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The Statues of the State Library

The State Library of Victoria is home to an abundance of art, many of which are statues. Lining the front lawn of the Library, you will find many items of interest, including this particular art form.

From the early 1860s to 1937, a pair of bronze lions lined the lawns of the State Library.

The statue of Sir Redmond Barry was made in 1887, by Percival Ball, and installed later on that year. Designed by James Gilbert, the statue was positioned to face directly towards Melbourne University. This was due to the fact that Redmond Barry not only founded the State Library, but also the University. Interestingly, the foundations for both buildings were laid down on the same day, on the 3rd of July, 1854. As the official founder of the Library, Redmond Barry believed in the people’s right to education, and when asked why he had built the University so far away from the Melbourne’s Public Library, he described plans of his own. Barry believed that Melbourne would grow to become one of Australia’s largest cities, and that transport would make traveling to and from these destinations realistically easy. As we know today, this turned out to be true, with many tram routes stopping at both destinations.

Another statue that remains at the Library to this day is Saint George and the Dragon. Designed by English sculptor Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, this statue was installed at the Library’s front lawn two years after the statue of Sir Redmond Barry, in 1889.

The third statue that is still intact at the Library is Jeanne d’Arc, who here in Australia, is more commonly known as Joan of Arc. Typically enough, his statue is the only female statue on display outside of the Library. However, unlike the other statues, it was not specially designed for the Library. Instead, this statue is a replica of a statue designed by French sculptor Emmanuel Fremiet, and was installed in 1907.

The recent statue of Charles La Trobe was designed by Australian sculptor Peter Corlett, and installed in 2006.

By Nicola

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