Old Treasury Building

The Old Treasury Building on Spring Street in Melbourne, was once home to the Treasury Department of the Government of Victoria, but is now a museum of Melbourne history, known as the Old Treasury Building.

The museum's permanent exhibition, Victorian Archival Treasures, presents a rich narrative of Victoria's history from the 1830's, highlighted by key documents and artifacts from Public Records Office Victoria (PROV). These documents and artifacts once held in the Old Treasury Building gold vaults explore themes of Indigenous Victorians and first white settlement in 1835, Ned Kelly and Criminals, Victorian Democracy, Victorians at Work and the Gold Rush.

Built on Gold is particularly inspired by the epic story of the Victorian gold discoveries from 1852 to 1862. In those ten years Melbourne was transformed from a struggling settlement town into a bustling city of international reputation. Built on Gold traces this story through historical themes and explores the economic, cultural and recreational aspects of the city’s life, then and now.

Victorian Archival Treasures brings history to life with the stories of Early Melbourne, Ned Kelly, Eureka and many others illustrated with original documents significant to Melbourne's cultural heritage.

Exhibitions and events

Melbourne: Foundations of a City

Permanent exhibition

From bucolic village to bustling metropolis in forty years – this exhibition, 'Melbourne: Foundations of a City' tells the story of the astonishing growth of Melbourne. Dramatic panoramic pictures...

Melbourne as National Captial

Permanent exhibition

Federation By 1900 all of the six self-governing colonies of Australia had resolved to join together to form a new nation. It would be called Australia. The new Commonwealth of Australia came into...