Researching buildings and houses

Learn how to research the history of your house or a prominent Melbourne building using the Library’s collection of architectural drawings, maps and online tools.

Subject Librarian

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Blair Gatehouse
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Contact me via our online reference service citing my name and the title of this guide

Welcome

This guide helps you to research the history of your house or a prominent Melbourne building. State Library Victoria holds many resources including books, maps, architectural drawings, online databases and indexes which may help you with your search.

Click onto the tabs across the top of this page for more detailed information on each topic. The suggested catalogue searches and resources listed will provide more detailed information.

Good luck with your research.

If these walls could talk: uncovering the history of houses and buildings

Flinders Street drawings

In this video, Mary Lewis, from the State Library of Victoria, shows off the winning entry for the Flinders Street Station design competition, dated 1902.

Flinders Street Railway Station,  H93.452/4

Extinct Victorian buildings

"Eilyer", Malvern, [home of] A. Austin esq. H93.64/72

For more demolished buildings, search the SLV catalogue for victoria "lost architecture".

Drawing Competition

The Matthew Flinders Measured Drawing Competition, prepared by undergraduate students, offers great detail of a range of Victorian  buildings including homesteads, churches,  post offices, banks and schools.