The two men who 'invented' Melbourne

'The Invention of Melbourne: A Baroque Archbishop and a Gothic Architect' exhibition at The Old Treasury Building tells the story of St Patrick's cathedral. Curator Paola Colleoni reports.

Un'immagine della costruzione della cattedrale di St Patrick a Melbourne Source: WikiCommons

The Invention of Melbourne presents a rare opportunity to see some little-known treasures of gold rush Melbourne relating to the lives of two remarkable men and prominent Melburnians, James Alipius Goold, first Catholic bishop of Melbourne, and William Wilkinson Wardell, architect of St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Un'iimmagine dell'interno della cattedrale Source: WikiCommons

Bishop (later Archibishop) James Goold arrived in Melbourne in 1848. He soon developed an ambitious vision for Catholic Melbourne, which included building a fine cathedral. It would be the largest ecclesiastical building in Melbourne. Less wellknown is Goold’s interest in collecting both pictures and books. 

Un'immagine aerea del centro di Melbourne nel 1950 Source: State Library of Victoria

Some of those works feature in this exhibition - which also featured early literature and baroque art which played a part in influencing what was to become the unique and iconic visual style of Melbourne - and it's opened at The Old Treasury Building until March 2nd.

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