 

 continued to be made from time to time, and the most important of these, the Harry 

 Hall so named in honour of Sir Redmond Barry, who was largely instrumental in the 



THE GOVERNMENT OFFICES. 



foundation of the Public Library was opened by Sir Henry Loch on the 2nd of 

 September, 1886. Space has thus been afforded for the reception of upwards of one 

 hundred and ten thousand volumes of books, besides seventy thousand pamphlets and 

 serial publications. The number of visitors exceeds half a million per annum, more than 

 three-fifths of whom resort to the Library, which occupies the whole of the first floor 

 of the shell of the building, and is lofty enough to admit of the introduction of 

 galleries, so as to augment the wall space for books as well as the accommodation for 

 readers. There are no restrictions on the admission of the latter, and they enjoy the 

 freest access to all the books in the collection, excepting such as possess an exceptional 



