National Library Act 1924 (NSW)

NATIONAL LIBRARY ACT.

Act No. 65, 1924.

An A c t to sanction the complet ion of the N a t i o n a l

L i b r a r y ; to a m e n d the Nat ional Library Act, 1905 ; and for purposes connected the rewi th . [Assented to , 23rd December , 1924.]

2 . (1) The work described in the Schedule to this Act is hereby sanctioned, and the Secretary for Public Works is empowered to carry out the same. (2)

lative Council and Legislative Assembly of Now South BE it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legis-

Wales in Parliament assembled, and by the authority of tile same, as follows :—

1 . This Act mav be cited as the ' ; National Library

Act, 1924."

(2) The provisions of sections thirty-four, thirty- five, thirty-six, and thirty-seven of the Public Works Act, 1912, shall not apply to the said work, but subject as aforesaid the work shall be carried out under the provisions of that Act.

3 . (1) The plans of the said work are the plans marked " Completion of National Library," numbers one to six respectively, signed by the Secretary for Public Works and countersigned by the Acting Govern­ ment Architect, and deposited in the public office of the said Secretary.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of the National Library Act, 1995, the work shall be carried out in accordance with the plans referred to in this section subject to such minor alterations and modifications as to the said Secretary shall seem expedient and proper.

4 . The cost of carrying out the said work (exclusive of land resumptions) is estimated at four hundred and ninety-five thousand five hundred pounds, and such estimated cost shall not, under any circumstances, be exceeded by more than ten per centum, and shall be defrayed out of funds provided by Parliament.

S C H E D U L E .

T H E site of the proposed building is t h a t to the nor th of the present
garden a t tached to Pa r l i amen t House with flank frontage to Macquarie- s t reet and ex tending nor thward and eas tward over land now par t ly occupied by the Mitchell L ib ra ry and the excavated ground adjacent
thereto, Richmond Terrace and the Oute r Domain, as is indicated upon
the plans. I t is in tended that the main facade of t he building shall
face nor th , overlooking the Palace Garden grounds, requir ing some deviation and rea r rangement of the Domain and Botanic Gardens ent rances , roads, and fencing in its immediate vicinity. A deviat ion of the lane to the nor th of the Pa r l i amen t House grounds will also be required ; while the area of land to the south of the proposed Nat ional Library, occupied a t present par t ly by port ion of R ichmond Terrace and par t ly by the Outer Domain, will be available for addi t ion to

Pa r l i amen t House grounds.

The bui lding is, generally speaking, rectangular in plan wi th four inner light areas, the general disposition being a main front en t rance to the no r th leading direct into a centra l reading room flanked on the western side par t ly by the exist ing Mitchell L ib ra ry and par t ly by the port ion to be devoted to the Dixson Collection and to book s tacks , and on the eastern side by book stacks only. The port ion to the eastern side of the main en t rance will be devoted to accommodation generally

required

required for the S t a t e Library. The basement floor (al though somewhat under the genera! level of the ground) will have its windows above the ground level.

The portion a t present devoted to the Mitchell Library consists of th ree floors, namely, basement, ground and first floors, with one port ion of the la t te r having special top l ighting for picture gallery purposes.

The portion accommodat ing the I dxson Collection will also consist of basement , ground and first floors, bu t the whole of t he first floor will be top lighted for picture gallery purposes.

The remainder of the S ta te L ibra ry will also contain basement , ground and first floors, with galleries round the cent ra l reading room and a dome above it. There will be six floors of book stacks to the east of the main reading-room and four floors in the port ion accom- modat ing the Dixson Collection.

The whole of the building is designed to accommodate metal and

other fittings requisite tor l ibrary and research purposes. The con-

st ruct ion of the building throughout will be of a fireproof character .

The venti lat ion will be provided by mechanical means with distri- but ion throughout all the book stacks.

The design generally is in the I ta l ian Renaissance style in conformity with the exist ing Mitchell Library portion, the external faces being in stone and the internal light areas in brick and stone.