On 12 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, who had initially come to the attention of the WHO on 31 December 2019. On 3 March, the Reserve Bank of Australia became the first central bank to cut interest rates in response to the outbreak. Official interest rates were cut by 0.25% (25 base points) to a record low of 0.5%. On 12 March, the Federal Government announced a A$17.6 billion stimulus package, the first since the 2008 GFC. he package consists of multiple parts, a one-off A$750 payment to around 6.5 million welfare recipients as early as 31 March 2020, small business assistance with 700,000 grants up to $25,000 and a 50% wage subsidy for 120,000 apprenticies or trainees for up to 9 months, 1 billion to support economically impacted sectors, regions and communities, and $700 million to increase tax write off and $3.2 billion to support short-term small and medium-sized business investment. On 16 March, Premier Dan Andrews and Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos declared a state of emergency for Victoria for at least four weeks. On 19 March, the Reserve Bank again cut interest rates by a further 0.25% to 0.25%, the lowest in Australian history. On 22 March, the government announced a second stimulus package of A$66bn, increasing the amount of total financial package offered to A$89bn. This included several new measures like doubling income support for individuals on Jobseeker's allowance, granting A$100,000 to small and medium-sized businesses and A$715 million to Australian airports and airlines. It also allowed individuals affected by the outbreak to access up to A$10,000 of their superannuation during 2019–2020 and also being able to take an additional same amount for the next year. on the same day Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced on 22 March that the state will bring the school holiday forwards to 24 March from 27 March. On 30 March, the Australian Federal Government announced a $130 billion "JobKeeper" wage subsidy program offering to pay employers up to $1500 a fortnight per full-time, part-time or casual employee that has worked for that business for over a year. For a business to be eligible, they must have lost 30% of turnover after 1 March of annual revenue up to and including $1 billion. For businesses with a revenue of over $1 billion, turnover must have decreased by 50%. Businesses are then required by law to pay the subsidy to their staff, in lieu of their usual wages. This response came after the enormous job losses seen just a week prior when an estimated 1 million Australians lost their jobs. This massive loss in jobs caused the myGov website to crash and lines out of Centrelink offices to run hundreds of metres long.The program was backdated to 1 March, to aim at reemploying the many people who had just lost their jobs in the weeks before. Businesses would receive the JobKeeper subsidy for six months. On 2 April, the number of cases in Victoria exceeded 1,000, including over 100 healthcare workers. On 5 April, New South Wales Police launched a criminal investigation into whether the operator of Ruby Princess, Carnival Australia, broke the Biosecurity Act 2015 (Cwth) and New South Wales state laws, by deliberately concealing COVID-19 cases. On 6 April, the Department of Health revealed that 2,432 people recovered from the infection as the federal government started reporting recovery statistics. This is more than a third from the official number reported so far, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly stating, "I think it is important. Firstly it really reinforces that message, which is a true one, that most people who get this disease do recover”. The day before, at 3pm, it was announced that 2,315 of the 5,687 confirmed coronavirus cases had recovered. May 2020 - An outbreak in Victoria at a meatworks that was later revealed to be Cedar Meats was announced on 02 May with eight cases. By 8 May, the cluster of cases linked to Cedar Meats in Victoria was 71, consisting of at least 57 workers and 13 close contacts, including a nurse, aged care worker and high school student. The number had increased to 75 by 9 May, 88 by 13 May, and 90 by 14 May. On 9 May, two Victorian cases were announced to be related to McDonald's Fawkner. By 18 May, this had increased to 12 cases, and on that day it was revealed that a delivery driver had tested positive, prompting the closing for cleaning of 12 more McDonald's locations: Melton East, Laverton North, Yallambie, Taylors Lakes, Campbellfield, Sunbury, Hoppers Crossing, Riverdale Village, Sandown, Calder Highway Northbound/Outbound, Calder Highway Southbound/Inbound, and BP Rockbank Service Centre Outbound. On 15 May, South Australia became the second jurisdiction, after the ACT, to be free of any active cases, however on 26 May, a woman returning from overseas who was granted exemption into South Australia from her hotel quarantine in Victoria tested positive for COVID-19. This was the first new case in 19 days for the state.[101] On 4 June, it was announced that the woman had recovered and the state was free of any active cases once again.[102] On 17 May, Victoria announced two further business sites had been shut down due to a suspected case at each. Domino's Pizza in Fairfield has been shut for two weeks, and mattress manufacturer The Comfort Group in Deer Park was closed from Friday 15 May to at least Wednesday 20 May. On 6 June, both New South Wales and Victoria reported no new cases for the previous 24 hours, with only Queensland and Western Australia reporting one new case each, the lowest national total since February. Western Australia also announced two old cases. However, the new case in Queensland was linked to the Rydges on Swanston cluster in Melbourne when a man who travelled from Melbourne to Brisbane on Virgin flight VA313 on 1 June tested positive.Colour photographs of closure signs on the E.J Tippett Library due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and associated lock down and social distancing requirements.covid-19, corona virus, pandemic, social distancing, ballarat school of mines, e.j. tippett library, lock down

The Ballarat School of Mines Bricklaying Department was located at a building in Yuille Street before moving to a custom build facility in Grant StreetThree photographs from the former Ballarat School of Mines Bricklating School in Yuille Street, Ballarat. 1. 'Bricklaying SMB' depicted in brick paving at the front of the building. 2. University of Ballarat Bricklaying sign on the door of the building 3. Brick Building with a School of Mines & Industries Bricklaying Department - sponsored by Selkirk Bricks and Paversbricklaying, ballarat school of mines bricklaying department, buildings, yuille street, selkirk bricks and pavers, building construction

In 1900 this building was described as 'handsome in design, well lit, well ventilated, commodious - containing Council room, office, chemical laboratory, mineralogical laboratory, students room and six lecture rooms. Postcard of the original hand coloured plan on linen of the Ballarat School of Mines New Classrooms (from 2014 known as the Federation University Australia SMB campus Administration Building). The plan shows the front elevation, section on line, ground and 1st floor plan. ballarat school of mines, new classrooms, administration building, architectural plans

Former students of the Ballarat School of Mines during their reunion.Ballarat School of Mines Reunion of the class of 1964-5, held in the Amenities building at SMB Campus.ballarat school of mines, alumni, reunion, frank fleming, gerald jenzen, kelly haseloff, pam sutcliffe, lee crosbie

This sign was originally fixed to the Administration Building in Lydiard Street South. The Ballarat School of Mines Council Minutes of 19 August 1953 records that the quotation of Claude Neon Signs (Victoria) for five pounds 15 shillings. Colour photograph of an illuminated sign used at the Ballarat School of Mines. In 2020 it is displayed in 'The Workshop' cafe in the SMB Campus Flecknoe building.The School of Mines and Industriesballarat school of mines, illuminated sign, neon sign

Plans that were on display for opening of the refurnbished Flecknoe BuildingThree images of plans for the refurbishment of the Flecknoe Building at the Federation University SMB Building.ballarat school of mines, flecknoe builiding, refurbishment, buildings

The E.J. Tippett Librocate.ary is named after the late E.J. Tippett who was a long time President of the Ballarat School of Mines Council, and library advocate. In February 1985, the first sod for the new SMB Campus building was turned by the Minister for Planning and the Environment, the Hon. Evan Walker, M.P. The overall responsibility for the building rested with the Public Works Department in association with the SMB Campus architect, Ewan Jones & Associates and the builder, S. J. Weir Pty. Ltd. They put together the facility that is both functional and of a style that merges with the surrounding architecture. The new building opened in 1986.Colour photographs showing the exterior of the E.J. Tippett Library at Federation University Australia SMB Campus. e.j. tippett library, tippett library, smb library, tippett, e.j. tippett, ewan jones and associates

Colour photograph of the Federation University SMB Campus, Lydiard Street, Ballarat.smb library, ballarat school of mines, smb campus, ballarat technical art school, administration building, former wesley church, former ballarat gaol

Colour photograph of the Federation University SMB Campus S Building known as Federation College.ballarat school of mines, federation college, s building, buildings, grant street

Colour photograph of the Federation University SMB Campus known as Federation TAFE.ballarat school of mines, buildings, grant street, federation tafe

A large colour photograph showing David Battersby with 2 students outside the Former Ballarat Gaol gates on SMB Campus.david battersby, international students, ballarat gaol gates, vice chancellor

Black and white photographic image of young men in a chemical laboratory at the Ballarat School of Mines. It is a loose page for the 1908 SMB Calendarballarat school of mines, chemical laboratory, laboratory, boaters

The Ballarat School of Mines had a functioning model mine.Two photographic images of the Ballarat School of Mines Cyanide House and the Maddern Roasting Furnace from the 1908 SMB Calendar.ballarat school of mines, maddern furnace, cyanide house, model mine

Colour photographThis Stone was laid by The Hon. H.S. Lawson, Premier of Victoria in the Jubilee Year of the Institution 15t April 1920 W.H. Middleton, Presidentbuildings, ballarat school of mines, smb campus, premier of victoria, w.h. middleton, plaque, memorial stone, foundation stone, anniversary, h.s.w. lawson

Corbould Hall was named after Ballarat School of Mines alumni WIlliam Corbould. William Corbould was the son of a Ballarat tailor. He attended Ballarat College, and obtained certificates in assaying and metallurgy at the Ballarat School of Mines (SMB) in 1883, studying under the revered Professor Mica Smith. Corbould was not a born student and remembered his first experience at SMB: 'From the Registrar's Office I was led to be introduced to the Professor of Chemistry, one Mica Smith. The initial encounter gave me little encouragement - his large laboratory was filled with hundreds of bottles bearing strange labels with queer symbols on them. My heart sank. At the first opportunity I grabbed my hat and made for the door, but the good professor called me back. I pointed out that I was never any good at school ... so it was no use pretending to be clever enough to understand all those weird symbols! The Professor told me not to worry about that and took me to one of the benches where he found a blowpipe and a charcoal block. Mixing together two powders from bottles on the shelf he transferred a sample to the charcoal and directed the bunsen flame onto it. Soon it began to melt and a white bead appeared in front of my eyes. He then took a test tube and added a little colourless liquid from each of two bottles. A beautiful dark blue colour appeared. My interest was won.' During Corbould's mining career he travelled to Europe twice, and visited most of Australia's main mining fields. Corbould started his career as an assayer at Pinnacle Silver Mine, Silverton, and was then a self-employed assayer at Broken Hill. Corbould became an assayer for the infant BHP mine, and later worked in Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie, including managing Hannan's Reward, the oldest gold mine on the Kalgoorlie gold field. He spent 13 years at the Mount Elliott copper fields as general manager. In 1923, at the age of 57, Corbould went to Mount Isa and reported on options, experimented with new metallurgical processes and floated a company. John Carden of CRA said: 'Corbould was the man who brought Urquhart to Mount Isa. He was the man who made it all possible. He is tremendously important in the Mount Isa story, because he was the first technical man, the first professional man on the scene. He was responsible as I said, for bringing finance to the place, but I think even more importantly he was the first man to recognise the need to put all the little claims in the Mount Isa discovery together. I think perhaps his major contribution to Mount Isa was this amalgamation on the various claims. He recognised that the ore bodies at Mount Isa were not as rich as Broken Hill and they would never have survived had it been fragmented, so he was terribly important.' After completing major financial negotiations for Mt Isa Mine from London in 1927 Corbould remained in Europe where he remained until his death. Corbould was awarded the Legion of Honour of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurigical Engineers for fifty years service. Corbould died at Monaco in 1949 at the age of 82. He bequested 6000 pounds to the Ballarat School of Mines, his will stating 'for the purpose of founding a scholarship to commemorate the memory of the late Alfred Mica Smith'. The accumulated income from this sum provides the Mica Smith travelling scholarship, enabling successful students in mining, metallurgy or chemistry to undertake a year's travelling abroad. The first award was made in 1957. In the same year a general purpose hall at SMB was named the Corbould Hall as a tribute to a distinguished former student and generous benefactor.ballarat school of mines corbould building, corbould hall, corbould building

Hester Clara Darby joined the staff of the School of Mines, Ballarat (SMB) as an assistant to senior Commercial Classes in April 1916. On 01 February 1921 she was appointed a lecturer. She taught the 'Touch' Method of typing, Commercial Correspondence and Office Routine. During the war years Hester Darby, still teaching at SMB, worked as the honorary stenographer to the Ballarat Area Office. She was working in this capacity when troops from USA were billeted in Ballarat. After 41 years Hester Darby retired from the position of Typewriting Instructress in the Commercial Department in 1962.smb, ballarat school of mines, commercial classes, lecturer, touch typing, commercial correspondence, office routine, 1921-1962, world war 2, honorary stenographer to area office, usa troops billeted in ballarat

Ruby Lonie was Senior Clerk of the Ballarat School of Mines (SMB) Administrative Staff. Always known as Miss Lonie, her sole position was at SMB where she worked between May 1914 and May 1960. When the SMB Registrar, John Robinson, died in 1935 the question of who would fill the position became a matter of urgency. The temporary answer was Miss Lonie, who was the senior clerk on the Registrar's staff. The permanent position was looked upon as an exclusively male preserve. Twenty Four years after having acted as Registrar the current SMB Registrar, F.F.Ferguson recognised Miss Lonie's assistance and her extensive knowledge of the history and the administrative procedures of the School. At Miss Lonie's retirement function SMB President, M.B. John, noted that Miss Lonie had joined the staff in 1914 and had 'done a tremendous job since that time, and for many years had been the Registrar's "Right Hand Man"women of note, ruby helen lonie, ballarat school of mines, senior clerk, administrative staff, acting registrar, recognition at retirement, f ferguson, smb president, m b john, 1914-1960

This footage was taken during lockdowns during the Covid19 pandemic.A video and photograph showing snow falling by the former Ballarat Gaol Gates.snow, former ballarat gaol, ballarat school of mines, smb campus, covid19

This footage was taken during lockdowns during the Covid19 pandemic.A video and photograph showing snow falling Snow Falling Over the Ballarat School of Mines Botanical Gardens.snow, ballarat school of mines, smb campus, covid19, ballarat school of mines botanical gardens

This footage was taken during lockdowns during the Covid19 pandemic.A video and photograph showing snow falling Snow Falling Over the Ballarat School of Mines Botanical Gardens.snow, ballarat school of mines, smb campus, covid19, ballarat school of mines botanical gardens, p building