61-525: The Athenaeum or Melbourne Athenaeum at 188 Collins Street is an art and cultural hub in the central business district of Melbourne , Victoria , Australia. Founded in 1839, it is the city's oldest cultural institution. Its building on Collins Street in the East End Theatre District sits opposite the Regent Theatre , and currently consists of a main theatre, a smaller studio theatre,
122-470: A 30,000-strong collection and hosts regular events, talks, book clubs and a screen club. Collins Street, Melbourne Collins Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne , Victoria, Australia . It was laid out in the first survey of Melbourne, the original 1837 Hoddle Grid , and soon became the most desired address in the city. Collins Street was named after Lieutenant-Governor of Tasmania David Collins who led
183-1435: A first prize in architecture. When the building was demolished in 1935, the facade was transplanted to the University of Melbourne in Parkville to become the Commerce Building. It is now retained on the facade of the new building being constructed for the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. Collins Street is Melbourne's premier shopping street and retailers with flagship stores there include: Prada , Louis Vuitton , Moncler , Tiffany & Co , Bulgari , Giorgio Armani , Dior , Bottega Veneta , Saint Laurent , Balenciaga , Celine , TAG Heuer , Paspaley , Cartier , Gucci , Ermenegildo Zegna , Burberry , Bally , Max Mara , Hermès , Dolce & Gabbana , Christian Louboutin , Fendi , Jimmy Choo , Versace , Golden Goose , Berluti , Breitling , Fred , Chopard , Hugo Boss , Van Cleef & Arpels , Omega , Jaeger-LeCoultre , Georg Jensen , Rolex , Loewe , Longchamp , Aesop , Longines , Anthony Squires, Hardy Brothers , Jan Logan, Bremont , Montblanc , Miss Louise and Franck Muller . Major shopping centres include Collins Place , Block Arcade, Georges on Collins , 80 Collins, St Collins Lane , Collins 234 and Centreway. Two theatres,
244-528: A former film exhibitor. In 1980, further footage was found at a rubbish dump. The longest surviving single sequence, the scene at Younghusband's station, was found in the UK in 2006. In November 2006, the National Film and Sound Archive released a new digital restoration which incorporated the new material and recreated some scenes based on existing still photographs. The restoration is now 17 minutes long and includes
305-511: A group of settlers in establishing a short-lived settlement at Sorrento in 1803. The eastern end of Collins Street has been known colloquially as the ' Paris End' since the 1950s due to its numerous heritage buildings, old street trees, high-end shopping boutiques, and as the location for the first footpath cafes in the city. As with all main streets in the Melbourne city centre, the Hoddle Grid
366-506: A portrayal "justifies all Ned Kelly’s viciousness and villainies". The film was banned in "Kelly Country"—regional centres such as Benalla and Wangaratta —in April 1907, and in 1912 bushranger films were banned across New South Wales and Victoria . Despite the bans, the film toured Australia for over 20 years and was also shown in New Zealand, Ireland and Britain. When Queen's Royal Theatre
427-506: A posthumous exhibition mounted there after her premature death. 'Jock' Frater held his first solo show there in 1923, marking his break from the Tonalists. The gallery was much in demand and artists had to book a year in advance. It showed paintings by Rupert Bunny , Hans Heysen , Albert Namatjira , Tom Roberts , John Rowell, Ernest Buckmaster , Constance Stokes and Arthur Streeton , before closing in 1971. The gallery also hosted talks by
488-408: A restaurant and a subscription library . It has also served as a mechanics' institute, an art exhibition space, and a cinema. The Athenaeum is a restrained boom-style neoclassical three-storey building designed by architects Smith and Johnson with stuccoed facade with pilasters , label moulds , and bracketed cornice . It was completed in 1886 on the site of the original building of 1842, and
549-675: A sum of £285. The initial structure, a two-story brick building known as the Hall of Arts was completed in December 1842. The first President was Captain William Lonsdale , the first Patron was the Superintendent of Port Phillip, Charles La Trobe and the first books were donated by Vice-President Henry Fyshe Gisborne . Originally called the Melbourne Mechanics' Institute , it was renamed
610-551: A theatrical company, keen to cash in on the success of the original, or an earlier bushranger short. Australian bushranger Ned Kelly had been executed only twenty-six years before The Story of the Kelly Gang was made, and Ned's mother Ellen and younger brother Jim were still alive at the time of its release. The film was made during an era when plays about bushrangers were extremely popular, and there were, by one estimate, six contemporaneous theatre companies giving performances of
671-509: Is considerable uncertainty over who appeared in the film and a number of unsubstantiated claims have been made regarding participation. According to the Australian National Film and Sound Archive , the only actors positively identified are: Others thought to be in the film include: In her memoirs, Viola Tait claimed the part of Ned was played by a Canadian stunt actor, who deserted the project partway through. A 1944 article said
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#1732845335819732-417: Is exactly 99 feet wide which would allow for the installation of trams in 1885. Blocks further west centred around Queen Street became the financial heart of Melbourne in the 19th century, the preferred home of major banks and insurance companies, a tradition which continues today with the most prestigious office blocks and skyscrapers found along its length. As laid out by the surveyor Robert Hoddle , it
793-433: Is notable for being the last offshore investment owned by the people of Nauru. It was sold in 2004. Collins Street has been a popular stop over for local ghost tours, with a number of apparent sightings especially around the historical Docklands area. Yarra Trams routes 11 , 12 , 48 and 109 run down Collins Street through the city centre, mainly to terminuses in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, Port Melbourne and
854-468: Is regarded as the origin point of the bushranging drama, a genre that dominated the early years of Australian film production. Since its release, many other films have been made about the Kelly gang. As of 2020, approximately 17 minutes of the film are known to have survived, which, together with stills and other fragments, have undergone restoration for theatrical and home video releases. In 2007, The Story of
915-663: Is surmounted with a parapet with a niche housing a statue by Richard Kretzschmar of Minerva ( Athena , hence 'Athenaeum'), goddess of reason, wisdom, arts and literature. The building was added to the National Trust 's Register of Historic Buildings in 1981 and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register . In August 1840, the Melbourne Mechanics Institution acquired land spanning 110 feet along Collins Street and extending to Little Collins Street, for
976-563: The Athenaeum and Regent theatres, are both located on Collins Street. These theatres host Australian and international productions and live performances throughout the year. There are many hotels located on Collins Street, with major hotels including the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, The Grand Hyatt Melbourne, The Westin Melbourne, W Hotel Melbourne, Novotel Melbourne on Collins and
1037-1039: The Collins Street Baptist Church (1845), the St Michael's Uniting Church (1866) and the Scot's Presbyterian Church (1874). Significant commercial buildings include Alston's Corner (1914) by Nahum Barnet is an excellent surviving example of Edwardian architecture, while the Block Arcade by D.C Askew (1893) is an excellent example of high Victorian mannerist architecture. Towards the financial end are some great examples of high Victorian gothic architecture or "Cathedrals of Commerce". They include William Pitt's Venetian Gothic style Old Stock Exchange (1888), William Wardell 's Gothic Bank (1883) which features some of Melbourne's finest interiors and A.C Goode House designed by Wright, Reed & Beaver (1891). The old Commercial Bank of Australia Limited domed Chamber exists within
1098-577: The InterContinental Melbourne at Rialto. The Melbourne Club , a prestigious private social club established in the 19th century is located in renaissance revival style buildings designed by Leonard Terry and built in 1845. The Liberal Party of Australia 's Victorian division is located within Emirates House at 257 Collins Street. The Reserve Bank of Australia 's Victorian branch is located on Collins Street. Its 1960 buildings were once
1159-647: The Melbourne Society of Women Painters , including one in 1935 at which Mary Cecil Allen spoke. It was listed in 1948 as one of the key sites for the modernisation of Melbourne. Plans were prepared for a modern building including as new library and gallery, however the development did not proceed. Membership of the Athenaeum's subscription library peaked at 7,579 in 1950, after the State Library of Victoria ceased lending of its books in 1939. Membership reduced over
1220-548: The Salvation Army 's Limelight Department in Melbourne, one of the world's first film studios. The film was given a week of trial screenings in "Kelly Country" (north-eastern Victoria) in late 1906. This proved enormously successful and the movie recouped its budget for these screenings alone. Its Melbourne debut was made at the Athenaeum Hall on 26 December 1906. It ran for five weeks to full houses, local papers noting
1281-512: The state of Tasmania . At the western end of the street was Batman's Hill , named for the Tasmanian adventurer and grazier John Batman , who built a house at the base in April 1836, where he lived until his death in 1839. The first major street improvements were carried out in the mid-1850s, including bluestone curbs and gutters, and the introduction of gas lighting in 1855. The first street trees were elms , planted in 1875. A cable tram line
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#17328453358191342-570: The 19th-century Kelly gang of bushrangers and outlaws, led by Ned Kelly . The silent film was shot in and around Melbourne and originally ran for more than an hour with a reel length of about 1,200 metres (4,000 ft), making it the longest narrative film yet seen in the world. The film premiered at Melbourne's Athenaeum Hall on 26 December 1906 and was first shown in the United Kingdom in January 1908. A commercial and critical success, it
1403-500: The Block," or walking around in one's finest clothing to be seen, became a pastime for shoppers at the Block Arcade in the retail heart of Collins Street, between Elizabeth and Swanston Streets . During the 1950s and 1960s, the street became subject to extensive redevelopment and many historic buildings were demolished by Whelan the Wrecker , despite the efforts of the National Trust and
1464-526: The Docklands precinct. Collins Street is also served by Parliament railway station at its eastern end and Southern Cross railway station at its western end. [REDACTED] Media related to Collins Street, Melbourne at Wikimedia Commons The Story of the Kelly Gang The Story of the Kelly Gang is a 1906 Australian bushranger film directed by Charles Tait . It traces the exploits of
1525-517: The Kelly Gang was inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register for being the world's first full-length narrative feature film . Film historian Ina Bertrand suggests that the tone of The Story of the Kelly Gang is "one of sorrow, depicting Ned Kelly and his gang as the last of the bushrangers." Bertrand identifies several scenes that suggest considerable film-making sophistication on
1586-720: The Kelly gang story. Historian Ian Jones suggests bushranger stories still had an "indefinable appeal" for Australians in the early 20th century. Stephen Vagg wrote that "bushranger films are their own, uniquely Australian genre, deriving from local history and literary tradition rather than simply copying American tropes... Kelly Gang ... , was adapted from an Australian stage play, based on an Australian historical event, and featured many traditions and tropes that are grounded more in Australian than American literary traditions – miscarriage of justice, Protestant-Catholic sectarianism, class warfare, feisty "squatter’s daughters", etc." There
1647-471: The Kelly saga, one Adelaide critic wrote that it conveys "a far more vivid impression of the actual life and deeds of the Kellys than letterpress and stagecraft combined." Many groups at the time, including some politicians and the police, interpreted the film as a glorification of criminality. Scenes depicting the gang's chivalrous conduct towards women received criticism, with The Bulletin stating that such
1708-592: The Melbourne Mechanics' Institution and School of Arts in 1846. The Melbourne City Council met in the ground floor of the building until 1852 when the Melbourne Town Hall was built. The Institute received an annual grant of £150 from the government, and in 1854, an additional £5,000 was granted for construction of a new building, but from 1857, it had to rely on its own funds. By 1851, the membership count reached 488 individuals. Additionally, it served as
1769-550: The Save Collins Street group. While some examples of Boom Style architecture survive, the grandest examples were lost to the wrecker's ball. Of the major losses, the most significant were the large Victorian buildings including the Federal Coffee Palace , Colonial Mutual Life building, Robb's buildings, Queen Victoria Buildings, City of Melbourne Bank, Scott's Hotel, Melbourne Mansions and APA building. Many of
1830-482: The actors came from Cole's Dramatic Company . This article claims the Taits were not in the film. However, another article the following year from the same publication confirms the Taits' involvement. Shooting of the film reportedly involved a budget variously estimated between £400 (Gibson) and £1,000 (Tait) and took six months. While it is now commonly accepted that the Taits' experienced older brother Charles directed
1891-455: The art gallery. Officially established as The Athenaeum Art Gallery, it hosted the first exhibition of Frederick McCubbin 's The Pioneer in 1904. After WWI had reduced the frequency of shows, in 1919 and after a complete refurbishment, the Australian tonalists staged their first group exhibition there, one of whom, Clarice Beckett , held nine solo shows there between 1923 and 1932, with
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1952-472: The buildings destroyed in this era were documented by architectural photographer Mark Strizic and can be found in the archives of the State Library of Victoria . One of the most popular public art statues in Melbourne, Larry La Trobe created by artist Pamela Irving , faces Collins Street from the northern end of Melbourne City Square . Between 2003 and 2005, Collins Street was extended west beyond its previous termination at Spencer Street , starting with
2013-423: The early 1970s, identifies Charles as being chosen as director because of his theatrical experience. Her account confirmed that many of the extended Tait family and their friends appeared in scenes. Much of the film was shot at Charterisville , a property leased by Lizzie Tait's family as a dairy farm and artists' colony near Heidelberg , now a suburb of Melbourne. Other scenes in the film may have been shot in
2074-399: The entire film may have been like. According to the synopsis given in the surviving programme, the film originally comprised six sequences. These provided a loose narrative based on the Kelly gang story. Some confusion regarding the plot has emerged as a result of a variant poster dating from the time the film was re-released in 1910. The similar (but different) photos suggest that either
2135-451: The extraordinary popularity of the film. Although the country screenings had been silent, when the film was screened in Melbourne it was accompanied by live sound effects, including blank cartridges as gunshots and coconut shells beaten together to simulate hoofbeats. At later screenings a lecturer would also narrate the action. These additions were well received by the theatre critic for Melbourne Punch , who stated that they greatly enhance
2196-426: The film scenario is generally given to brothers Frank, John and sometimes Charles Tait . At a time when films were usually shorts of five to ten minutes duration, their inspiration for making a film of at least sixty minutes in length, and intended as a stand-alone feature, was undoubtedly based on the proven success of stage versions of the Kelly story. Film historians Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper have noted that at
2257-448: The film was being added to for its re-release, or an entirely new version was made by Johnson and Gibson, as the poster proclaims. In addition, a film fragment (" the Perth fragment ") exists, showing Aaron Sherritt being shot in front of an obviously painted canvas flat. This is now thought to be from a different film altogether, perhaps a cheap imitation of The Story of the Kelly Gang made by
2318-408: The film's realism. He went on to say: All the notable features of the story of the Kellys are reproduced, and with the dialogue make up a sensational and realistic series dealing with the murders, robberies and misdeeds which are not the air-created fancies of a penny-dreadful writer, but actual facts which are well within the memory of our citizens. Comparing the film to other artistic depictions of
2379-435: The film, only ten years after it was made, pioneer Australian director W. J. Lincoln claimed it was actually "directed by Mr Sam Crews [sic], who... worked without a scenario, and pieced the story together as he went along." Lincoln also claimed that "the principal characters were played by the promoters and their relatives, who certainly made no pretensions to any great histrionic talent." Viola Tait's memoirs, published in
2440-579: The film. The Story of the Kelly Gang was made by a consortium of two partnerships involved in theatre—entrepreneurs John Tait and Nevin Tait , and pioneering film exhibitors Millard Johnson and William Gibson . The Tait family owned the Melbourne Athenaeum Hall and part of their concert program often included short films. Melbourne film exhibitors Johnson and Gibson also had technical experience, including developing film stock. Credit for writing
2501-615: The first in Australia however, as a cinematograph was being demonstrated at the Melbourne Opera House in August. On 26 January 1901 Life in Our Navy , a 60,000 foot film of life on HMS Jupiter , was shown by G. H. Snazelle , who provided additional entertainment. The Hall became a regular venue for screening films and the premiere of The Story of the Kelly Gang by the Tait brothers,
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2562-542: The headquarters for the First Church of Christ, Scientist . Construction on the new building began in 1855, but only the front portion was finished. The rear hall, intended to be designed by Charles Webb , was deferred until 1871 and ultimately completed in 1872. Alfred Smith served as the architect, while Turnbull and Dick were the builders. The Institution changed its name to the Melbourne Athenaeum in 1872 During
2623-496: The key scene of Kelly's last stand and capture . In director Warwick Thornton 's 2017 film Sweet Country , a "travelling picture show" in 1920s Northern Territory shows The Story of the Kelly Gang to residents of an outback town, who cheer for the bushranger. The film's protagonist, an Aboriginal outlaw, is also named Kelly, but vilified and hunted by the same townspeople. According to The Australian , Thornton, an Aboriginal, "has little time" for depictions of Ned Kelly as
2684-596: The large audiences attracted to Charles McMahon 's stage play The Kelly Gang . Film historian Eric Reade claimed the Taits themselves owned the stage rights to a Kelly play, while actors Sam Crewes and John Forde later also claimed to have thought of the idea of a making a film of the Kelly Gang's exploits, inspired by the success of stage plays. The Story of the Kelly Gang was not the first bushranger film. Two shorts were produced in 1904: The Bushranger and Joseph Perry 's Bushranging in North Queensland , made by
2745-450: The national office for the bank. Australian financial services group Macquarie are located within the luxury 80 Collins precinct. Similarly, most global financial institutions with a presence in Melbourne, such as Goldman Sachs and Lazard , have their headquarters located on Collins Street. The majority are located within the prestigious 101 Collins Street, contributing to the reputation that Collins Street enjoys to this day. Nauru House
2806-579: The opening of the bridge over Southern Cross station and Wurundjeri Way on 18 December 2002, with the street ending outside the new ANZ and Myer headquarters further in the Docklands development. It has since been extended further west to create an intersection between Bourke Street and Collins Streets, two of Melbourne's most important streets. As Melbourne's commercial and former shopping centre, Collins Street possesses some of Melbourne's best examples of Victorian architecture . Large churches include
2867-413: The part of the Taits. One is the composition of a scene of police shooting parrots in the bush. The second is the capture of Ned, shot from the viewpoint of the police, as he advances. A copy of the programme booklet has survived, containing a synopsis of the film, in six 'scenes'. The latter provided audiences with the sort of information later provided by intertitles , and can help historians imagine what
2928-414: The period when its own church was being reconstructed, Scots Church utilized the premises as its temporary location. Among the office bearers of the institution in the nineteenth century was the author Marcus Clarke who was the chairman of the library committee in 1877. As now, a focal point was the library and by 1877, membership was 1,681 and in 1879 there were 30,000 visits to the library. In 1880 it
2989-528: The post modern 333 Collins Street tower. It was designed by Lloyd Tayler and Alfred Dunn and built in 1891. Some of Australia's tallest buildings are along Collins Street, including the Rialto Towers , Collins Place towers 1 & 2, Nauru House , 120 Collins Street and 101 Collins Street and ANZ World Headquarters (at 380 Collins Street, which is integrated into the old Stock Exchange and Gothic Bank). The 1929 built Francis House at 107 Collins Street,
3050-562: The subsequent decades to 1,600 by the mid-1980s, and 750 by the late 2000s. Membership is now increasing. Today, the Athenaeum Theatre is used for theatre, comedy and music performances, including as a principal venue for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Melbourne Opera . The Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas presents discussions and talks at the theatre. The subscription library has
3111-420: The suburbs of St Kilda (indoor scenes), and possibly Eltham , Greensborough , Mitcham , and Rosanna . The Victoria Railways Department assisted by providing a train. Costumes were possibly borrowed from E. I. Cole 's Bohemian Company, and members of the troupe may have also performed in the film. According to Viola Tait, Sir Rupert Clarke loaned the suit of Kelly armour his family then owned for use in
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#17328453358193172-496: The theatre was mainly used as a cinema. The Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC) leased the theatre from 1976 to 1985 when the lease was taken over by various entrepreneurs who formed AT Management in 1997. The upstairs studio theatre ("Ath 2"), created from the former art gallery by the MTC, has been used as a theatre space and the venue for The Last Laugh Comedy Club after it moved from North Melbourne . Artist Jo Sweatman recalled that it
3233-425: The time, the filmmakers were unaware of the historical importance of the film they were making, and only much later "poured forth their memories." Unfortunately, "with the passage of time and the desire to make a good story of it" they "created a maze of contradictory information." For example, in later years, William Gibson claimed that while touring through New Zealand showing the bio-pic Living London , he noticed
3294-514: The world's first dramatic feature film, was at the Athenaeum in 1906. The theatre in its present form, a proscenium arch theatre with 880 seats on three levels, was created in 1924, designed by Henry Eli White . Renamed the Athenaeum Theatre , it was one of the first venues in Australia to screen talking pictures, presenting The Jazz Singer in February 1929. From the 1920s to the early 1970s,
3355-442: Was Frederick McCubbin 's wife Annie who first proposed the Athenaeum as a possible art gallery. In 1910 Walter Withers , Bernard Hall , Frederick McCubbin and John Mather approached Athenaeum secretary Reginald W.E. Wilmot to discuss its potential as a venue for exhibitions. Consequently the upper hall, previously used as a small museum, was installed with a lantern on the roof by architects Sydney Smith and Ogg, in order to light
3416-414: Was Australia's first custom designed studio complex, and was used by many prominent Australian artists. With the development of the suburbs, doctors relocated from their residences, set back from the street by substantial gardens along Collins Street East (now known as the 'Paris End'), and shopfronts were built in place, including then department store Georges . Around the turn of the 20th century "doing
3477-466: Was exactly one mile in length and one and half chains (99 feet (30 m)) wide. The street was named for Lieutenant-Governor David Collins who led a group of settlers in establishing a short-lived settlement at Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula , south of Melbourne, in the early 19th century. He subsequently became the first governor of the colony of Van Diemen's Land , later to become
3538-420: Was laid in 1886 and was operational until 1930 when it was electrified. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the top end of Collins Street, known as Collins Street East, was dominated by the rooms of medical professionals. The prestigious Melbourne Club was a dominant cultural presence after its founding in 1838. Collins Street was also the location of Grosvenor Chambers (9 Collins Street) which
3599-467: Was rebuilt in Dublin in 1909, it opened with a program headed by The Story of the Kelly Gang . The backers and exhibitors made "a fortune" from the film, perhaps in excess of £25,000. The film was considered completely lost until 1976, when five short segments totalling a few seconds of running time were found. In 1978, another 64 metres (210 ft) of the film was discovered in a collection belonging to
3660-518: Was reported 'that the floor of the large hall was the only one in Melbourne expressly constructed for dancing'. The remodeled facade was finally concluded in 1886. The statue of Minerva, which was modelled by Richard Kretzschmar on that at the Vatican , was funded through Alderman Thomas Moubray's gift of 100 guineas. In October 1896, the first movie was shown in the Athenaeum Hall. This may not have been
3721-496: Was the first building awarded the Street Architecture Medal and was designed by architects Blackett and Forster for pharmacists Henry Francis & Co. It still stands in near original condition, a handsome but narrow fronted five storey commercial building with a fine grained street level shopfront currently leased by Bally. The Bank of New South Wales Melbourne building, completed in 1857, earned architect Joseph Reed
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