State Library of New South Wales
The State Library of New South Wales, part of which is known as the Mitchell Library, is a large heritage-listed special collections, reference and research library open to the public and is one of the oldest libraries in Australia. Established in 1869 its collections date back to the Australian Subscription Library established in the colony of New South Wales (now a state of Australia) in 1826.[4] The library is located on the corner of Macquarie Street and Shakespeare Place, in the Sydney central business district adjacent to the Domain and the Royal Botanic Gardens, in the City of Sydney. The library is a member of the National and State Libraries Australia (NSLA) consortium.
For the library in Glasgow, Scotland, see Mitchell Library.State Library of New South Wales
Macquarie Street and 1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney central business district, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
1826
5 million items (5,000,000)
Since 1879[1]
A$91.7 million[2]
Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon
(State Librarian)[3]
1905–1910
- Walter Liberty Vernon;
- Assisted by H.C.L. Anderson
State Library of NSW; Mitchell Library
State heritage (built)
2 April 1999
1071
Library
Education
- Howie Bros (1939);
- FWC Powell & Sons (1959);
- Mellocco Bros (1964)
The Mitchell Wing of the State Library of New South Wales building was designed by Walter Liberty Vernon, assisted by H. C. L. Anderson and was built from 1905 to 1910, with further additions by Howie Bros in 1939; by FWC Powell & Sons in 1959; and by Mellocco Bros in 1964. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[5] Work began on the Macquarie Street Wing in 1983 and it was opened in 1988.
Free Public Library, 1877
Main reading room, Mitchell Building, 1943
Shakespeare Room, Mitchell Building, 1943
Library desk, Reading Room, Mitchell Building, 1943
Staff on Roof, Mitchell Building, 1943
Painting conservators, Mitchell Building, 1943
Book Conservators, Mitchell Building, 1943
Books for lending library, Mitchell Building, 1943
Boxing books for the Lending Library, Mitchell Building, 1943
Mitchell Librarian, Mitchell Building, 1943
Mitchell library 1907
Heritage listing[edit]
As of 21 March 2001, the public library of New South Wales houses a public facility initiated in 1869 and is one of the most important libraries in Australia. It was the second purpose-built library and the only remaining public library in Sydney dating from the early twentieth century. The building is still in use and has a lengthy association with several historically important persons such as Government Architect WL Vernon. It is significant for the prominent position it occupies at the termination of one of the most historically important streetscapes in Australia. The building is of aesthetic significance reflecting important stylistic influences on the architecture of the twentieth century. The library is a recognised symbol in Sydney and has had a long association with the provision of library services to the local and regional community of New South Wales. The development and interior layout of the progressive stages of the building reflect the changing attitudes to library planning theory. It is significant as one of the only Government buildings in the Federation Academic Classical styles. Only two of these are cultural buildings, the other being the Art Gallery of NSW.[5][112]
State Library of New South Wales building was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.[5]
The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales.
The Mitchell Wing has been in continuous use as a public library since its completion in 1907. The building is the second purpose-built library in Sydney, and the earliest remaining. The Mitchell Wing is specifically associated with a number of prominent Sydney residents who have acted as benefactors, librarians, architects and craftsmen on the building. The bequests of three people, namely Edward Wise, David Scott Mitchell and William Dixson formed the basis of the collections. The Mitchell Wing houses a unique collection of Australiana and reference material held in Trust by the State Library of New South Wales for the general public. The building is closely associated with the development of the NSW Government Architect's Office and particularly with the work of Walter Liberty Vernon, Richard McDonald Seymour Wells, Cobden Parkes and Edward Herbert Farmer.[5][112]
The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.
The building, as the repository of a unique collection of Australiana, is crucial to the community's sense of place. The importance of the building to the community is demonstrated in part by its completion in the early 1940s when other public works had been severely reduced by World War II. The inclusion of the Mitchell Wing on a number of Commonwealth, State and Local heritage registers indicates the value placed on the building by the community.[5][112]
The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
The original Mitchell Stack of steel and glass was regarded as highly innovative at the time of its construction. The two-storey stack area is now a unique example of a highly resolved design solution addressing structure, lighting and aesthetics. The building was the first public building in New South Wales, apart from hospitals, to have been fully air-conditioned.[5][112]
The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
The building is a rare example of the Academic Neo-Classical style used for public buildings in Sydney. It is also a rare building type within the state.[5][112]