This Library was the brainchild of Col. Drinkwater who was stationed in Gibraltar during the Great Siege, and wrote an Account of this important episode in Gibraltar’s history. Being trapped on the Rock for four years without any books, he was determined not to have to endure another siege without reading material, and he decided to set up a Library for the use of the officers of the garrison. The library was eventually built at Governor’s Parade on the site where the Spanish Governor’s residence had once stood, and inaugurated in 1793. The present building was largely completed by 1804 with a new wing added in 1867. Over the years it became renowned 'for its comprehensive collection of works on Gibraltar. Within the complex are the offices of The Gibraltar Chronicle, which is the second oldest English newspaper - founded in 1801. Its most famous “scoop” was the report of the victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.