Places of civic importance

The location of the Old Treasury Building, right next door to parliament, is no coincidence. Not long after the first sitting in the newly opened Parliament House, the decision was made to construct a ‘New Treasury’ with storage to secure colony’s gold reserves.

As part of their tour, students enter the original gold vaults to discover the journey people took from their home countries to Victoria and the hardships and rewards it held. They investigate the history of voting and the secret ballot (a Victorian invention), and the Eureka Stockade, a defining moment in Victoria’s, and therefore ultimately Australia’s, democratic history.

In the Early Melbourne program (paid program), students explore how Melbourne evolved from an early settlement to 'Marvelous Melbourne' and consider the impact of colonisation on First Nations Peoples. Students also explore the steps to Federation, and the early years of the Commonwealth Parliament; Melbourne playing host to several federation conferences and the Victorian Parliament House subsequently hosting the Commonwealth Parliament for the first 27 years of Federation.

The exhibit Protest Melbourne examines the history of protest in Victoria, from workers’ rights to the environment and anti-war protests. Parliament of Victoria was one of the first jurisdictions in the world to pass legislation for the eight-hour workday. You can explore more about the eight-hour workday in parliament’s resource The workday revolution.

Students are able to visit the Executive Council Chamber, where for over 160 years the Governor of Victoria has met with Government Ministers to give Royal Assent, which is only given to a bill once it has passed both houses of parliament. Upon receiving Royal Assent a bill becomes an Act of Parliament. The How a law is made teacher guide has a more detailed explanation and activities on how a bill becomes an Act of Parliament.

If you are interested in one of the paid programs, schools must book through the website. In addition to the onsite programs, Old Treasury Building has an abundance of free materials available on their website to support classroom learning, including online exhibitions, and extensively researched articles on a range of topics.

If you’re thinking about a visit to the area, whether to Old Treasury Building, Parliament House or both, there are a number of resources available to support the students’ learning both before and after the experience. Take a look at our teacher guides Representation and democracy and Action and influence. If you are looking for additional activities for your classes while in the area, the Augmented Reality experience on the steps of Parliament House or the Civics walk: East Melbourne are a couple of potential options.