Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens

The world's fairs of the 19th century promised progress through industry, and Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building is their most complete survivor. Designed by Joseph Reed with Byzantine, Romanesque, Lombardic and Renaissance motifs, the dome-crowned hall hosted Melbourne's international exhibitions of 1880 and 1888 amid its Carlton Gardens. Of the many exhibition palaces raised worldwide between 1851 and 1915, hardly any still stand — a rarity UNESCO recognised with World Heritage inscription in 2004.