The Melbourne Athenaeum Library will be closed on Tuesday November 4 for the Melbourne Cup public holiday.

The library will be open regular hours on Monday November 3.

The Melbourne Athenaeum Library will be closed on Tuesday November 4 for the Melbourne Cup public holiday.

The library will be open regular hours on Monday November 3.

News and Events

Friday 10 October 2025
Music: Phil Manning and Mark Ferrie

BOOKING INFORMATION HERE

 

Phil Manning and Mark Ferrie both have long pedigrees in the Australian music industry. Phil is a founding member of legendary OzBlues band Chain, a solo performer and session musician....read more
Saturday 11 October 2025
Alissa Duke Draws in Books

BOOKING INFORMATION HERE

What happens to the books no-one wants? Join a talk by artist and librarian Alissa Duke who draws in books that are about to be discarded. Alissa draws an image...read more
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Library

A range of cultural activities are held in the beautiful surrounds of the subscription library.
The library holds a 30,000 strong collection and hosts regular music performances, talks, book and screen clubs, and artist and writer-in-residence programs. Members enjoy the historic atmosphere and quiet haven in a bustling city.

Browse the collection

New Acquisitions

General Fiction
Atmosphere / Taylor Jenkins Reid
General Fiction
My friends / Fredrik Backman
General Fiction
The passengers on the Hankyu Line / Hiro Arikawa
General Fiction
Foreign country / Marija Pericic
General Fiction
The Phoenix Pencil Company / Allison King
Crime Fiction
The book of secrets / Anna Mazzola
Crime Fiction
The palazzo / Kayte Nunn
Crime Fiction
Barren Cape / Michelle Prak
Crime Fiction
To the dogs / Louise Welsh
Crime Fiction
Melaleuca / Angie Faye Martin
Non Fiction
What artists see / Quentin Sprague
Non Fiction
Edda Mussolini / Caroline Moorehead
Non Fiction
Mud and stars / Sara Wheeler
Non Fiction
Cactus pear for my beloved / Samah Sabawi
Non Fiction
Vaccine nation / Raina MacIntyre
Other Genres
Antarctica / Claire Keegan
Other Genres
The colony / Daniel Pollock
Other Genres
The midnight dance / Nikki Katz
Other Genres
Kip of the Karoo / Emma Gourlay
Other Genres
The arrangement / Mary Balogh
Ebooks
Mother of Eden / Chris Beckett
Ebooks
In Praise of the Bees / Kristin Gleeson
Ebooks
Grave Intentions / RV Raman
Ebooks
The Village Hall Vendetta / Jonathan Whitelaw
Ebooks
A Trace of Hares / Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

About us

The Melbourne Athenaeum enriches Melbourne’s cultural and educational life by fostering public engagement with the arts and culture, and supporting creativity.
A Management Committee of volunteers is responsible for the organisation’s governance. Every member joining the Melbourne Athenaeum becomes a custodian of a rich part of the city’s living history.
history image
State Library Victoria, www.slv.vic.gov.au, Alfred Martin Ebsworth, June 29, 1885.

History

The story that unfolds here is about a unique organisation that continues to contribute to the city’s culture in a building first completed in 1842.
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