The Alliance Française de Melbourne is an Australian non-profit association dedicated to the promotion of the French language and culture. Founded in 1890, the Alliance Française de Melbourne is the oldest in Australia (there being 33 Alliances in the Federation) and one of the oldest in the world. It belongs to a world network of 1,400 Alliances Françaises set up in 138 countries.
The Alliance Française is the first language school for French in Victoria with more than 3,000 students per year of whom 80% are adults. It also runs the Berthe Mouchette Competition, now in its 108th year and named after the foundress of the Alliance Française de Melbourne. The competition is opened to students of French from Year 4 to Year12. This competition, which is said to be one of the largest of its kind in the world, attracted 16753 candidates in 2002!
It is also a French cultural centre, the only one in Victoria, enjoying the patronage and support of the French Embassy in Canberra. The Alliance organises each year major cultural events, such as the French Film Festival and is involved in other important festivals such as the Melbourne Festival. It also has an art gallery, which is part of the Southside Arts of Port Philip which units the most diverse group of commercial galleries and art organisations in Melbourne.
