About Charles Joseph La Trobe

Charles Joseph La Trobe was Superintendent of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales from 1839 to 1851, and Lieutenant-Governor of the new colony of Victoria from separation in 1851 until his departure from Australia in 1854. He was influential in many of Melbourne's government bodies and one of a number of eminent figures keen to foster the development of cultural institutions in Melbourne.

La Trobe was a proponent of a free public library for Victorians. His planning - including setting aside land and funds, and appointing Redmond Barry as Chairman of the Trustees of the Library - led to the opening of the Melbourne Public Library (now the State Library of Victoria) in 1856.

The C J La Trobe Society Inc was formed in 2001 to promote recognition and understanding of the achievements of Charles Joseph La Trobe. It celebrates La Trobe's birthday annually, hosts lectures, special functions and other events throughout the year and distributes the Journal, La Trobeana, to its members three times per year. The Society raised funds to erect a bronze statue of La Trobe on the forecourt of the State Library of Victoria in November 2006.