Summary

Black & white photograph of a plaque unveiled on 26 February 1985 by the Hon. Race Matthews MLA, Minister for the Arts, commemorating the completion of the first stage of restoration of the Great Hall of the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, consisting of the replacement of timber flooring, provision of utility services in the form of basement service tunnels, and an upgrade of lighting. The work was undertaken as part of a ten-month restoration and maintenance program carried out across 1984-85, called 'Programme '84. Work commenced on 14 June 1984 and was largely completed in time for the International Motor Show that opened on 7 March 1985.

This is one of 959 photographs (or images) of the Exhibition Building collated by the Exhibition Trustees as a 10 volume pictorial history of the Exhibition Building spanning the years 1880 to 1985. The pictorial history was instigated by the centenary of the Exhibition Building in 1980 and forms part of a larger Royal Exhibition Building collection of documents, photographs, objects and research files.

Description of Content

Commemorative plaque unveiled by the Hon. Race Matthews MLA, Minister for the Arts, on the 26 February 1985 to commemorate the completition of the first stage of the Great Hall restoration plan, Royal Exhibition Building.

Physical Description

A black & white silver gelatin print on a page of a photograph album.

Significance

The Exhibition Trustees' album containing this photograph provides an invaluable visual record of past maintenance and restoration work undertaken on the Royal Exhibition Buildings prior to the building being recognised with a World Heritage Listing in 2004.

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