The State Library of Victoria (SLV) is the largest public reference library in the state, housing over two million books and sixteen thousand serials. The SLV is also home to the armor worn by bushranger Ned Kelly:
Image source: State Libary of Victoria
and, in addition to numerous collections, the folios of Captain James Cook and the diaries of John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner. The foundation stone for the SLV was laid in 1854 and the library opened in 1856.
Mr Justice Redmond Barry (who became Sir Redmond Barry in 1860), together with Lt. Governor Charles La Trobe, were instrumental in the establishment of the library. In 2013, their service was further recognised by turning them in to portals.
Sir Redmond Barry was a judge in colonial Victoria. He was highly regarded for his service to the community and is credited with influencing the state government of the time to allocate funds towards public works and education. Sir Bazza played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 1848 and the University of Melbourne in 1853. He was also the judge in the Eureka Stockade treason trials and the trial of Ned Kelly. He believed that libraries should be free and available to everyone and was personally involved in selecting books and collections. Sir Redmond’s own portal is located outside the SLV:
Charles Joseph La Trobe was the first lieutenant Governor of the colony of Victoria. Around Melbourne and Victoria you’ll find stuff named after him: La Trobe Street (the SLV is on the corner of La Trobe and Swanston Streets), La Trobe University, the Latrobe Valley in southeastern Victoria, just to name a few. Here is his portal. No, those are not banana peels on his head:
The SLV area is a great spot for Ingress agents. At the time of writing, there are about seven portals you can affect with high level bursters, with a few being knocked out at once. During the day, especially lunchtime, you will mostly likely see the portals being flipped fairly regularly. Many an Enlightened agent have enjoyed their lunch on the lawn while deploy-defending, or dashed back and forth to keep things green!
Melbourne Enlightened 