Sydney, Australia. – July 20, 2011 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Supergiant Games today announce that Bastion, the award-winning action role-playing game, is now available for download exclusively on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Available for 1200 Microsoft Points, Bastion is the first game to be released as part of Microsoft’s Summer of Arcade program and takes players on a grand adventure in which a mysterious narrator marks their every move. Players will be challenged to build a new world from the broken remnants of the past, after cataclysmic events have shattered the world into thousands of floating islands spreading as far as the eye can see.

Bastion, developed by Supergiant Games and distributed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, features lush and imaginative artwork as well as an innovative reactive narration system that responds to players’ actions in real time. As players journey into the wild unknown, they will confront strange beasts, forge an array of customizable weapons, and gain new powers from specially-brewed spirits as they become immersed in the game’s rich atmosphere.

“We are extremely pleased to have joined forces with Supergiant Games to bring the incredibly innovative Bastion to players, as we continue to support the development of digital and independent games,” said Martin Tremblay, President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Bastion is a great example of how the passion of a small but talented team can make a great game that engages all types of players with its imagination and narration.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to show the world what our team of seven people at Supergiant Games can do,” said Amir Rao, Studio Director of Supergiant Games. “Bastion expresses our desire to make games that spark players’ imaginations like the ones they played as kids. We hope it leaves a lasting impression.”

Bastion has received numerous accolades since its 2010 unveiling, most recently earning 10 E3 awards including the Game Critics Award for Best Downloadable Game, Game Informer’s award for Best Downloadable Game, and G4’s award for Most Original Game. The game also won an award for “Best New IP” at 2010’s PAX Prime, where it was selected among the elite “PAX 10” independent games of the show. Bastion will also be available for Windows PC later this year.

Bastion is available to download now for 1200 Microsoft Points. For the latest information on the game, visit www.buildthebastion.com or follow the team on twitter @SupergiantGames

IN 1980….PAC-MAN® hit video arcades and it changed the face of video gaming forever.

IN APRIL THIS YEAR… to celebrate the launch of Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft teamed up with NAMCO BANDAI Games America to bring the world’s biggest user-generated PAC-MAN® to players across the world, using the power of HTML5.

TODAY…. Internet Explorer 9 has driven a new PAC-MAN® milestone as the world’s biggest PAC-MAN® game has reached a record-breaking ONE BILLION DOTS eaten by gamers from across the globe playing over 43 million times!

The World’s Biggest PAC-MAN® invites users to create and play their own mazes and those submitted by fans. The original PAC-MAN® had 240 PAC-dots, four power pellets and 255 mazes. Thirty-one years on, NAMCO BANDI and Microsoft have taken this legacy to new heights.

Play now and be a part of web gaming history

Now played more than 43 million times by fans across the world and with 6,246,751 PAC-MAN® lives lost in the process, gamers can play PAC-MAN now and celebrate the legacy as they work towards the next record-breaking milestone.

The World’s Biggest PAC-MAN® was created exclusively for Internet Explorer 9 to take advantage of modern web standards and hardware acceleration to provide PAC-MAN with the best playing experience on the web.

Check out these PAC-FACTS about the world’s biggest user-generated PAC-MAN:

• · 37 – the number of football fields the mazes would fill if laid side-by-side
• · 6,246,751 – the number of times the loses a life sound has been heard

At the time of issuing this release, over 1,000,202,800 dots had been consumed. Check out the latest stats from the World’s Biggest PAC-MAN® here.

Meet the brains behind the operation

The world’s biggest user-generated PAC-MAN® was developed in Australia by Sydney-based, award-winning Soap Creative and Microsoft Australia. Thanks to Internet Explorer 9 players can experience the full performance and immersive experience of PAC-MAN® through HTML 5 – just like it’s a native game on a PC.

Download Internet Explorer 9 now to experience the beauty of the web and the power of HTML5 in action, to play the World’s Biggest PAC-MAN in all its glory.

Thrilling Space Defense Game to be Published by Headup Games

JULY 19, 1954 – URGENT TRANSMISSION FROM ECHO STATION

For the attention of President Culver:

GORG ARMADA LEAVING PLANET X -(STOP)- ATTACK ON EARTH IMMINENT -(STOP)- PREPARE DEFENSES -(STOP)- RECONNAISSANCE FOOTAGE AND INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING POSTED ON SPACEWIRE -(STOP)-

PRESIDENTIAL BRIEFING

Futuremark Games Studio presents Unstoppable Gorg, a thrilling new space defense game coming to PC, Xbox LIVE Arcade and iPad. In Unstoppable Gorg you defend our solar system from the relentless march of a fearsome alien race by sending satellites into orbit around planets, moons and space stations. Unlike other tower defense style games, in Unstoppable Gorg you can move your satellites even after you have placed them. When the Gorg armada attacks you can move your satellites around their orbits to best defend against each wave, a convention defying mechanic that brings new vitality and interaction to the tower defense genre.

NEWSREEL – “IT’S WAR!”

Futuremark Games Studio presents this newsreel to inform the public about the Gorg threat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9PFTpIend0

AMAZING FEATURES

– PROTECT our solar system from the Gorg in a thrilling space defense game
– SATELLITES in orbit replace the towers and grid layout used in other TD games
– MOVE satellites around their orbits to create the best defense for each wave
– GLORIOUS 3D graphics for added impact, not a sprite in sight

– AUTHENTIC homage to the sci-fi films of the 1940s and 50s

PROPAGANDA

Jaakko Haapasalo, Director of Defense at Futuremark Games Studio tells reporters, “With Unstoppable Gorg we have been inspired by classic sci-fi films to create a game of flying saucers, rubbery aliens, dodgy effects and earnest heroes. Unstoppable Gorg builds on the core tower defense mechanics that fans love while shattering the genre’s conventions to provide exciting new experiences.”

Michael Zolna, Minister of Information at Headup Games further adds, “We are very pleased to continue our successful cooperation with Futuremark Games Studio. Unstoppable Gorg is a highly original tower defense style game with a novel sci-fi setting that will teleport the genre into unimagined territory.”

PLANET X – ASTONISHING DISCOVERY OR UNIMAGINABLE THREAT?

Planet X was hypothesized in 1906 by Percival Lowell, the astronomer infamous for popularizing the “canals” of Mars. Lowell figured that a new planet beyond Neptune would explain the discrepancies in the orbits of the outer gas giants. The search for the mysterious Planet X continued even after the discovery of Pluto in 1930.

The breakthrough came in 1951. A deep space survey ship discovered Planet X far beyond the orbit of Neptune. Even more astonishing, the planet was inhabited. Ships were sent with Earth’s greetings yet as they neared the strange planet the Gorg launched a vast armada, thousands of flying saucers on a direct course with Earth destroying everything in their path.

COUNTDOWN TO CONFLICT

Unstoppable Gorg, developed by Futuremark Games Studio and published by Headup Games, will be available for PC, Xbox LIVE Arcade and iPad.

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS – JOIN THE DEFENSE

Spacewire http://www.unstoppablegorg.com
Spacebook http://www.facebook.com/unstoppablegorg
Surveillance http://www.youtube.com/user/futuremarktv
Telegram service http://twitter.com/futuremarkgames

New Teaser Site Unveils Upcoming Features

July 19, 2011 – Foster City, Calif. – Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a wholly owned US subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), today announced ‘Chains of Kluer’, the latest content update for its western, fantasy MMORPG, Forsaken World. Once a celebrated hero of Eyrda, Kluer now resides beneath Freedom Harbor as a long forgotten prisoner. A spell that wiped Kluer’s memory and stole his humanity, now leaves him as a mindless, murderous ogre. It’s now up to the players to fight against the legendary Kluer and bring his story to an end at http://fw.perfectworld.com/chains.

“With this latest Forsaken World update, players will have to go against one of Eyrda’s most celebrated fallen heroes, Kluer. Tragically wiped of his memory, humanity and almost forgotten, Kluer is a violent shadow of his former self,” said Clifton Chu, Product Manager for Forsaken World. “It will now be up to players to take down Kluer in one of the most heart wrenching stories that gives the game its name, Forsaken World, and as heroes, right the wrongs of Eyrda.”

The Forsaken World ‘Chains of Kluer’ content update will include the following features:

• Fight the legendary Kluer – Players level 70 and up can now battle against the legendary ogre, Kluer, in the new Forgotten Prison dungeon that resides beneath Freedom Harbor
• Ever-changing world – New events including the revamped Eternal Faith, a Hunting Festival, and an advance pet catching dungeon
• Build up your guild base – Guilds can now unlock level 3 for their guild bases, which includes higher construction buildings and lower maintenance costs
• Train up – The character level cap is now raised from 70 to 80 and players can now master even more jobs as they train themselves to be the best fighter
• A pet’s journey – Free up your play time by having your pet help you do your daily quests and events
• Faster kills with mounted combat – Take the fight to the next level with mounted combat as death comes swifter than ever in Eyrda

Fight against the legendary Kluer and bring his tragic story to an end at http://fw.perfectworld.com/chains.

To join the Forsaken World community, go to: http://www.facebook.com/ForsakenWorld

Ear Force® Gaming Headsets Engineered and Designed Specifically for The Year’s Most Anticipated Release

Sydney, Australia, July 20, 2011 – Turtle Beach, pioneers and market-leaders of the gaming headset category, today announced a partnership with Activision to develop a new line of exclusively licensed, limited edition Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 Ear Force headsets, custom-optimized to deliver enhanced experiences for the year’s most anticipated entertainment launch. Among many planned features, these new premium headsets will be distinguished by unique sets of audio presets designed specifically by the audio teams at developers Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games in order to provide the ultimate immersion into the cinematic world of Modern Warfare® 3.

The headsets will be available with compatibility across Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC; with multiple feature sets, special packages with bonus content, and price points to ensure that no player is left behind.

· Ear Force DELTA (EFD) – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3-Optimized Programmable Wireless Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound Headset with Bluetooth Chat. The top-of-the-line EFD headset comes packaged in a specially-themed carrying case and is pre-loaded with unique custom Modern Warfare 3 presets and voice prompts. Ear Force Delta is the ultimate Xbox 360 and PS3 weapon for the most avid Modern Warfare 3 players. RRP: $329.95.

· Ear Force BRAVO (EFB) – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Optimized Programmable Wireless Universal Gaming Headset. Featuring the same custom Modern Warfare 3 presets as the EFD, the EFB provides players with the same optimized experience in a universal headset that’s the perfect Call of Duty® companion on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. RRP $199.95.

· Ear Force CHARLIE (EFC) – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Optimized Multi-Speaker Surround Sound PC Gaming Headset. With eight amplified, acoustically-angled speakers delivering discrete surround sound, this tournament-grade, Modern Warfare 3 optimized wired headset is the perfect choice for competitive PC gamers. RRP$139.95.

· Ear Force FOXTROT (EFF) – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Optimized Universal Gaming Headset. For Modern Warfare 3 players seeking effortless cross-platform performance, the EFF provides gamers with high-fidelity amplified audio along with several key features to set it apart. RRP$139.95.

Additional details about each headset, the many special Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 package features, bonus content, promotions and more will be announced later.

“Call of Duty continues to define action while also becoming a cultural phenomenon as well as the industry standard,” noted Michael Arzt, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Turtle Beach. “As the long-time leader and innovator in the gaming audio category, Turtle Beach is excited to introduce a collection of purpose-built Modern Warfare 3 headsets with features and benefits that will far surpass gamers’ expectations for licensed headsets.”

Set to strike worldwide on November 8th, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the year’s most anticipated release. Published by Activision and in development by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer games, the title is the newest installment in the record-setting, blockbuster Call of Duty series, which has broken entertainment opening launch records two-years running.

Turtle Beach revolutionized game audio with the industry’s first truly customizable headset, the PX5, earlier this year and is the only brand capable of this offering. Gamers interested in learning more about Turtle Beach’s lineup of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 headsets should visit www.turtlebeach.com/MW3 to sign up for updates about special content, additional product details, pre and on-sale info and other special news and alerts.

More specific product details of the co-branded product line will emerge in the coming months and the full lineup of Turtle Beach’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 gaming headsets will ship to major retailers beginning in October, 2011. Distribution for Australia/NZ will be thru Turtle Beach’s exclusive distributing partner – QV Software.

About Turtle Beach

Turtle Beach (www.turtlebeach.com) designs and markets premium audio peripherals for personal computer and video game platforms, including its acclaimed line of Ear Force gaming headphones and headsets crafted for Xbox 360® and PS3™ game consoles and PC games. Turtle Beach’s Ear Force X41 wireless headset is Official Xbox Magazine’s “2009 Peripheral of the Year.” Turtle Beach, headquartered in Elmsford, New York, is a brand of Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc., which has been at the forefront of music and audio technology for more than three decades and is recognized as a pioneer of today’s PC audio industry.

Turtle Beach and Ear Force are registered trademarks of Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc. Xbox 360 is a registered trademark of Microsoft, Corp. PlayStation is a registered trademark and PS3 is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. Mac is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories. All other trademarks are property of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

Mobotix, leading manufacturer of IP security surveillance equipment, has released the T24 IP Video Door Station to the Australian market through the Mobotix partner networks.

Now you can be anywhere in the world and see who is at your front door using your iPad – or other device – and have a conversation with them, or even let them in to your house. Visitors can also leave a video voicemail at your door. It’s a new take on the old fashioned analogue intercom found in many houses and apartments around Australia. This is an intercom on steroids!

You can read the full press release here: http://bit.ly/mobotixt24 or view the features below.

MOBOTIX T24 IP Video Door Station

Two-way video around the world
The T24 is based on the international video telephony standard VoIP/SIP. When the doorbell rings, a connection is established with an IP video phone or a standard computer via the network. This means that, from anywhere in the world, you can conduct video conversations with visitors at your door or open the door remotely.

Allround view with no blind spots
The high-resolution hemispheric door camera can capture the entire entrance area with no blind spots, from wall to wall and from floor to ceiling.

Recording with sound
The T24 will also inform the homeowner about who came to the door while they were away. This is possible because the camera also records automatically. Continuously or event-controlled, when, for example, someone rings the doorbell or the camera detects movement.

Keyless access
Who is authorised into the building and when? The door opener can be controlled, simply and securely, via a PIN code or an RFID transponder using the individually configurable access module.

Integrated message function
Digital voice messages can be left directly at the door station and played back automatically. This means that a courier or mail carrier can leave a message to the customer about where the delivery was brought to in their absence.

Very simple installation
The station can be connected and supplied with power via an Ethernet cable or, thanks to Mx2wire technology, simply via a bell wire. The T24 can therefore be easily upgraded at very little cost. The weatherproof outdoor station (IP65) is available in four attractive colours.

Tablet PC and smartphone use in the workplace opens companies to cyber attack.

Melbourne, 19 July 2011 — AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd, the distributor of the award-winning AVG anti-virus and Internet security software in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, warns the BYOD ‘Bring Your Own Device’ to work phenomenon is catching SMBs off guard and exposing them to malware attacks and other cyber crime.

The trend, dubbed by analysts as the ‘consumerisation of IT’, has seen staff in rapidly growing numbers bringing their own mobile devices to work and using them for business purposes. AVG (AU/NZ) says companies of all sizes should be re-evaluating how they protect business-critical data and manage IT equipment use.

One of the major factors in this area is the meteoric rise in popularity of the tablet PC. The use of iPads, Blackberry Playbooks and all manner of Android-powered mobile devices is catching the comparatively slower moving business IT world off guard.

AVG (AU/NZ) warns that too few companies have policies governing how employees use tablets and smartphones. Workers are bringing these devices into the workplace and connecting them to the company’s Wi-Fi network. This not only provides them with access to the Internet, but it also allows the workers to synchronise these devices with company computers. All of this is happening without any additional layers of security control being put in place to lock down their impact.

Lloyd Borrett, Security Evangelist at AVG (AU/NZ), said, “With tablet PCs and smartphones now starting to populate SMB offices and operations, we need to question whether workers are now replacing management and IT managers as the true IT decision makers.”

Recent research by the Ponemon Institute on behalf of AVG Technologies has some telling indicators for the way IT is being managed. The research found that less than half (43 per cent) of consumers surveyed considered security features to be important when deciding which smartphone to purchase. Only 19 per cent have passwords and a meagre 10 per cent have both keypad locks and passwords.

The business IT security solution must then include anti-virus protection, such as AVG Mobilation for Android smartphones and tablets, to automate the protection of these devices and the business data that inevitably ends up on them. This cloud-based technology is simple to use, always up-to-date, plus light on device resources and battery life.

Borrett said: “If businesses work smart and use technologies like this, then they can keep even the newest and most unpredictable attacks in check.”

To help SMBs address the policy, technology and process issues involved, AVG has created the AVG Small Business Security Guide which provides some simple but effective steps small business owners can take to secure their business. Plus AVG’s Business Resource Centre has a library of guides and tools that can help you protect your business from identity theft, data breaches, online banking break-ins and other computer crimes.

For the series of informative security tips, how-to’s and fact sheets see:

www.avg.com.au/resources/security-tips/.

For video tips from AVG (AU/NZ), see: www.youtube.com/user/avgaunz

Keep in touch with AVG (AU/NZ)

For breaking news, follow AVG (AU/NZ) on Twitter at twitter.com/avgaunz

Join our Facebook community at www.facebook.com/avgaunz

Sydney, Australia: 19 July 2011 – Synthesizing style and smoothness, with strength and stealth, Cooler Master ushers in a new era of silent towers by introducing the Silencio 550. Enveloped in a cool-black steel case, this tower of power holds the capacity to support the most elaborate computing configuration. Fronted by a mirrored high-gloss panel, the finish is emboldened with the class and elegance only embraced by Cooler Master products.

Runs Quietly

Paramount to the Silencio 550, as the name suggests, is the barely detectable murmur at which it runs. Insulated with silencing foam padding internally on both sides deadens the slight reverberations of the fans and the whirrs and clicks of hard drives. Combine this with a solid-steel unshakable frame, shiftless rubber feet, and two Cooler Master softly-spinning fans, renders this chassis nearly audibly invisible, making it the perfect tower for those who value peace and quiet as primary to the computing environment.

With a Smooth Case Comes Smooth Responsibility

Matching the Silencio 550s slick exterior lies a clean, intuitive, spacious interior. Three 5.25”, seven 3.5”, one 2.5” hard drive bays, set inside a solid steel, easily-removable hard drive cage allows computer aficionados to mix and match various hard drives for multiple flexibility and maximum drive space. Behind the glassy-clean finish of the front panel hides an external hot-swappable drive bay for those essential quick changes on the fly. Merging this slot with the lightning-quick, backwards-compatible USB 3.0 port and a versatile SD card reader provides the users with a plethora of options to store and load any type of data. A surprisingly efficient intake-exhaust cooling system adorns the expansive interior for maximum airflow and if this is not sufficient in those hot environments, the Silencio 550 includes rear retaining holes for an additional water cooling kit to be accessorised.

Abundantly full of options and aesthetics, and at a more than reasonable price, this chassis tower is the perfect silent partner for any enthusiast.

For detailed spec sheet and images click here

Pricing and Availability
Manufacturer: Cooler Master
Product Name: Silencio 550
RRP: AU$ 129, NZ$ 149
Website: www.coolermaster.com
Australian Distributors: Ingram Micro, Rectron, Australia IT, DMA
New Zealand Distributors: PB Technology
Warranty: 2 years warranty
Availability: Now

About Cooler Master
Cooler Master was founded to provide the best thermal solutions to our customers worldwide. Since its establishment a decade ago, we continue to invest in product development in order to provide the leading-edge innovations to people and businesses. Cooler Master’s enclosure technology line-up includes heat sinks and fans, chassis, power supplies, function panels and accessories. Cooler Master has its headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, with global branch offices located in Europe, America and APAC, so that we can offer to our customers the best service in time. For more information on Cooler Master, please visit www.coolermaster.com.

Sydney, Australia – July 19, 2011 – The world’s very best QUAKE LIVE® players will once again gather in Dallas, Texas to take part in intense online tournaments at QuakeCon® 2011, being held August 4-7, 2011 at the Hilton Anatole. Top professionals will compete in the Intel-sponsored QUAKE LIVE Duel Invitational Masters and the Intel® QUAKE LIVE Team Deathmatch Invitational Masters and contend for a share of over $40,000 USD in prize money. Also new to this year’s QuakeCon®, up-and-coming players will have the opportunity to prove their gaming expertise in the Brink™ Open Championships.

This year, players competing in the tournaments will all be using the same kind of computers thanks to Dell. Players will be using the Alienware Aurora, which combines the latest in gaming technology to deliver a premier gaming experience to even the most demanding hard core gaming fan.

QuakeCon, which is free and open to the public, offers an opportunity to see the greatest players in the world compete in highly-competitive tournaments. Matches will also be broadcast live each day of the competitions on large screens with play-by-play commentary from this year’s shoutcasters who will capture all of the energy, excitement and behind-the-scenes drama, with live match coverage, player interviews and expert analysis.

The QuakeCon 2011 Tournament Line up:

The Intel® QUAKE LIVE Duel Invitational Masters
The Intel QUAKE LIVE Duel Invitational Masters will feature known professionals and top QUAKE LIVE competitors in their own exclusive tournament. Sixteen (16) of the world’s best QUAKE LIVE players, hand selected by tournament staff from the open online registration, will face-off in the 1 vs.1 duel for more than $14,000 USD in a single elimination bracket, with each match played in a best-of-three-games format. With two competitors remaining, thousands will gather to watch as these two best-of-the-best survivors go head-to-head in a single elimination, best-of-five-games throw-down with an $8,000 USD cheque written to the champion. Matches will feature a pool of five arenas.

The QUAKE LIVE Team Deathmatch Invitational Masters
The Team Deathmatch Invitational Masters will feature 4 vs. 4 competitions for eight (8) teams battling it out in a single elimination bracket and best-of three-games format using five arenas. Players who come out on top will share prizes of $28,000 USD, including $16,000 USD for the team of champions. Matches in the tournament will feature five arenas.

The Brink Open Tournament
Available for up to sixteen (16) teams of amateurs with five players per team, the Brink Open will offer up-and-coming competitors a taste of the excitement and pressure of professional gaming. Battling for prizes ranging from top of the line video cards to autographed copies of Brink, players will compete in a stopwatch single elimination bracket. Matches for the Brink Open Tournament will feature Aquarium, Resort, and Terminal.

Registration Information
Players may register online by going to registration.quakecon.org between July 15th and July 31st.

Registration for the Brink Open Championship is first come, first served. Additional on-site registration will be available to fill any remaining tournament slots. Interested parties please visit our tournament area on-site at QuakeCon from noon to 1:00pm CST on Thursday, August 3rd for participation availability.

Players with professional gaming experience or extensive QUAKE LIVE experience interested in receiving an invite to the Intel QUAKE LIVE Duel Invitational Masters or Intel QUAKE LIVE Team Deathmatch Invitational Masters must register online at registration.quakecon.org. Tournament invites will be delivered to qualified competitors selected by our competition committee. A complete list of qualified participants will be posted at www.quakecon.org following the selection process. Players selected for Intel QUAKE LIVE Master Championship are not eligible for the Open Tournament.

For official rules, requirements, prize money distribution, pool of arenas and additional information, please go to www.quakecon.org/tournament.

A new display in the Royal Exhibition Building showcases its rich and eclectic history and explores what makes it a unique, historically significant, World Heritage listed building.

The display interprets the history of the Royal Exhibition Building from its construction in 1879 and Federation in 1901 to its uses and purposes today. It will represent major changes, key events and people through 15 display panels and an interactive AV featuring beautiful historical images that highlight the grandeur of the building.

Inscribed on the World Heritage List on 1 July 2004, the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens remain the only heritage listed structures in Victoria. “As one of Melbourne’s most iconic buildings the Royal Exhibition Building epitomises the spirit and history of this city,” said Dr Charlotte Smith, Senior Curator.

“It is the only 19th century Great Hall to survive largely intact, still in its original landscape setting, and still used as an event venue. This new display will reveal its importance throughout Melbourne’s history and enhance visitors’ understanding of this historically significant building.”

Designed by Joseph Reed of architectural firm Reed & Barns, the building has a Rundbogsenstil, or round arc design, and its beauty is shown through a series of images that highlight the external landscape and the grand interior. “The dome of the Royal Exhibition Building is particularly magnificent and features paintings rich in allegorical symbolism. The display allows visitors to get up close to these paintings and delve in to their details and meaning,” said Dr Smith.

A key focus of the display is the building’s use for hosting exhibitions and significant events. The Exhibition Building was built in 1879 to host the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880. This Exhibition opened on 1 October 1880, featured over 32,000 exhibits from 33 nations around the world and attracted over 1.3 million people. Following the popularity of the Melbourne International Exhibition, the Melbourne Centennial International Exhibition opened on 1 August 1888 and commemorated 100 years of white settlement of Australia.

Momentous occasions such as the opening of the first Australian Federal Parliament on 9 May 1901 are explored in depth. Lesser-known events are also explored. For example, on 4 February 1919, the Exhibition Building was turned into a hospital to treat Melburnians struck down by the Spanish flu, accommodating 4046 people until mid-August 1919. Between March 1941 and December 1945 the RAAF occupied the building, and in 1949 a migrant reception centre on the oval at the rear of the building provided temporary accommodation for thousands of recent arrivals from Britain.

Museum Victoria has been the custodian of the building since 1996 and continues to ensure its survival and restoration. Earlier this year, a project that transformed the western forecourt from a car park to the Building’s original gardens was completed. This redevelopment is based on gardens and landscaping from the 1880s and features a water harvesting system and vast 1.35 million litre underground storage tanks.

The new display in the Royal Exhibition Building will be open to the public for the first time during the Melbourne Open House weekend on 30 and 31 July 2011. Following this, visitors are able to view the display through a guided tour of the Building at 2pm most days, subject to availability. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3.50 for concessions. Bookings are recommended, call 13 11 02.