The Melbourne International Exhibition was held from 1 October 1880 until 30 April 1881. It was the second international exhibition to be held in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 (then Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

), the first being held the previous year in Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

. 1.459 million people visited the exhibition, but made a loss of 277 292 pounds.

The Royal Exhibition Building

Royal Exhibition Building

The Royal Exhibition Building is a World Heritage Site-listed building in Melbourne, Australia, completed in 1880. It is located at 9 Nicholson Street in the Carlton Gardens, flanked by Victoria, Nicholson, Carlton and Rathdowne Streets, at the north-eastern edge of the central business district...

, set in the Victorian Carlton Gardens was completed in 1880 to host the exhibition, consisting of over 12,000 square metres of floorspace and temporary annexes. The foundation stone was laid by Victorian governor George Bowen. Some of the original building remains today and is a World Heritage site.

The exhibition was modelled on the great exhibitions of Europe, with an aim to promote commerce and industry, along with art, science and education. They also served as a form of entertainment and tourism.