The Melbourne Atheneum.

Scarce colonial engraving of the Melbourne Atheneum at 188 Collins Street, adjacent to the Melbourne Town Hall.

The building was completed in 1842. The Melbourne City Council met in the building until 1852 when the Melbourne Town Hall was built. The Institution changed its name to the Melbourne Athenaeum in 1872.  At that time, as now, a focal point was the library. In 1877, membership was 1,681 and in 1879 there were 30,000 visits to the library. In 1880 it was reported ‘that the floor of the large hall was the only one in Melbourne expressly constructed for dancing‘. The front of the building was rebuilt in 1885 and 1886.

From the original edition of the Illustrated Australian News. 

Collections:
University Queensland: Identifier 991000982479703131
State Library Victoria: PCINF IAN 04-09-76 P.141
National Library Australia: Bib ID 2495305
State Library New South Wales: CALL NUMBERS F079/55, TN380
Royal Geographic Society SA: RGS Special Coll. 079.94 I29d

References:

Syme, E. & D, Illustrated Australian News. ISSN 2208-5386.