Australian Music Hall of Fame to open in 2017

Image: Molly Meldrum

The establishment of the first Australian Music Hall of Fame has been announced after months of speculation. With support from the Victorian Government, the permenant free exhibition will be located at Melbourne’s Victorian Arts Centre and is set to officially open its doors in November next year.

The Australian Music Vault will be helmed by iconic Australian music industry figures Ian ’Molly’ Meldrum, Kylie Minogue, Archie Roach and Mushroom Group and Frontier Touring’s Michael Gudinski.

The Victorian government will donate $10 million to the Hall as part of its greater $22.2 million Music Works program, the largest investment by an Australian Government in contemporary music. The exhibition will focus on the history and future of Australian music boasting an education program, fully integrated digital program, while the four industry representatives will curate the Australian Music Vault.

Minister for Creative Industries, Mick Foley, made the announcement yesterday, much to the delight of Australian music industry participants and its supporters.

“Melbourne is one of the great music cities of the world,” said foley. “The industry has been calling for a hall of fame for many years and we’re proud to be working with the industry to make it a reality.”

“The Australian Music Vault will be a place for music lovers, tourists and artists. It will celebrate the history of Australian music and be a place for the music legends of tomorrow,” he continued.

Gudinski has reportedly been pushing for an Australian Music Hall of Fame to built for over 15 years.

“Australian music has created and underpinned some of the great moments in our nation’s history. From the political to the celebratory, the power and influence of music on our culture is undeniable,” said Gudinski.

He added: “Creating a permanent home to honour our rich and diverse music landscape has been a passion of mine for many years and I’m so proud that the Australian Music Vault will be housed in Australia’s undisputed music capital.”

The Arts Centre in Melbourne has a history of creating and hosting seminal Australian music exhibitions deciated to legends of the local music scene. Nick Cave, AC/DC, Midnight Oil, and most recently, Kylie Minogue, have all been honoured by the Centre. In fact, Kylie on Stage has welcomed more than 150,000 visitors in just two months.

“Music is in our blood at Arts Centre Melbourne and we are thrilled to be partnering with the Victorian Government and the music industry to realise this exciting project,” said Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Claire Spencer.

“Music is a quintessential part of the Melbourne experience and we can’t wait to unlock the stories of Australian music by giving life to the Australian Music Vault.”