Hellenic Museum
 | |
 | |
| Established | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Location | 280 William Street, Melbourne, Australia |
| Type | Community Museum |
| Website | http://www.hellenic.org.au |
The Nafsika Stamoulis Hellenic Museum Limited is a museum in Melbourne, Australia.
History
The museum was founded in 2007 by businessman and philanthropist Spiros Stamoulis and is based in the Melbourne City Centre district at the former Royal Mint building. The Hellenic Museum’s aim is to promote “the celebration, understanding, and preservation of the artistic and cultural heritage of ancient and modern Greece”.[1]
The Museum’s current Chairman Harry Stamoulis has continued his father’s pursuit of cultural partnerships and collaborations through philanthropy in the arts.
Collections
The Hellenic Museum hosts both temporary and permanent exhibitions and collections.
Permanent collections and exhibitions include the Mary and Peter Mitrakas Collection of Cypriot Antiquities, the La Trobe University A.D Trendall Collection of Greek antiquities from southern Italy, a collection of cast ancient Greek statues from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the Greek National Archaeological Museum and an exhibition focussing on Greek settlement in Australia from the early 1800s until today.
In 2013, the Hellenic Museum partnered with the Benaki Museum in Greece to house a permanent collection of antiquities in Melbourne, which commences in 2014 for a ten-year period.
Exhibitions at the Hellenic Museum generally focus around the visual arts, film, music, architecture, history, culture and education.
Building
The Hellenic Museum is housed in the former Royal Mint, located on the corner of William and Latrobe Streets in the Melbourne City Centre. In 1869 the building was established as a branch of the British Royal Mint. Designed by architect J.J. Clark, and providing one of the few examples of the Renaissance Revival style in Australian buildings.
The Melbourne Mint’s first coins were struck in 1872. The Mint continued to produce gold coins and bronze pennies until 1931. The Melbourne Mint officially closed in 1972. The building is actively conserved and heritage listed.
See also
References
- ^ "Hellenic Museum - About Us". Hellenic Museum.