80-495: The Royal Exhibition Building is a UNESCO World Heritage -listed building in Melbourne , Victoria, Australia , built in 1879–1880 as part of the international exhibition movement, which presented over 50 exhibitions between 1851 and 1915 around the globe. The building sits on approximately 26 hectares (64 acres), is 150 metres (490 ft) long and is surrounded by four city streets. It is situated at 9 Nicholson Street in
160-557: A Great Hall of over 12,000 square metres, flanking lower annexes to the north on the east and west sides, and many temporary galleries between. In the 1880s, the building hosted two major International Exhibitions: The Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880 and the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition in 1888, celebrating a century of European settlement in Australia. The most significant event to occur in
240-417: A UNESCO report titled "World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate". The Australian government's actions, involving considerable expense for lobbying and visits for diplomats , were in response to their concern about the negative impact that an "at risk" label could have on tourism revenue at a previously designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2021, international scientists recommended UNESCO to put
320-499: A central feature of Melbourne life until it was closed in the 1920s for structural repairs, which unfortunately never eventuated. After being closed for nearly a century, the Dome Promenade was officially reopened on 28 October 2022, as part of the $ 20 Million heritage restoration works to the building. The first tour of the reopened Dome Promenade, available to the public ran on the 29th October 2022. Museums Victoria are
400-543: A design to Bowen for a national ensign for New Zealand . His proposal, incorporating the Southern Cross , was approved and remains in use to this day. In 1871, he visited Milford Sound aboard HMS Clio and Bowen Falls was named after his wife to mark the occasion. In March 1873, Bowen was transferred to the colony of Victoria as the Governor of Victoria , where he embarked on an endeavour to reduce
480-488: A minor boundary change, one that does not have a significant impact on the extent of the property or affect its "outstanding universal value", is also evaluated by the advisory bodies before being sent to the committee. Such proposals can be rejected by either the advisory bodies or the Committee if they judge it to be a significant change instead of a minor one. Proposals to change a site's official name are sent directly to
560-553: A plaque which commemorated both the opening of the new mirror-glass "Centennial Hall", and the centenary of the building. She also unveiled a second plaque commemorating the bestowal of the title "Royal" on the building by Her Majesty the Queen. Following the outcry over the ballroom demolition, and the appointment of new Trustees and a new Chair in 1983, the heritage of the building began to be seen as important as providing modern space for exhibitions. The first conservation assessment of
640-756: A remarkable accomplishment of humankind and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet, or it might be a place of great natural beauty. As of July 2024, a total of 1,223 World Heritage Sites (952 cultural, 231 natural and 40 mixed cultural and natural properties) exist across 168 countries . With 60 selected areas, Italy is the country with the most sites, followed by China with 59, and Germany with 54. The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored, uncontrolled or unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence. Sites are demarcated by UNESCO as protected zones. The World Heritage Sites list
720-1000: A single text was eventually agreed upon by all parties, and the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972. The convention came into force on 17 December 1975. As of November 2024, it has been ratified by 196 states: 192 UN member states , two UN observer states (the Holy See and the State of Palestine ), and two states in free association with New Zealand (the Cook Islands and Niue ). Only one UN member state, Liechtenstein , has not ratified
800-661: A student, both in 1844. In 1846 Bowen had some naval training, serving for sixteen days on HMS Victory . In 1847, Bowen was appointed president of the Ionian Academy located in Corfu , a post he held until 1851. Bowen became the chief secretary to the government of the Ionian Islands in 1854. While in that post, he married the Contessa Diamantina di Roma on 28 April 1856. Diamantina
880-585: Is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee , composed of 21 "states parties" that are elected by the United Nations General Assembly , and advised by reviews of international panels of experts in natural or cultural history, and education. The Program catalogues, names, and conserves sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to
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#1732801472683960-608: Is the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre , which is in Southbank to the south of the Melbourne central business district. World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritage around
1040-691: The Carlton Gardens , flanked by Victoria, Carlton and Rathdowne Streets, at the north-eastern edge of the central business district . It was built to host the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880–81, and then hosted the even larger Centennial International Exhibition in 1888. It was then chosen as the site for the Federation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901 . The building is representative of
1120-550: The Colonial Office , Bowen consented to premier Graham Berry 's plan to break the deadlock by the wholesale dismissal of public servants on so-called " Black Wednesday ". In May that year, Bowen said that "my reluctant consent, purely on constitutional grounds, to these dismissals ... has damaged my further reputation and my career to a degree that I shall never recover. It will never be forgotten either in England or in
1200-799: The Governor-General , announced the winners of a competition to design the Australian National Flag . A large flag, 5.5 metres by 11 metres, was unfurled and flown over the dome of the Royal Exhibition Building. In 1902, the building hosted the Australian Federal International Exhibition and in 1907 the Australian Exhibition of Women's Work . During the 1919 Spanish flu epidemic , the building
1280-739: The Hong Kong Observatory , which also served as the meteorological institute of the territory. He founded the first college in Hong Kong, and ordered the construction of the Typhoon Shelter in Causeway Bay , and a government hospital. He retired in 1887, due to ill health. Bowen returned to England after his time in Hong Kong and was appointed chief of a Royal Commission sent to Malta in December 1887 to help to draft
1360-603: The Letters Patent and the accompanying Order-in-Council that are Queensland's primary founding documents on 6 June 1859. The Letters Patent specifically appointed Sir George Ferguson Bowen as Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of Queensland, endowing him with the legal authority to oversee the installation of self-government by and for the citizens of the colony. This document was #1 in the 'Top 150: Documenting Queensland' exhibition when it toured to venues around Queensland from February 2009 to April 2010. The exhibition
1440-725: The Provisional Parliament House in Canberra in 1927. Mitchell was a member of the Council of the Royal Agricultural society and also the Builders and Contractor's association. The foundation stone was laid by Victorian governor George Bowen on 19 February 1879 and it was completed in just 18 months, opening on October 1, 1880, as the Melbourne International Exhibition . The building consisted of
1520-796: The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. Under the World Heritage Committee, signatory countries are required to produce and submit periodic data reporting providing the committee with an overview of each participating nation's implementation of the World Heritage Convention and a "snapshot" of current conditions at World Heritage properties. Based on the draft convention that UNESCO had initiated,
1600-609: The 1990s and in 2004 became the first building in Australia to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, being one of the last remaining major 19th-century exhibition buildings in the world. It is the world's most complete surviving site from the International Exhibition movement 1851–1914. It sits adjacent to the Melbourne Museum and is the largest item in Museum Victoria's collection. Today,
1680-530: The Centenary of that event specifically, and the Centenary of Federation more generally. The joint sitting was addressed by the Governor-General, Sir William Deane . A painting by artist Robert Hannaford was commissioned to capture this 2001 event, with his artwork echoing Tom Roberts' Big Picture that captured the 1901 opening. On 1 July 2004, the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
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#17328014726831760-456: The Colony ". However several others, including Hugh Childers and William Ewart Gladstone , approved of Bowen's actions, and he was appointed to subsequent vice-regal posts. Bowen arrived on Mauritius on 4 April 1879, and served as 13th Governor of the colony until 9 December 1880. On 30 March 1883, Bowen was made Governor of Hong Kong . During his tenure, his administration established
1840-772: The Exhibition Building was the opening of the first Parliament of Australia on 9 May 1901, following the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January. After the official opening, the Federal Parliament moved to the Victorian State Parliament House , while the Victorian Parliament moved to the Exhibition Building for the next 26 years. On 3 September 1901, the Countess of Hopetoun , wife of
1920-707: The Great Barrier Reef on the endangered list, as global climate change had caused a further negative state of the corals and water quality. Again, the Australian government campaigned against this, and in July 2021, the World Heritage Committee , made up of diplomatic representatives of 21 countries, ignored UNESCO's assessment, based on studies of scientists, "that the reef was clearly in danger from climate change and so should be placed on
2000-1038: The List of World Heritage in Danger and the World Heritage List. Only three sites have ever been delisted : the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman, the Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany, and the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City in the United Kingdom. The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was directly delisted in 2007, instead of first being put on the danger list, after the Omani government decided to reduce
2080-708: The Royal Exhibition Building from 1988 to 2014. The location of the Melbourne Museum close to the Exhibition Building site was strongly opposed by the Victorian State Labor Party , the Melbourne City Council and some in the local community. Due to the community campaign opposing the museum development, John Brumby , then State opposition leader, with the support of the Melbourne City Council, proposed
2160-627: The South Atlantic, is part of the Europe and North America region because the British government nominated the site. The table below includes a breakdown of the sites according to these regions and their classification as of July 2024 : This overview lists the 23 countries with 15 or more World Heritage Sites: George Bowen Sir George Ferguson Bowen GCMG PC ( Chinese : 寶雲 ; 2 November 1821 – 21 February 1899),
2240-501: The Victorian Certificate of Education examinations, among its various other purposes. The western annexe was demolished in the 1970s. The last remaining original annex, the grand ballroom, was demolished amid controversy in 1979. It was replaced with a new building on the same footprint providing more exhibition space, clad in mirror glass, in 1980. On 1 October 1980 during a visit to Victoria, Princess Alexandra unveiled
2320-609: The World Heritage Committee for new designations. The Committee meets once a year to determine which nominated properties to add to the World Heritage List; sometimes it defers its decision or requests more information from the country that nominated the site. There are ten selection criteria – a site must meet at least one to be included on the list. Until 2004, there were six sets of criteria for cultural heritage and four for natural heritage. In 2005, UNESCO modified these and now has one set of ten criteria. Nominated sites must be of "outstanding universal value" and must meet at least one of
2400-998: The World Heritage Fund to facilitate its conservation under certain conditions. UNESCO reckons the restorations of the following four sites among its success stories: Angkor in Cambodia, the Old City of Dubrovnik in Croatia, the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Kraków in Poland, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania. Additionally, the local population around a site may benefit from significantly increased tourism revenue. When there are significant interactions between people and
2480-501: The awards, because World Heritage listing can significantly increase tourism returns. Site listing bids are often lengthy and costly, putting poorer countries at a disadvantage. Eritrea 's efforts to promote Asmara are one example. In 2016, the Australian government was reported to have successfully lobbied for the World Heritage Site Great Barrier Reef conservation efforts to be removed from
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2560-623: The building hosts various exhibitions and other events and is closely tied with events at the Melbourne Museum. The Royal Exhibition Building was designed by the architect Joseph Reed of Reed and Barnes architecture, who also designed the Melbourne Town Hall , the State Library of Victoria , and the Baroque style gardens. The Royal Exhibition Building was the largest design completed by Reed and Barnes. According to Reed,
2640-459: The building was undertaken by Alan Willingham in 1987, and over the following decades the Great hall was progressively renovated and restored. In 1996, the then Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett , proposed the location and construction of Melbourne's State Museum in the carpark to the north, which involved the demolition of the 1960s annexes in 1997–98. The biennial Melbourne Art Fair took place at
2720-522: The buildings age, heritage experts suggest further restoration works to the building are needed, both internally and externally. The works are predicted to cost around 50 million dollars. As of September 2024, no further funding has been allocated by the Australian Government or Victorian Government. The Dome Promenade at the Royal Exhibition Building has a rich history as one of Melbourne’s most iconic tourist attractions. During
2800-504: The commitment of countries and local population to World Heritage conservation in various ways, providing emergency assistance for sites in danger, offering technical assistance and professional training, and supporting States Parties' public awareness-building activities. Being listed as a World Heritage Site can positively affect the site, its environment, and interactions between them. A listed site gains international recognition and legal protection, and can obtain funds from, among others,
2880-454: The committee. A site may be added to the List of World Heritage in Danger if conditions threaten the characteristics for which the landmark or area was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Such problems may involve armed conflict and war, natural disasters, pollution, poaching, or uncontrolled urbanisation or human development. This danger list is intended to increase international awareness of
2960-417: The common culture and heritage of humankind. The programme began with the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage , which was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972. Since then, 196 states have ratified the convention, making it one of the most widely recognised international agreements and the world's most popular cultural programme. In 1954,
3040-412: The convention. By assigning places as World Heritage Sites, UNESCO wants to help preserve them for future generations. Its motivation is that "heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today" and that both cultural and natural heritage are "irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration". UNESCO's mission with respect to World Heritage consists of eight sub targets. These include encouraging
3120-534: The crossing, windows in the drum of the dome bring in sunlight for a bright open space. The interior is painted in the colour scheme of 1901, with murals and the words "Victoria Welcomes All Nations" under the dome surviving from 1888. In 1888, electric lighting was installed for the Centennial International Exhibition, making it one of the first in the world that was accessible during night time. The interior decorations changed between
3200-401: The custodians of the Royal Exhibition Building. Daily tours of the Dome Promenade can be booked on their website or at Melbourne Museum. The Royal Exhibition Building is used to this day as an exhibition venue for various festivals and fairs such as Melbourne Fashion Festival , Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and Brickvention . During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, the building
3280-401: The eclectic design was inspired by many sources. Composed of brick, timber, steel, and slate, the Exhibition Building is representative of the Byzantine, Romanesque, Lombardic and Italian Renaissance styles. The dome was modeled on the Florence Cathedral , while the main pavilions were influenced by the style of Rundbogenstil and several buildings from Normandy, Caen and Paris. The building has
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3360-452: The endangered monuments and sites. In 1960, the Director-General of UNESCO launched the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia . This resulted in the excavation and recording of hundreds of sites, the recovery of thousands of objects, as well as the salvage and relocation to higher ground of several important temples. The most famous of these are the temple complexes of Abu Simbel and Philae . The campaign ended in 1980 and
3440-507: The expenses of the colony. A political crisis occurred while Bowen took leave in England from January 1875 to January 1876, when the acting governor, Sir William Stawell , showed "too little flexibility in the exercise of his temporary powers". One of the main issues was the perennial conflict between the Victorian Legislative Council and the Victorian Legislative Assembly ; the Council was blocking legislation for its reform and for payment of members . In January 1878, backed by advice from
3520-423: The facade underwent conservation works. Internally, renovations included restoring the timber flooring and some old staircases, which were replaced by much safer stairs made from concrete and steel. The basement also underwent restoration works and has now been turned into a curatorial exhibition space with various items on display telling the history of the Royal Exhibition Building and Melbourne. Due to
3600-451: The financial wealth and pride that the city of Melbourne and state of Victoria had in the 1870s. Throughout the 20th century smaller sections and wings of the building were subject to demolition and fire; however, the main building, known as the Great Hall, survived. On the 1st October 1980, it was announced that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had conferred the title of "Royal" to the Exhibition Building. It received restoration throughout
3680-497: The former German Garden of the Western Forecourt. The area had been covered by asphalt in the 1950s for car parking. In 2018, The Australian Government granted $ 20 million for heritage restoration works to protect and promote the Royal Exhibition Building. The Australian Department of Environment and Energy, along with Heritage Victoria , Creative Victoria and Museums Victoria oversaw the various internal and external projects that were all completed by 2022. Externally, sections of
3760-409: The government of Egypt decided to build the new Aswan High Dam , whose resulting future reservoir would eventually inundate a large stretch of the Nile valley containing cultural treasures of ancient Egypt and ancient Nubia . In 1959, the governments of Egypt and Sudan requested the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to assist them to protect and rescue
3840-909: The last two decades. These activities endanger Natural World Heritage Sites and could compromise their unique values. Of the Natural World Heritage Sites that contain forest, 91% experienced some loss since 2000. Many of them are more threatened than previously thought and require immediate conservation action. The destruction of cultural assets and identity-establishing sites is one of the primary goals of modern asymmetrical warfare. Terrorists, rebels, and mercenary armies deliberately smash archaeological sites, sacred and secular monuments and loot libraries, archives and museums. The UN, United Nations peacekeeping and UNESCO in cooperation with Blue Shield International are active in preventing such acts. "No strike lists" are also created to protect cultural assets from air strikes. The founding president of Blue Shield International Karl von Habsburg summed it up with
3920-409: The late 1800s, it was the go-to spot for visitors seeking panoramic views of the growing city and its new suburbs as there were very few other tall buildings to block the sweeping vistas in all directions. The promenade was particularly popular during the Melbourne International Exhibitions of 1880 and 1888. For the 1888 Exhibition, over 100,000 people paid to enjoy the views. The promenade remained
4000-411: The list." According to environmental protection groups, this "decision was a victory for cynical lobbying and [...] Australia, as custodians of the world's biggest coral reef, was now on probation." Several listed locations, such as Casco Viejo in Panama and Hội An in Vietnam , have struggled to strike a balance between the economic benefits of catering to greatly increased visitor numbers after
4080-722: The local level which can result in the site being damaged. Rock art under world heritage protection at the Tadrart Acacus in Libya have occasionally been intentionally destroyed. Chalcraft links this destruction to Libyan national authorities prioritizing World Heritage status over local sensibilities by limiting access to the sites without consulting with the local population. UNESCO has also been criticized for alleged geographic bias, racism , and colourism in world heritage inscription. A major chunk of all world heritage inscriptions are located in regions whose populations generally have lighter skin, including Europe, East Asia, and North America. The World Heritage Committee has divided
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#17328014726834160-518: The natural environment, these can be recognised as "cultural landscapes". A country must first identify its significant cultural and natural sites in a document known as the Tentative List. Next, it can place sites selected from that list into a Nomination File, which is evaluated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation Union . A country may not nominate sites that have not been first included on its Tentative List. The two international bodies make recommendations to
4240-471: The new constitution for the island. All recommendations made by the commission were adopted. Afterwards, Bowen was sworn into the Privy Council . Bowen was married twice. His first wife was Contessa Diamantina di Roma , only daughter of Count Candiano di Roma. They had the following children: Diamantina died in London in 1893 at about the age of 60. George married his second wife, Letitia Florence White, in late 1896 at Chelsea, London . Florence
4320-451: The nomination of the Royal Exhibition Building for world heritage listing. The world heritage nomination did not progress until the election of the Victorian State Labor Party as the new government in 1999. On 9 May 2001, the Royal Exhibition Building hosted a special joint sitting of the Australian Parliament. This was held in the same site as the opening of the first Parliament of Australia exactly 100 years earlier. This event commemorated
4400-416: The protected area's size by 90%. The Dresden Elbe Valley was first placed on the danger list in 2006 when the World Heritage Committee decided that plans to construct the Waldschlösschen Bridge would significantly alter the valley's landscape. In response, the Dresden City Council attempted to stop the bridge's construction. However, after several court decisions allowed the building of the bridge to proceed,
4480-467: The recognition and preserving the original culture and local communities. Another criticism is that there is a homogeneity to these sites, which contain similar styles, visitor centres , etc., meaning that a lot of the individuality of these sites has been removed to become more attractive to tourists. Anthropologist Jasper Chalcraft said that World Heritage recognition often ignores contemporary local usage of certain sites. This leads to conflicts on
4560-415: The scale of the French Beaux Arts , with a cruciform plan in the shape of a Latin cross, with long nave-like wings symmetrically placed east–west about the central dome, and a shorter wing to the north. The Great Hall is still in beautiful condition, crowned by an octagonal drum and dome rising 68 metres, and 18.3 metres across. The dome was formed using cast iron and timber frame and has a double shell. At
4640-416: The ten criteria. A country may request to extend or reduce the boundaries, modify the official name, or change the selection criteria of one of its already listed sites. Any proposal for a significant boundary change or to modify the site's selection criteria must be submitted as if it were a new nomination, including first placing it on the Tentative List and then onto the Nomination File. A request for
4720-405: The threats and to encourage counteractive measures. Threats to a site can be either proven imminent threats or potential dangers that could have adverse effects on a site. The state of conservation for each site on the danger list is reviewed yearly; after this, the Committee may request additional measures, delete the property from the list if the threats have ceased or consider deletion from both
4800-413: The two exhibitions of 1880 and 1888. In 1880, the walls were left bare and windows and door joinery coloured green. In 1888, walls were painted for the first time. The decoration was by interior designer John Ross Anderson. It was built by David Mitchell , who also built Scots' Church and St Patrick's Cathedral . He was also the father of the famed soprano Dame Nellie Melba , who sang at the opening of
4880-558: The valley was removed from the World Heritage List in 2009. Liverpool 's World Heritage status was revoked in July 2021, following developments ( Liverpool Waters and Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium ) on the northern docks of the World Heritage site leading to the "irreversible loss of attributes" on the site. The first global assessment to quantitatively measure threats to Natural World Heritage Sites found that 63% of sites have been damaged by increasing human pressures including encroaching roads, agriculture infrastructure and settlements over
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#17328014726834960-436: The words: "Without the local community and without the local participants, that would be completely impossible". The UNESCO-administered project has attracted criticism. This was caused by perceived under-representation of heritage sites outside Europe, disputed decisions on site selection and adverse impact of mass tourism on sites unable to manage rapid growth in visitor numbers. A large lobbying industry has grown around
5040-526: The work of the World Heritage Committee was developed over a seven-year period (1965–1972). The United States initiated the idea of safeguarding places of high cultural or natural importance. A White House conference in 1965 called for a "World Heritage Trust" to preserve "the world's superb natural and scenic areas and historic sites for the present and the future of the entire world citizenry". The International Union for Conservation of Nature developed similar proposals in 1968, which were presented in 1972 at
5120-599: The world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity". To be selected, a World Heritage Site is nominated by its host country and determined by the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee to be a unique landmark which is geographically and historically identifiable, having a special cultural or physical significance, and to be under a sufficient system of legal protection. For example, World Heritage Sites might be ancient ruins or historical structures, buildings, cities, deserts, forests, islands, lakes, monuments, mountains or wilderness areas. A World Heritage Site may signify
5200-459: The world into five geographic regions: Africa, Arab states, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Russia and the Caucasus states are classified as European, while Mexico and the Caribbean are classified as belonging to the Latin America and the Caribbean region. The UNESCO geographic regions also give greater emphasis on administrative, rather than geographic associations. Hence, Gough Island , located in
5280-428: Was The V. Rev. Edward Bowen , Church of Ireland Dean of Raphoe from 1882 onwards. Bowen was educated at Charterhouse School and Trinity College, Oxford . He matriculated at Oxford in 1840, and graduated with a first-class B.A. in classics in 1844 (promoted to M.A. in 1847). Bowen was twice President of the Oxford Union . He was elected a fellow of Brasenose College, Oxford , and entered Lincoln's Inn as
5360-461: Was a venue for the 1956 Summer Olympics , hosting the basketball , weightlifting , wrestling , and the fencing part of the modern pentathlon competitions. During the 1940s and 1950s, the building remained a venue for regular weekly dances. Over some decades of this period it also held boat shows, car shows and other regular home and building industry shows. It was also used during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s for State High School Matriculation and for
5440-417: Was an Irish author and colonial administrator whose appointments included postings to the Ionian Islands , Queensland , New Zealand, Victoria , Mauritius and Hong Kong . Bowen was born the eldest son of the Rev. Edward Bowen (1779–1867), Church of Ireland Rector of Taughboyne , a parish in the Laggan district in the east of County Donegal in the north-west of Ulster . It is likely that Bowen
5520-438: Was appointed the first Governor of Queensland , a colony that had just been separated from New South Wales . Sworn in on 10 December 1859, Bowen served until 1868. Bowen's influence in Queensland was greater than that of the governors in other Australian colonies in a large part due to Robert Herbert , who accompanied Bowen from England, and later became colonial secretary and then first Premier of Queensland in 1860–66. Bowen
5600-438: Was born and raised at Bogay House, just outside the village of Newtown Cunningham , at what was then the northern end of the Church of Ireland Parish of Taughboyne. Bogay (pronounced 'Bo-gay') House had been built c. 1730, possibly for The 6th Earl of Abercorn , and was later used as the Church of Ireland rectory for Taughboyne in the late eighteenth century and for most of the nineteenth century. One of Bowen's brothers
5680-449: Was collected from 50 countries. The project's success led to other safeguarding campaigns, such as saving Venice and its lagoon in Italy, the ruins of Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan, and the Borobodur Temple Compounds in Indonesia. Together with the International Council on Monuments and Sites , UNESCO then initiated a draft convention to protect cultural heritage. The convention (the signed document of international agreement ) guiding
5760-973: Was considered a success. To thank countries which especially contributed to the campaign's success, Egypt donated four temples; the Temple of Dendur was moved to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City , the Temple of Debod to the Parque del Oeste in Madrid , the Temple of Taffeh to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden , and the Temple of Ellesyia to Museo Egizio in Turin . The project cost US$ 80 million (equivalent to $ 295.83 million in 2023), about $ 40 million of which
5840-412: Was granted listing as a World Heritage Site , the first building in Australia to be granted this status. The heritage listing states that "The Royal Exhibition Building is the only major extant nineteenth-century exhibition building in Australia. It is one of the few major nineteenth-century exhibition buildings to survive worldwide." In October 2009, Museum Victoria embarked upon a major project to restore
5920-482: Was interested in the exploration of Queensland and in the establishment of a volunteer force, but incurred some unpopularity by refusing to sanction the issue of inconvertible paper money during the financial crisis of 1866. But overall, he was quite popular in Queensland, so that the citizens requested an extension of his five-year term as governor, resulting in his staying for further two years. In 1867 Bowen
6000-737: Was made Governor of New Zealand , where he was successful in reconciling the Māori reaction to British rule and saw the end of the New Zealand Wars . Bowen also instituted the New Zealand Cross for colonial soldiers, one of the rarest bravery awards in the world and equivalent to the Victoria Cross (he was reprimanded for exceeding his authority, but it was upheld by Queen Victoria herself). In 1869, Albert Hastings Markham , first lieutenant of HMS Blanche submitted
6080-413: Was part of Queensland State Archives ' events and exhibition program which contributed to the state's Q150 celebrations, marking the 150th anniversary of the separation of Queensland from New South Wales. His wife Diamantina appears to have been more popular than George in Queensland, as there are many Queensland places named after her. Several objects connected to Bowen are held in the collections of
6160-642: Was the daughter of Conte Giorgio-Candiano Roma and his wife Contessa Orsola, née di Balsamo. The Roma family were local aristocracy; her father being the President of the Ionian Senate, titular head of the Islands, from 1850 to 1856. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1855 and was advanced to Knight Commander (KCMG) in the following year. In 1859, Bowen
6240-633: Was the daughter of Thomas Luby, a mathematician, and was the widow of Henry White, whom she had married in 1878. George Ferguson Bowen died on 21 February 1899 in Brighton in Sussex, aged 77 years old. He died from bronchitis after a short illness of two days. He was buried on 25 February 1899 in Kensal Green cemetery in London. The following were named after George Bowen: Queen Victoria issued
6320-480: Was used as a mass vaccination centre, operated by St Vincent's Hospital. The Royal Exhibition Building is used as an exam hall for the University of Melbourne , Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology , Melbourne High School , Nossal High School , Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and Suzanne Cory High School . The building is no longer Melbourne's largest commercial exhibition centre. The modern alternative
6400-455: Was used as an influenza hospital. As it decayed, it became known derogatively by locals as The White Elephant in the 1940s and by the 1950s, like many buildings in Melbourne of that time it was earmarked for replacement by office blocks. In 1948, members of the Melbourne City Council put this to the vote and it was narrowly decided not to demolish the building. The wing of the building which once housed Melbourne Aquarium burnt down in 1953. It
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