I visited this WHS in January 2018 before heading towards the Great Ocean Road. I had prebooked the guided heritage tour over the phone to make sure I could visit the Royal Exhibition Building's (REB) interior.

The tour takes roughly 1 hour and runs on most days except when the REB is closed because of an event. If for whatever reason, you're hard pressed for time it is possible to exit the building before the tour ends. Since I drove directly from Melbourne International Airport, the easiest solution was to park in the Melbourne Museum underground parking. The tour starts in the foyer of the Melbourne Museum where I also collected tickets. Usually I'm not much of a fan of the juxtaposition between old and new, however the Melbourne Museum really attracts lots of people and keeps the REB and Carlton gardens area alive.

There are several information boards with the UNESCO symbol at the Carlton Gardens and there is a metal post displaying inscription on the WH list just next to the REB entrance. The gardens are a pleasant place to rest on a sunny day and to gaze at both the REB and the modern skyline of Melbourne. There's nothing of OUV in the gardens and they act more as a buffer zone in actual fact. The two fountains are the only two things worth viewing apart from the REB itself. Perhaps it is worth follwing the Golden Mile trail if you have more time. The overall experience reminded me a bit of the Victoria Terminus in Mumbai, India. However, even though the REB tour is much easier to organise, the terminus in Mumbai is much more worth viewing from the exterior.

In most great cities around the world, there usually is at least one building that epitomises their spirit and their history. In Melbourne, it's the REB completed in 1880. When it was built it was the highest building in Australia. In 1901 it hosted the first Australian Federal Parliament and the Australian flag was first unveiled in this building and flown above the dome. It is also hailed as Australia's first built cultural WHS. In 1880 and again in 1888, the international exhibitions it housed had a profound impact on the citizens of a city that had existed only half a century. The REB proclaimed to the world that Melbourne was an international city, with the wealth to spend on lavish display, and attracting huge numbers of people.

The REB continues to play a leading role in the life of Melbourne, housing exhibitions (the Hot Rod show is the longest running continuous event since 1965), concerts, religious services, banquets, university exams and meetings. The REB evolved in tandem with the city of Melbourne. The 1888 Melbourne Centennial Internation Exhibition was the first exhibition worldwide to offer the possibility of night time viewing thanks to the installation of electric lighting. In 1919, the REB was converted into a hospital to treat over 4000 locals struck with Spanish flu. The royal title was bestowed at the International Centenary Exhibition held to mark the building's 100th anniversary.

The building's round arches dominate the interior views with mythological figures and lunettes rich with allegorical symbolism. Nowadays, there are replica gasoliers based on the 1880 design, adapted for electric lighting. When we visited, there were no events and so we could enjoy the building in all its interior beauty. All in all, I enjoyed my visit and the guided tour was very interesting and informative. It isn't one of the finest WHS on the list but I think it deserves its place on the list and is worth visiting if you're in Melbourne.