World Heritage Scanned Nomination File Name: 1131.pdf UNESCO Region: ASIA AND THE PACIFIC __________________________________________________________________________________________________ SITE NAME: Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens DATE OF INSCRIPTION: 7th July 2004 STATE PARTY: AUSTRALIA CRITERIA: C (ii) DECISION OF THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE: Excerpt from the Report of the 28th Session of the World Heritage Committee Criterion (ii): The Royal Exhibition Building and the surrounding Carlton Gardens, as the main extant survivors of a Palace of Industry and its setting, together reflect the global influence of the international exhibition movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement showcased technological innovation and change, which helped promote a rapid increase in industrialization and international trade through the exchange of knowledge and ideas. BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS The Royal Exhibition Building and its surrounding Carlton Gardens were designed for the great international exhibitions of 1880 and 1888 in Melbourne. The building and grounds were designed by Joseph Reed. The building is constructed of brick and timber, steel and slate. It combines elements from the Byzantine, Romanesque, Lombardic and Italian Renaissance styles. The property is typical of the international exhibition movement which saw over 50 exhibitions staged between 1851 and 1915 in venues including Paris, New York, Vienna, Calcutta, Kingston (Jamaica) and Santiago (Chile). All shared a common theme and aims: to chart material and moral progress through displays of industry from all nations 1.b State, Province or Region: Melbourne, Victoria 1.d Exact location: S37 48 22.0 E144 58 13.0 Nomination of ROYAL EXHIBITION BUILDING AND CARLTON GARDENS, MELBOURNE by the Government of Australia for Inscription on the World Heritage List. Environment Australia 2002 CONTENTS 1 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROPERTY 4 5FACTORS AFFECTING THE PROPERTY 58 1a Country 4 5a Development Pressures 58 1b State, Province or Region 4 5b Environmental Pressures 58 1c Name of the Property 4 5c Natural disasters and preparedness 58 1d Geographical coordinates to the nearest second 4 5d Visitor/tourism pressures 58 1e Maps and plans showing boundary of area proposed 5e Number of inhabitants within property 58 for inscription and of any buffer zone 5 1f Area of property proposed for inscription (ha) and 6 MONITORING 60 proposed buffer zone (ha) if any 5 6a Key indicators for measuring state of conservation 60 6b Administrative arrangements for monitoring the property 60 2JUSTIFICATION FOR INSCRIPTION 8 6c Results of previous reporting exercises 60 2a Statement of Significance 8 2b Comparative Analysis of Similar Sites 9 7 DOCUMENTATION 62 2c Authenticity 13 7a List of Illustrations, slides and video 62 2d Criteria under which inscription is proposed 7b Copies of property management plans and extracts and justification for inscription 18 of other plans relevant to the property 65 7c Bibliography 65 3DESCRIPTION 32 7d Addresses where inventory, records and archives are held 68 3a Description of the Property 32 3b History and Development 36 8 SIGNATURE ON BEHALF OF THE STATE PARTY 69 3c Form and date of the most recent records of the property 47 3d Present State of Conservation 48 APPENDIX 1 70 3e Policies and programs related to the presentation International Exhibitions, 1851-1915 70 and promotion of the property 48 APPENDIX 2 72 4 MANAGEMENT 52 The Burra Charter (The Australia ICOMOS Charter for 4a Ownership 52 Places of Cultural Significance) 72 4b Legal Status 52 4c Protective measures and means of implementing them 52 APPENDIX 3 80 4d Agencies with management authority 54 4e Level at which management is exercised 54 The History of International Exhibitions 80 4f Agreed plans relating to property 54 4g Sources and levels of finance 54 4h Sources of expertise and training in conservation and management techniques 55 4i Visitor facilities and statistics 55 4j Property management plan 55 4k Staffing levels 55 1 CHAPTER 1 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROPERTY 3 CHAPTER 1 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROPERTY 1A COUNTRY 1C NAME OF THE PROPERTY Australia Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens 1B STATE, PROVINCE OR REGION 1D GEOGRAPHICAL COORDINATES The City of Melbourne, capital of the State of TO THE NEAREST SECOND Victoria, Australia 37 degrees 48 minutes 22 seconds latitude south, 144 degrees 58 minutes 13 seconds longitude east Map 1: Location of Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, Melbourne, Australia. Mildura Swan Hill Wangaratta Corryong Bendigo Bright Ballarat Melbourne Mallacoota Healsville Orbost Hamilton Sale Warrnambool Morwell Southern entrance, 1880. (1) 4 1E MAPS AND PLANS SHOWING BOUNDARY OF AREA PROPOSED FOR INSCRIPTION AND OF ANY BUFFER ZONE See Maps 1 and 2 for location and plans indicating boundary of nominated area. Map 2: Site location of Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens Melbourne. B2 1F AREA OF PROPERTY PROPOSED B7 CARLTON STREET FOR INSCRIPTION (HA) AND B8 PROPOSED BUFFER ZONE (HA) B9 IF ANY B8 All of the Crown Land Reserve Rs 37130 (Royal P2 B8 Exhibition Building and Museum of Victoria) and Rs 9990 (Carlton Gardens), Crown allotment 19A, shown on Diagram 1501 held by the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria, being the land bounded by Rathdowne Street, Carlton Street, Nicholson Street and Victoria Street. The area of the entire property is twenty-six hectares. B4 B1 No buffer zone is proposed. The network of RATHDOWNE STREET B5 NICHOLSON STREET planning controls that exist is considered sufficient B6 B1 Royal Exhibition Building to provide protection for the nominated property. B8 B3 B2 Curator's Cottage B8 B3 Hochgurtel Fountain B4 French Fountain P4 P3 B5 Westgarth Drinking Fountain B6 Stawell Sandstone Sample P1 B7 Palisade Fence and Gate B8 Remnants of Bluestone Base VICTORIA STREET to Palisade Fence B8 B9 Iron Rod Fence 5 CHAPTER 2 JUSTIFICATION FOR INSCRIPTION 7 CHAPTER 2 JUSTIFICATION FOR INSCRIPTION 2A STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Of the many impressive buildings designed and built to The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens hold these exhibitions, such as England’s Crystal Palace, have outstanding universal value as a rare surviving few survive, and of those surviving, even fewer retain manifestation of the international exhibition phenomenon authenticity in terms of original location and condition. of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries — a The Royal Exhibition Building, in its original setting of phenomenon that embodied ideas and processes that the Carlton Gardens, is one of these rare survivors. It has have profoundly affected modern societies. The Building added rarity, however. The Royal Exhibition Building was and Gardens, used for the international exhibitions of purpose-designed to be the Great Hall of the ‘Palace of 1880 and 1888, are unique in having maintained Industry’, the focal point of international exhibitions. authenticity of form and function through to the It is the only surviving example in the world of a Great present day. Hall from a major international exhibition. Furthermore, it has retained authenticity of function, continuing to be The international exhibition phenomenon reflected used for its original purpose of exhibitions and displays a dynamic and transitional phase in modern history, even today. This is a building to be treasured—a which saw the growth and spread of the benefits representative of the spectrum of international of industrialisation in the form of technological exhibition buildings that are now lost to the world. advancements and social progress, the transmission of ideas and cultural values around the world, and the The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens has rapid development of an extensive international economy. further value in being broadly representative of the The exhibitions themselves brought people and ideas themes and architectural characteristics shared by together on a grand scale, in diverse locations around structures and sites used for international exhibitions. the world, and greatly enhanced international social and These include many of the important features that made economic links. They provided a mechanism for the the exhibitions so dramatic and effective, including axial world-wide exchange of goods, technology, ideas, culture planning, a dome, a great hall, giant entry portals, and values, and heralded a new era of trading networks versatile display spaces, and complementary gardens and and the modern international economy. The exhibitions viewing areas. The scale and grandeur of the building were a spectacular shopfront for the industrial revolution, reflects the values and aspirations attached to which shaped some of the greatest global social and industrialisation and its international face. The Royal economic transformations. Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens have outstanding universal value as a tangible symbol of the international Despite the great impact of the international exhibition exhibition phenomenon for all these reasons. phenomenon, relatively few physical manifestations of it remain. These include the buildings and grounds that housed the exhibitions, and the exhibits themselves. They are tangible parts of the world’s heritage that connect us to a significant stage in human history. Ceiling decoration, main dome. (2) 8 2B COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS The time period considered in this nomination for a OF SIMILAR SITES discussion of international exhibitions (also known as International