Name Changes

Throughout the Library's history, it has undergone several official name changes. Over the years, the Library has also been administered by various governing bodies.

Official names

1856 Melbourne Public Library	The Library was founded and opened under this name.
1869 Public Library, Museums and National Gallery	The Library, Museums and National Gallery Act 1869 (no. 357) incorporated the Library with the Museums and National Gallery.
1944 Public Library of Victoria	The Public Library, National Gallery and Museums Act 1944 (no. 5053) severed the administrative connections with the Museum and the National Gallery of Victoria. The three became separate institutions, located on one site. The Library gradually became known as the Public Library.
1960 State Library of Victoria	This became the official title of the institution after the passing of the State Library, National Gallery, National Museum and Institute of Applied Science Act 1960.

Governing bodies

1853 Board of Trustees of the Public Library	Five trustees were appointed by Lieutenant-Governor Charles Joseph La Trobe to oversee the establishment of the Public Library.
1869 Board of Trustees of the Public Library, Museum and National Gallery	The Board's name was altered to reflect the incorporation of the Public Library, Museums and National Gallery of Victoria.
1965 Library Council of Victoria	Following the passing of the Library Council of Victoria Act 1965 (no. 7364), the Library became a division of the Library Council of Victoria. The La Trobe Library was also established in 1965.
1997 Library Board of Victoria	The Library Board of Victoria was established in February 1997 under the Libraries Act 1988 as amended by the Arts Institutions (Amendment Act) 1996. The amending Act changed the name of the Council of the State Library of Victoria to the Library Board of Victoria. The Board is subject to the direction and control of the Minister of the Arts.