You Are Cordially Invited

You Are Cordially Invited explores Melbourne Town Hall’s 150 years at the heart-centre of city life.

This majestic building and surrounding spaces have hosted an extraordinary array of people and events since opening in August 1870. The Town Hall remains vital in shaping the city’s collective psyche – just as town halls around the world are centres for their own evolving cultures.

Through the building’s corridors, glorious auditorium, council chambers and main frontages on Swanston and Collins streets, it as been the seat of governance, hot political debate and cultural activity.

With newly commissioned artwork by Patrick Pound, plus archival film, photographs and ephemera from the City of Melbourne’s vast collection, the exhibition encompasses everything from the Queen and the Beatles to Aboriginal histories, war protests, parades and lavish festivities.

You are cordially invited to enter this realm. For that is the Town Hall’s primary objective – as a welcoming place for the people.

Curated by Andrew Stephens