The Committee, lead by Treasurer Kevin Quigley, has undertaken a revision of the rules which govern the operation of the Melbourne Athenaeum, last revised and registered in 2007. Members will have an opportunity to raise any questions about these draft rules at the AGM, which will take place in the Library at 1pm on 17 April.

You can read an annotated version of these draft rules here.

You can view the current rules of the organisation here.

The Committee, lead by Treasurer Kevin Quigley, has undertaken a revision of the rules which govern the operation of the Melbourne Athenaeum, last revised and registered in 2007. Members will have an opportunity to raise any questions about these draft rules at the AGM, which will take place in the Library at 1pm on 17 April.

You can read an annotated version of these draft rules here.

You can view the current rules of the organisation here.

News and Events

Friday 6 October 2023
Affinity Quartet
The Affinity Quartet returns to the Athenaeum Library on 6 October for their second performance in the library this year. Affinity Quartet will be performing new repertoire that they been...read more
Friday 20 October 2023
La Descarga and the Electropical Orchestra
Step into the enchanting world of Gabriel García Márquez and experience the magic of his words come alive at our Sounds of Magic Realism event! Join us for a mesmerizing...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
Dissection / Jacinta Halloran
General Fiction
A hunger / Ross Raisin
General Fiction
Girl in a pink dress / Kylie Needham
General Fiction
Tiny uncertain miracles / Michelle Johnston
General Fiction
A country of eternal light / Paul Dalgarno
Crime Fiction
Benevolent society of ill-mannered ladies / Alison Goodman
Crime Fiction
Dangerous women / Hope Adams
Crime Fiction
Knife edge / Simon Mayo
Crime Fiction
Locked ward / Anne Buist
Crime Fiction
The case of the shoplifter's shoe / Erle Stanley Gardner
Non Fiction
Henry & Banjo / James Knight
Non Fiction
The nutmeg's curse : parables for a planet in crisis / Amitav Ghosh
Non Fiction
Cities of the classical world / Colin McEvedy
Non Fiction
Wifedom : Mrs Orwell's invisible life / Anna Funder
Non Fiction
Murli la : songs and stories of the Tiwi Islands / Ngarukuruwala Women's Group
Other Genres
The Order of the Pure Moon reflected in water / Zen Cho
Other Genres
Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief / Katrina Nannestad
Other Genres
Seventeen : last man standing / John Brownlow
Other Genres
New Australian fiction 2022 / edited by Suzy Garcia
Other Genres
Flashman in the great game / George Macdonald Fraser
Ebooks
Did I Ever Tell You This? / Sam Neill
Ebooks
A Perfect Vintage / Chelsea Fagan
Ebooks
Daisy Jones and the Six / Taylor Jenkins Reid
Ebooks
Ciao For Now / Kate Bromley
Ebooks
Homecoming / Kate Morton

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.
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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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