The transfer of the National Gallery of Victoria to its new home on St Kilda Road, in 1969, provided scope for the Institute of Applied Science to further expand its exhibition space, although the Queens Hall was handed back to the library. On 4th February 1971, further transformation occurred when the Board of Trustees was replaced by a managing Council, and the organisation was renamed as the Science Museum of Victoria, coming full circle to reflect the title of the London based institution that had been a major inspiration for its formation a century earlier.
Then in July 1983, the Science Museum merged with its senior affiliate, the National Museum of Victoria, to form the Museum of Victoria, creating Australia's largest and most diverse scientific and cultural organisation. Today the inheritance of these predecessors forms part of the museum's Society and Technology collections and curatorial programs.
Successive name changes to the organisation throughout its history were as follows:
- Industrial & Technological Museum, 8 Sep 1870 - 15 Mar 1945
- Museum of Applied Science of Victoria, 16 Mar 1945 - 22 Jan 1961
- Institute of Applied Science of Victoria, 23 Jan 1961 - 3 Feb 1971
- Science Museum of Victoria, 4 Feb 1971 - 30 Jun 1983
- Museum of Victoria, 1 Jul 1983 - 1998
- Museum Victoria, 1998 - 2016
- Museums Victoria, 2016 - present
References:
1. Rasmussen, C., A Museum for the People - A history of Museum Victoria and its predecessors, 1854-2000, Scribe Publications in association with Museum Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, 2001.
2. Treasures of the Museum, Victoria, Australia, Museum Victoria, 2004.
3. Perry, W., The Science Museum of Victoria: A History of its First Hundred Years, Science Museum of Victoria, Melbourne, 1972.
4. National Museums of Victoia Year Book, 1948, Trustees, Melbourne, Victoria, 1948.
5. Report of the Trustees of the Public Library, Museums and National Gallery of Victoria for 1870 to 1944 (Annual), Victorian Parliamentary Papers, Melbourne, Victoria, 1870-1945.
6. Museum of Applied Science of Victoria Annual Report, 1945 to 1951, The Trustees of the National Museums of Victoria, Melbourne, 1945-1951.
7. Museum of Applied Science of Victoria, Report of Activities, for the Year Ended 30th June 1952 to 1960 (Annual), The Trustees of the Museum of Applied Science of Victoria , Melbourne, 1952-1960.
8. Institute of Applied Science of Victoria, Report of Activities, for the Year Ended 30th June 1951 to 1969 (Annual), The Trustees of the Institute of Applied Science of Victoria , Melbourne, 1961-1969.
8. Science Museum of Victoria, Report of Activities, 1970 to 1983 (Annual), Council of the Science Museum of Victoria, Melbourne, 1970-1983.
9. Museum of Victoria Annual Report, 1983-84 to 1990-99, Council of the Museum of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, 1984-2000.
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Museum of Applied Science of Victoria, Museum History, Agricultural Science
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