Old Treasury Building

At 20 Spring Street in East Melbourne, the Old Treasury Building pairs a 19th-century government landmark with a free museum about Melbourne and Victoria. The Renaissance Revival building was completed in 1862, when the gold rush had transformed the city. Inside, exhibitions trace Melbourne’s growth, explore social history and show how the city changed over time. Look for displays about gold and the original vaults, then take in the building’s stonework and formal rooms. A self-guided visit can be brief, with guided tours available at specific times.

A treasury built during the gold rush

The building at 20 Spring Street was constructed from 1858 to 1862, as Victoria’s gold rush accelerated Melbourne’s growth. Its original purpose was to house the Treasury Department and store wealth brought from the goldfields. Gold bullion was kept in vaults beneath the building, which remain part of the museum experience.

John James Clark designed the building when he was 19. Bluestone forms its foundations, while Bacchus Marsh sandstone covers the exterior. Its Renaissance Revival design and formal interiors make the building itself part of the visit, alongside the exhibitions. Completed in 1862, it became a major government office and a centre of state affairs during the 19th century.

The building’s role changed as government offices moved to Treasury Place in 1878, and it later became a museum. Its rooms connect the story of Melbourne’s development with the work once carried out here. The old vaults offer a direct link to the gold that helped shape the city, even though the museum’s displays, rather than stored bullion, tell that story today.

Exhibitions on Melbourne and Victoria

The museum’s permanent exhibitions look at how Melbourne grew and how people lived as the city changed. Built on Gold covers the gold-rush story, while Making Melbourne follows the city’s development. Growing Up in the Old Treasury turns to family life in the building: it tells the story of the Maynard family, who cared for the property in the 1920s.

Other displays examine social movements and political history. Protest Melbourne focuses on the city’s history of protest, and Yarra: Stories of Melbourne’s River explores the river’s place in the city’s development. Rotating exhibitions add further subjects, so the selection can change. The material includes photographs, artworks, objects and historical documents, offering different ways into the stories of Melbourne and Victoria.

Look out for displays that compare Melbourne across time. Images of earlier streets and later city scenes help make its physical changes easier to follow. Political cartoons add another perspective on public life. The museum also presents the gold-rush period through material about the bullion once stored in the building, including a digital presentation about the gold years.