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Vision Australia
Photograph - Image, John Wicking and Arthur Wilkins with Australia Day honours, 26/01/1981
John Wicking and Arthur Wilkins smile happily after their investiture at Government House.B/W photograph of John Wicking and Arthur Wilkins after their investiture on Australia Day.Sharing a joke. John Wickham [sic] (left) President of the Association (1973-1984) and Arthur Wilkins, Manager, Kooyong Centre (1968-1976).john wicking, arthur wilkins, association for the blind -
Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages
Book, George Mackaness, George Augustus Robinson's journey into South-Eastern Australia, 1844 with George Henry Haydon's narrative of part of the same journey, 1978
Looking at the journeys of George Augustus Robinson and George Henry Haydon into South-Eastern Australia.maps, b&w illustrations, b&w photographsgeorge augustus robinson -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Article, Whitehorse Australia Day celebrations, 2008
Postcard advertising the White horse Australia Day celebrations on Saturday 26 January 2008.Postcard advertising the White horse Australia Day celebrations on Saturday 26 January 2008.Postcard advertising the White horse Australia Day celebrations on Saturday 26 January 2008.festivals and celebrations, city of whitehorse, australia day 2008 -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book, The Beginnings of Government in Australia
WARRNAMBOOL MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE Warrnambool's Mechanics' Institute (or Institution as it was sometimes called) was one of the earliest in Victoria. On 17th October 1853, a meeting was held where it was resolved to request the Lieutenant Governor of the Colony to grant land for the erection of a Mechanics' Institutes building. A committee was formed at the meeting and Richard Osburne chaired the first meeting of this committee. The land on the North West corner of Banyan and Merri Streets was granted but there were no funds to erect the building. The Formal Rights of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute's encompassed its aims and these were officially adopted in1859; "This Institution has for its object the diffusion of literary, scientific, and other useful knowledge amongst its members, excluding all controversial subjects, religious or political. These objects are sought to be obtained by means of a circulating library, a reading room, the establishment of classes, debates, and the occasional delivery of lectures on natural and experimental philosophy, mechanics, astronomy, chemistry, natural history, literature, and the useful and ornamental arts, particularly those which have a more immediate reference to the colony." The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute opened its first reading room in November 1884 in the National School building at the corner of Banyan and Timor Streets. The Institute was funded by member subscription, payable on a quarterly, half-yearly or yearly basis. Samuel Hannaford, the Manager of the Warrnambool Bank of Australasia, was the first Honorary Secretary of the Mechanics' Institutes, and an early President and Vice-President. He also gave several of the early lectures in the Reading Room. Another early Secretary, Librarian and lecturer was Marmaduke Fisher, the teacher at the National School. Lecture topics included The Poets and Poetry of Ireland', 'The Birth and Development of the Earth', 'The Vertebrae - with Remarks on the pleasures resulting from the study of Natural History' and 'Architecture'. In 1856 the Reading Room was moved to James Hider's shop in Timor Street, and by 1864 it was located in the bookshop of Davies and Read. In the 1860's the Mechanics' Institute struggled as membership waned but in 1866, after a series of fundraising efforts, the committee was able to purchase land in Liebig Street, on a site then called Market Square, between the weighbridge and the fire station. A Mechanics' Institute building was opened at this site in August 1871. The following year four more rooms were added to the main Reading Room and in 1873 the Artisan School of Design was incorporated into the Institute. The same year Joseph Archibald established a Museum; however, it deteriorated when he was transferred to Bendigo in 1877. In 1880, with Archibald's return to Warrnambool, the Museum was re-established, and in 1885 a new building was built at the back of the Institute to accommodate the re-created School of Design, the Art Gallery and the Museum. In 1887 the Museum section was moved to the former courthouse in Timor Street (for some time the walls of the building formed part of the TAFE cafeteria but all is now demolished)). In 1911 the Museum was transferred back to the original building and the management of the Mechanics' Institute was handed over to the Warrnambool City Council. The Museum and Art Gallery became one and housed many fine works of art, and the Library continued to grow. The building was well patronised, with records showing that at the beginning of the 20th century there were between 500 and 800 visitors. During World War One the monthly figures were in the thousands, with 3,400 people visiting in January 1915. The Museum was a much - loved Institution in Warrnambool until the contents of the Museum and Art Gallery were removed to make room for the Warrnambool City Council Engineers' Department. The contents were stored but many of the items were scattered or lost. When the original building was demolished the site became occupied by the Civic Centre, which included the new City Library. (The library was temporarily located in the old Palais building in Koroit Street.) In the process of reorganisation the Collection was distributed amongst the community groups: -The new City Library took some of the historical books and some important documents, historic photographs and newspapers. -The Art Gallery kept the 19th Century art collection and some of the artefacts from the museum. -The Historical Society has some items -The State Museum has some items -Some items were destroyed -Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village has old newspapers, Government Gazettes, most of the Mechanics' Institute Library, ledgers and documents connected to the Mechanics' Institute Library, some framed and unframed artworks and some photographs. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute Library book collection is deemed to be of great importance because it is one of the few collections in an almost intact state, and many of the books are now very rare and of great value. WARRNAMBOOL PUBLIC LIBRARY The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) was formed by a voluntary community group in 1863, within six years of Warrnambool’s beginnings, and its Reading Room opened in 1854. The WMI operated until 1963, at which time it was one of the oldest Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria. Mechanics’ Institutes offered important services to the public including libraries, reading rooms and places to display and store collections of all sorts such as curiosities and local historical relics. In 1886 a Museum and Fine Arts Gallery were added to the WMI and by the beginning of the 20th century, there was also a billiards room and a School of Art. By this time all Mechanics’ Institutes in country Victoria had museums attached. Over the years the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Library was also known as the Warrnambool Public Library the Warrnambool Library and the Free Library. Early funding from the government was for the “Free Library”. The inscription in a book “Science of Man” was for the “Warrnambool Public Library”, donated by Joseph Archibald in 1899. Another inscription in the book “Catalogue of Plants Under Cultivation in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens 1 & 2, 1883” was presented to the “Warrnambool Library” and signed by the author W.R. Guilfoyle. In 1903 the Warrnambool Public Library decided to add a Juvenile Department to library and stock it with hundreds of books suitable for youth. In 1905 the Public Library committee decided to update the collection of books and added 100 new novels plus arrangements for the latest novels to be included as soon as they were available in Victoria. In July 1911 the Warrnambool Council took over the management of the Public Library, Art Gallery, Museum and Mechanics’ Institute and planned to double the size of the then-current building. In 1953, when Mr R. Pattison was Public Librarian, the Warrnambool Public Library’s senior section 10,000 of the 13,000 books were fiction. The children’s section offered an additional 3,400 books. The library had the equivalent of one book per head of population and served around 33 per cent of the reading population. The collection of books was made up of around 60 per cent reference and 40 per cent fiction. The library was lending 400 books per day. In 1963 the Warrnambool City Council allocated the site of the Mechanics’ Institute building, which included the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery, for the new Municipal Offices and the Collections were dispersed until 1971. The Warrnambool Library took over the Mechanics’ Institute Library’s holdings on behalf of the Warrnambool City Council. Since the closure of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute the exact location and composition of the original WMI books and items have become unclear. Other materials have been added to the collection, including items from Terang MI, Warrnambool Court House and Customs House. Many of the books have been identified as the Pattison Collection, named after the Librarian who catalogued and numbered the books during his time as Warrnambool Public Librarian in the time before the Mechanics’ Institute closed. It seems that when Warrnambool became part of the Corangamite Regional Library some of the books and materials went to its head office in Colac and then back to Warrnambool where they were stored at the Art Gallery for quite some time. Some then went to the Warrnambool Historical Society, some stayed at the Art Gallery and some were moved to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The various stamps and labels on the books held at Flagstaff Hill show the variety of the collection’s distribution and origin. The books in the collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village date from the 1850s to the late 1950s and include rare and valuable volumes. Many of the books are part of the “Pattison Collection” after the Warrnambool’s Public Librarian, Mr R. Pattison. The Pattison Collection, along with other items at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, was originally part of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s publication collection is of both local and state significance. The Beginnings of Government in Australia Author: By Authority Publisher: Government Printer Sydney Date: 1913 The label on the spine cover with typed text R.A. 994.04 BEG flagstaff hil, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, book, pattison collection, warrnambool library, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, ralph eric pattison, corangamite regional library service, warrnambool city librarian, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library, the beginnings of government in australia -
Charlton RSL Sub Branch
Decorative object - Shell casing, One of two (2) shell casings with Rising Sun and Australia badges attached
One of a pair of 40mm shell casings with Rising Sun badge and Australia badge attached1941 CF LOT 588 No18 1 -
Charlton RSL Sub Branch
Decorative object - Shell casing, Second of two (2) shell casings with Rising Sun and Australia badges attached
Second of a pair of 40mm shell casings with Rising Sun badge and Australia badge attached1941 CF LOT 588 No18 1 -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Document, Australia Day Family Festival - 1982, 26/01/1982 12:00:00 AM
City of Nunawading Commemorative Envelope issued to mark the Australia Day Family Festival, 1982City of Nunawading Commemorative Envelope issued to mark the Australia Day Family Festival, 1982City of Nunawading Commemorative Envelope issued to mark the Australia Day Family Festival, 1982australia day, city of nunawading, festivals and celebrations -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Document, Federal Citrus Council of Australia, 1946
Draft of minutes of Australian Citrus Growers ConferenceDraft of minutes of Australian Citrus Growers Conference convened by the Council 30 Jan 1946.Draft of minutes of Australian Citrus Growers Conference clubs and associations, federal citrus council of australia, australian citrus growers conference -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Photograph, Australia Post truck delivery Post Box, 1/09/2000 12:00:00 AM
see NP2188Coloured photo of Post Box being removed from back of Australia Post truck.australia post -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Photograph, Australia Post workers positioning Post Box, 1/09/2000 12:00:00 AM
See NP2188Coloured photo of Australia Post Workers positioning Post Box in the Museum Implement Shed.australia post -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Photograph, Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony, 26/01/1987 12:00:00 AM
Black and white photo of Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony. Mayor Cr. Wendy Reid.reid, wendy, sydenham, diane, australia day, citizenship ceremonies -
National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)
Film - Film, DVD, Australia remembers: 50th Anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Long Tan & Vietnam Veterans' Day, 2016
Service held at the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial in Canberra on the 18th August, 2016.battle of long tan, australian vietnam forces national memorial -
Federation University Historical Collection
Photograph - Colour, T Building on the Mount Helen Campus of Federation University Australia, 2006, 04/07/2006
An image of T Building on the Mount Helen Campus of Federation University Australia taken from the top floor of the E.J. Barker Library.federation university, t building, e.j. barker library, mount helen, mount helen buildings -
Upper Yarra Museum
Prints offset, Julian & Howard, Ashton, Deli, Celebration of the opening Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia
Printed invitation one of 4 invitaions in the set ,to invite Mr & Mrs H. H. Bradley from His Majesty's Ministers of State for Australia to Celebrtae the Opening Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia to meet their Royal Highness The Duke and Dutchess of Cornwell and York. To an evening reception at the Exhibition Building Melbourne on the 9th of May 1901, at 8 o'clockSignficant collection of 4 invitatons of national signficance Plus a printed Momento from the Duke and Dutchess 00533 Evening reception to Meet the Duke and Dutchess 00534 Invitaion from the Govenment of Victoria 00535 Invitaion from Edmund Barton the Prime Minister 00536 Invitaion from the Govenment of Victoria for a conversazione 07/05/1901 at 8 pmMounted offset print. The print is mounted on brown mount board. The print has an embossed seal of Duke and Dutchess of Cornwall and York. Printed invitation from the miniters of state to invite Mr and Mrs H H Bradley to attend the reception.Invitaion hand written. On the left is a maiden , dressed in red with a helment carrying a British Shield on the Right hand side is a maiden dressed in purple carrying a St shield . The print is bordered by vines and leaves with scrolls for text details. The print has silver and gold highlights.Printed: His Majesty's Ministers of State for the Commonwealth of Australia/ request the honour of the presence of... / in the Exhibition Building, Melbourne, on Thursday, 9th May, to witness/ the Opening of the Parliament of the Commonwealth./ Edmund Barton/ Prime Ministermelbourne, australia, commonwealth, printed offset, invitaion, celebrate opening parliament commonwealth australia, parliament, duke dutchess cornwall york, mr mrs h h bradley, exhibition building, 1901, 09 05 1901 -
Rutherglen Historical Society
Book, J & D Burrows, Energy Australia, 1974
A soft covered book of 64 pages, produced for the education of school children about the practical aspects of energy from the Australian perspective. Book citation from TROVE: Murray, Peter R & Rosier, Malcolm & Vulcan Industries Limited (1974). Energy Australia. J. & D. Burrows [for] Vulcan Industries Limited, Blackburn, Vic energy, education, school books, basic science -
Warrnambool and District Historical Society Inc.
Advertising, Travel By Sea to Western Australia, Circa 1910-1920
These two pieces of ephemera look to have been done by Zaida King probably in a competition as stated on the back of both pieces. Little more is known about the artist or the competition This work has significance as some of the earliest work produced by a student at Warrnambool Technical School which was established in 1911. Artistically the work is also quite pleasing and well executed. The Warrnambool technical school stamps on the reverse authenticates the work as belonging to Warrnambool. 001211.1 Blue and orange advertising poster mounted on grey card . 001211.2 Purple brown and orange advertising poster mounted on grey card. Both pictures depict a man, woman and child in foreground waving on a poster which is superimposed over map of Australia. City with wharf area and ship with streamers in background. Coloured text is above and below the drawing.Note for three plate color process in silver text at bottom on grey mount. Handwritten on back of both is competitor Laida V G King, Stamped is Warrnambool Technical School 192 . John King Principal. Travel by Sea to Western Australia is the text on the front of the work.ephemera, warrnambool technical school,, zaida king -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Photograph - Bendigo Munitions Factory (ADI) Photos, Australian Defence Industries (Now THALES AUSTRALIA), c1942
The Bendigo Ordnance Factory began operating in 1942, producing heavy artillery and naval guns. In the late 1990s the then Federal Government-owned facility was sold to the multinational Thales, which continues to operate the factory today. The Ted Hocking collection of photos were digitized onto two CDs in 2014. As well the Bendigo Historical Society has a collection of glass negatives includes some slides of women working in the munitions factory. Seven slides were included in an album that was prepared for Dr Edith Summerskill who visited Australia in 1944 as part of an Empire Parliamentary Delegation. The album included photographs of Australian women working at the factory during WW2. A copy of the album is in the Collection of the Australian War Memorial.Twenty-three photos produced by the Bendigo Munitions Factory, later known as the Ordnance Factory and then the Australian Defense Industries. The photos are some of the oldest photos taken in the workshop, with women staff (possibly during the war years).history, bendigo, bendigo munitions factory, bendigo ordnance, bendigo adi, doctor edith summerskill, ww2, slide box 1 10165, slide box 2 10166, slide box 3 10167, ted hocking collection -
Glenelg Shire Council Cultural Collection
Book - Book - The Quest For Peace As I Have Known It In Australia, Moore, Eleanor M, The Quest For Peace As I Have Known It In Australia, 1949
Blue cloth-covered board covers and spine. Black text on front cover and spine. -
University of Melbourne, Burnley Campus Archives
Booklet, Graduate Careers Council of Australia, Into employment: a guide for students in tertiary institutions, 1971
Issued by Graduate Careers Council of Australiacareers, graduates -
Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages
Book, Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia, Australia's Indigenous languages in practice, 1996
Based on the Australian Indigenous Languages Framework.b&w illustrations, tables, word lists, sample programs and examination paperskaurna, pitjantjatjara, yankunytjatjara, antikirinya, yolgnu, pilbara, language and culture, bilingual education, linguistics, language and technology, teaching programs, -
Old Castlemaine Schoolboys Association Inc.
Postal Order, 1970s
Commonwealth of Australia Postal order for 50c -
Mont De Lancey
Book, William Applegate Gullick, Under the Southern Cross Australia, 1911
A non fiction book showing full page black and white photograph glimpses of the six states and one territory of Australia in 1910. The ACT is not shown as it was not a territory until 1911. There is simple text describing each photograph at the top and bottom of each page.A blue covered rectangular hardcover book titled in red text and black text on the front cover - Under the Southern Cross with a white map of Australia and Papua with five grey stars of varying sizes with lined rays around each one. Inside on the title page is printed, Glimpses of Australia - Issued under the the direction of the GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA. Department of External Affairs, Melbourne 1910. On the back of the title page is printed Sydney: William Applegate Gullick, Government Printer for the state of New South Wales. 1911 above an ornate lined symbol. Opposite the title page is a detailed map of Australia showing six states, the Northern Territory but not the ACT which didn't become a territory until 1911. The ACT (Self-Government) Act 1988 established the framework for the ACT Self-government.non-fictionA non fiction book showing full page black and white photograph glimpses of the six states and one territory of Australia in 1910. The ACT is not shown as it was not a territory until 1911. There is simple text describing each photograph at the top and bottom of each page.australia, australian states, australian territory, australian life, australian cities -
Lara RSL Sub Branch
Book, Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-18 - Volume VI - The AIF in France 1918 Author C.E.W. Bean. The AIF in France May 1918- the Armistice, Published 1942
This volume deals with those months in which the first World War turned against the German Army on the western front, and shows in detail how, in the crucial Amiens sector that change was brought about. The completion of the story of the final offensive in 1918.An account of the conclusion of the first world war with Germany being defeated and surrendering.Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-18 - Volume VI - The AIF in France 1918. Hardcover cardboard. Maps, diagrams, illustrations, chronologygerman surrender, battle of aisne 1918, monash succeeds, battle of hamel, amiens, armistice, peace treaty signed, battle of montbrehain -
Beechworth Honey Archive
Publication, Beehive Management In Australia (Howard Sloane), 1975
Soft Cover book, A5 size, white with black & white picture of hives among the Yellow Gums near Geelong, Victoria, Australia -
Port Melbourne Historical & Preservation Society
Document, "Maritime Australia: Flags and funnels seen in Australian waters", 1938
Colour copy of a CountryLife supplement from November 25, 1938. Showing the "Flags and Funnels seen in Australian waters". Mounted on display boardtransport - shipping -
Lakes Entrance Regional Historical Society (operating as Lakes Entrance History Centre & Museum)
Book, Batterbee, John and Williams, Roy, A Guide to Affordable Antiques and Collectables in Australia, 1994
A guide to Australia's antique heritage. Includes a time chart of styles of furniture, jewellery, silverware, glassware, crockery, clocks and various ephemera. Indexed.antiques -
Greensborough Historical Society
Book, Kaye Harman, Australia brought to book: responses to Australia by visiting writers, 1836-1939, comp. & edited by Kaye Harman, 1985
247 p. black and white illustrations, dustjacketnon-fictionaustralian culture, australia literary collections -
Greensborough Historical Society
Book and CD, Australia. Department of Veterans Affairs, Investigating Gallipoli : a resource for secondary schools, 2010
Educational worksheets and activities used to teach children about Australia's role in the Gallipoli Campaign.Book: 80 p., illus. (some col.), maps, worksheets. Includes 2 discs: Disc 1 (video) Australians at War Episode 2; Disc 2 (DVD-ROM) Interactive activities and ABCs Gallipoli: the First Day website.australia department of veterans affairs, gallipoli, world war i, educational aids -
Mont De Lancey
Book, Peter Cuffley, Buggies & Horse-Drawn Vehicles in Australia, 1994
This book evokes the fascinating golden era of horse-drawn vehicles in Australia in the 1800 and 1900's. The author's practical expertise and first-hand research and a wealth of contemporary illustrations, make it an indispensable guide for both the collector and restorer. It traces the development of horse-drawn road transport from the boom period of coach building to its decline in the early decades of the 20th century.A large square green paperback book about Buggies & Horse-Drawn Vehicles used for transport in Australia. The cover has a green border with a picture of a man and boy sitting in an open one horse-drawn buggy outside a house. There are many diagrams, photos and illustrations throughout. It discusses in-depth, the history, types and various aspects of these vehicles used On the front ight end paperin the early days from the 1800's-1900's. Pp.208.non-fictionThis book evokes the fascinating golden era of horse-drawn vehicles in Australia in the 1800 and 1900's. The author's practical expertise and first-hand research and a wealth of contemporary illustrations, make it an indispensable guide for both the collector and restorer. It traces the development of horse-drawn road transport from the boom period of coach building to its decline in the early decades of the 20th century.australian history, social history, horse-drawn vehicles, early road transport, coaches, buggies -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book, Australia Unlimited
WARRNAMBOOL MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE Warrnambool's Mechanics' Institute (or Institution as it was sometimes called) was one of the earliest in Victoria. On 17th October 1853, a meeting was held where it was resolved to request the Lieutenant Governor of the Colony to grant land for the erection of a Mechanics' Institutes building. A committee was formed at the meeting and Richard Osburne chaired the first meeting of this committee. The land on the North West corner of Banyan and Merri Streets was granted but there were no funds to erect the building. The Formal Rights of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute's encompassed its aims and these were officially adopted in1859; "This Institution has for its object the diffusion of literary, scientific, and other useful knowledge amongst its members, excluding all controversial subjects, religious or political. These objects are sought to be obtained by means of a circulating library, a reading room, the establishment of classes, debates, and the occasional delivery of lectures on natural and experimental philosophy, mechanics, astronomy, chemistry, natural history, literature, and the useful and ornamental arts, particularly those which have a more immediate reference to the colony." The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute opened its first reading room in November 1884 in the National School building at the corner of Banyan and Timor Streets. The Institute was funded by member subscription, payable on a quarterly, half-yearly or yearly basis. Samuel Hannaford, the Manager of the Warrnambool Bank of Australasia, was the first Honorary Secretary of the Mechanics' Institutes, and an early President and Vice-President. He also gave several of the early lectures in the Reading Room. Another early Secretary, Librarian and lecturer was Marmaduke Fisher, the teacher at the National School. Lecture topics included The Poets and Poetry of Ireland', 'The Birth and Development of the Earth', 'The Vertebrae - with Remarks on the pleasures resulting from the study of Natural History' and 'Architecture'. In 1856 the Reading Room was moved to James Hider's shop in Timor Street, and by 1864 it was located in the bookshop of Davies and Read. In the 1860's the Mechanics' Institute struggled as membership waned but in 1866, after a series of fundraising efforts, the committee was able to purchase land in Liebig Street, on a site then called Market Square, between the weighbridge and the fire station. A Mechanics' Institute building was opened at this site in August 1871. The following year four more rooms were added to the main Reading Room and in 1873 the Artisan School of Design was incorporated into the Institute. The same year Joseph Archibald established a Museum; however, it deteriorated when he was transferred to Bendigo in 1877. In 1880, with Archibald's return to Warrnambool, the Museum was re-established, and in 1885 a new building was built at the back of the Institute to accommodate the re-created School of Design, the Art Gallery and the Museum. In 1887 the Museum section was moved to the former courthouse in Timor Street (for some time the walls of the building formed part of the TAFE cafeteria but all is now demolished)). In 1911 the Museum was transferred back to the original building and the management of the Mechanics' Institute was handed over to the Warrnambool City Council. The Museum and Art Gallery became one and housed many fine works of art, and the Library continued to grow. The building was well patronised, with records showing that at the beginning of the 20th century there were between 500 and 800 visitors. During World War One the monthly figures were in the thousands, with 3,400 people visiting in January 1915. The Museum was a much - loved Institution in Warrnambool until the contents of the Museum and Art Gallery were removed to make room for the Warrnambool City Council Engineers' Department. The contents were stored but many of the items were scattered or lost. When the original building was demolished the site became occupied by the Civic Centre, which included the new City Library. (The library was temporarily located in the old Palais building in Koroit Street.) In the process of reorganisation the Collection was distributed amongst the community groups: -The new City Library took some of the historical books and some important documents, historic photographs and newspapers. -The Art Gallery kept the 19th Century art collection and some of the artefacts from the museum. -The Historical Society has some items -The State Museum has some items -Some items were destroyed -Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village has old newspapers, Government Gazettes, most of the Mechanics' Institute Library, ledgers and documents connected to the Mechanics' Institute Library, some framed and unframed artworks and some photographs. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute Library book collection is deemed to be of great importance because it is one of the few collections in an almost intact state, and many of the books are now very rare and of great value. WARRNAMBOOL PUBLIC LIBRARY The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) was formed by a voluntary community group in 1863, within six years of Warrnambool’s beginnings, and its Reading Room opened in 1854. The WMI operated until 1963, at which time it was one of the oldest Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria. Mechanics’ Institutes offered important services to the public including libraries, reading rooms and places to display and store collections of all sorts such as curiosities and local historical relics. In 1886 a Museum and Fine Arts Gallery were added to the WMI and by the beginning of the 20th century, there was also a billiards room and a School of Art. By this time all Mechanics’ Institutes in country Victoria had museums attached. Over the years the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Library was also known as the Warrnambool Public Library the Warrnambool Library and the Free Library. Early funding from the government was for the “Free Library”. The inscription in a book “Science of Man” was for the “Warrnambool Public Library”, donated by Joseph Archibald in 1899. Another inscription in the book “Catalogue of Plants Under Cultivation in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens 1 & 2, 1883” was presented to the “Warrnambool Library” and signed by the author W.R. Guilfoyle. In 1903 the Warrnambool Public Library decided to add a Juvenile Department to library and stock it with hundreds of books suitable for youth. In 1905 the Public Library committee decided to update the collection of books and added 100 new novels plus arrangements for the latest novels to be included as soon as they were available in Victoria. In July 1911 the Warrnambool Council took over the management of the Public Library, Art Gallery, Museum and Mechanics’ Institute and planned to double the size of the then-current building. In 1953, when Mr R. Pattison was Public Librarian, the Warrnambool Public Library’s senior section 10,000 of the 13,000 books were fiction. The children’s section offered an additional 3,400 books. The library had the equivalent of one book per head of population and served around 33 per cent of the reading population. The collection of books was made up of around 60 per cent reference and 40 per cent fiction. The library was lending 400 books per day. In 1963 the Warrnambool City Council allocated the site of the Mechanics’ Institute building, which included the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery, for the new Municipal Offices and the Collections were dispersed until 1971. The Warrnambool Library took over the Mechanics’ Institute Library’s holdings on behalf of the Warrnambool City Council. Since the closure of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute the exact location and composition of the original WMI books and items have become unclear. Other materials have been added to the collection, including items from Terang MI, Warrnambool Court House and Customs House. Many of the books have been identified as the Pattison Collection, named after the Librarian who catalogued and numbered the books during his time as Warrnambool Public Librarian in the time before the Mechanics’ Institute closed. It seems that when Warrnambool became part of the Corangamite Regional Library some of the books and materials went to its head office in Colac and then back to Warrnambool where they were stored at the Art Gallery for quite some time. Some then went to the Warrnambool Historical Society, some stayed at the Art Gallery and some were moved to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The various stamps and labels on the books held at Flagstaff Hill show the variety of the collection’s distribution and origin. The books in the collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village date from the 1850s to the late 1950s and include rare and valuable volumes. Many of the books are part of the “Pattison Collection” after the Warrnambool’s Public Librarian, Mr R. Pattison. Australia Unlimited Author: Edwin J Brady, Publisher: George Robertson and Company Date: 1926 The label on spine cover with typed text RA 919.4 BRA Paste down front end paper has a sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Library Front loose end paper has a stamp from Warrnambool Public Museumflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, book, pattison collection, warrnambool library, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, ralph eric pattison, corangamite regional library service, warrnambool city librarian, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library, australia unlimited