This file contains five items: 1/An official programme for the Glenhuntly Traders Association’s Annual Christmas Festivals on 22/11/1986. 2/A handwritten letter from Vice President Kaye Georgiades of the Glenhuntly Traders Association to Mr. Balentine thanking him for photos lent. The letter is undated. 3/A typed letter from the Glenhuntly Traders Association to Mr. R. Ballantyne of the Caulfield Historical Society thanking him for helping and supporting the Festival and Payment Art Competition. Dated 30/10/1986. 4/Two typed letters from the Glenhuntly Traders Association to Mr. Ballantyne of the Caulfield Historical Society regarding planned activities for the 1986 and 1987 Christmas Festivals. 5/A black-and-white photograph of members of the Glenhuntly Traders Association, including Gus Theobold pictured on the left. The photo is undated and was published in the Caulfield Contact newspaper.glenhuntly traders, glenhuntly traders associations, caulfield festival, glenhuntly road, booran road, grange road, caulfield, watsons grove, glenhuntly newsagency, royal avenue, campbell j., farey j. mr., manchester grover, mayors, ryall m., caulfield historical society, glenhuntly bowling club, caulfield grammar band, caulfield baton twirlers, glenhuntly christmas festival, glenhuntly festival, truscott v., balentine mr., ballantyne r. mr., truscott v. mrs., neville street, carnegie, georgiades kaye, ford p., glenhuntly, glen huntly, glenhuntly pavement art festival, truscott vanessa, georgiades k., caulfield contact, theobold gus, glenhuntly shopping centre, local government, local officials and employees, associations, historical societies, bowling clubs, festivals and celebrations, festivities, musical ensembles, educational and research establishments, schools, business people, competitions, art competitions, commercial events and activities, officer workers, shows and exhibitions

The Ballarat Technical Art School boasted a well-stocked Antique Room replete with plaster copies of classical, Renaissance and Gothic sculptural examples, which were used as drawing props by students. The school inherited some casts from its predecessor institutions, and further consignments were purchased during the 1920s, including full length, bust and relief figures, as well as dozens of ornamental and architectural casts. Unfortunately, much of the collection was lost or destroyed in the late 1950s. This is one of the few surviving pieces. The foot came into the school’s collection prior to 1920 as it appears in a photo in the SMB Annual Report. There are two possibilities where these sculptures may have originated, either Victorian and Albert Museum or the British Museum. There is a reference to the purchase of plaster casts from the Victoria and Albert Museum in the 1918 School of Mines Ballarat Minute Book. This plaster cast of a foot is of local significance as only one of a few remaining teaching pieces from the substantial collection of sculptures used in the art school. The foot also has significance as an interpretive tool complementing the complete art folio of Edith Alice Watson who was a student from 1930-1933.Plaster cast of right foot including ankle. Made from plaster of Paris. Mainly white in colour with grey patches around metatarsels, flecks of blue and green paint and pale brown paint (possibly shellac) and on top of ankle. Measurements suggest a size 11 man's right foot.plaster cast, foot, drawing aid, art school, smb, edith alice watson, 1931, 1931-33, 1918, 1920, plaster of paris, sculpture, ballarat technical art school number 10, drawing from the antique, drawing the human figure from cast

The Circuit Court House buildings were located in Lydiard Street Ballarat. By 1862 the Ballarat Gaol was completed, including a tunnel connecting the Gaol to the Court House. The original initiative for the founding of the Ballarat School of Mines was taken at a meeting of the Ballarat Mining Board on 6 October 1869. The Provisional Ballarat School of Mines Council applied to the Government for the lease of the former Circuit Court House. It was approved for a 15 year period at one shilling per annum. The official opening of the Ballarat School of Mines by its first President, Sir Redmond Barry, was held 26 October 1870 in the former Circuit Court House, Lydiard Street Ballarat. Conversions were made to accommodate the new role it was to play. On 14 December 1912, demolition of the former Circuit Court House commenced. In 1915, Ballarat Technical Art School opened on the site of the former Circuit Court House. Black and white photograph of the Circuit Court House, Lydiard Street South Ballarat. Brick building with veranda across the front. This is supported by 5 groups of columns. Main section is two storey with single storey wing on either side. Arched window in centre of top storey, directly above double doorway. Features pillar effect in brick/stone across the front.ballarat school of mines, ballarat court house, ballarat circuit court house, lydiard street ballarat, sir redmond barry, ballarat mining board, government, ballarat technical art school, 1912, 1915, lydiard street south

Edith (Alice) WATSON (1914–2010) Murtoa | Australia The monogrammed initials on these buttons are for Alice Watson. Alice Watson studied at the Ballarat Technical Art School (at the School of Mines, Ballarat) from 1930 until 1933. Watson sat several departmental exams, including drawing and painting plant forms from nature, lettering, Composition of Form and Colour and advanced General Design, as well as dressmaking and embossed leatherwork. Her folio applies many Australian native floral elements to design. Upon graduating, Watson taught at the Murtoa High School, living with her parents until their deaths in 1972 and 1988 when she was 74 years old. Alice Watson died in Ballarat, aged 95, having conserved her beautiful student folio, which was generously gifted to the Federation University permanent Historical Collection by the Watson family. Two circular enamelled buttons with dark blue background and gold edging. The initials A W are the design feature. The A is white with gold edging and the W is red with gold edging. The reverse side is gold. They are contained in a small, green, octagonal shaped cardboard box. buttons, edith alice watson, alice watson, enamelled buttons, ballarat technical art school

Anderson Hunt vividly remembers the hard-core, hard-working supporters. "I see The Final Siren as a homage to those hard-working Collingwood fans who stood in the outer and barracked their hearts out. Without the hard-core supporters, the club would be nothing. I hope the sculpture gives Collingwood fans a sense of pride; pride that’s like wearing a tight footy jumper with big numbers on the back. I feel honoured to have had the chance to create this sculpture, knowing that what was there beforehand stood for so much.”Victoria Park, the former home of the Collingwood Football Club, was transformed into a major community recreation space in 2011. Yarra City Council and the Australian Government jointly funded the $7.2 million redevelopment of the Abbotsford ground. As part of the redevelopment, Council commissioned multiple works of public art. The intention of these artworks is to recognise the park’s important history and to provide interesting and educational focal points for park. visitors. This work by Anderson Hunt is in place of the original scoreboard which was demolished on 10 February 2011. Anderson Hunt remembers going to Collingwood games as a boy and wondering how the numbers on the scoreboard appeared and disappeared. He remembers being in awe of the size of the scoreboard. “It was like a huge monolith,” he recalls. He remembers a story of how the scoreboard operator, Bob Hill, would change the scores quick as a flash when the Magpies kicked a goal.Large black and white steel sculpture inspired by the form and imagery of the ground’s former scoreboards and clocks. Stylised wing and colours acknowledge the Collingwood Football Clubsport, collingwood football club, afl, history, victoria park, collingwood

Jane Annois had a long involvement with Potters Cottage in Warrandyte, where she taught for many years. Potters Cottage was established in the late 1950s in Warrandyte as an artist co-operative. Founding members included Reg Preston, Phyl Dunn, Gus McLaren, Artur Halpern, Sylvia Halpern and Elsa Ardern. These talented artists had the ingenuity and foresight to create a teaching studio, gallery shop and restaurant to experiment, make, promote and sell predominantly domestic wares of the time. These activities helped financially sustain each member’s individual creative practice. Potters Cottage was influential in the development of contemporary ceramics, building and developing practices that experimented with traditional ceramic processes, raw materials and locally sourced clay. The group mentored and nurtured many interested in the art of ceramics, producing alumni and teachers such as Peter Laycock, John Dermer, Greg Daly and Jane Annois. Jane Annois is a ceramic artist who has lived and worked locally in Warrandyte for many years. She focuses primarily on exploring the art of Japanese raku, adapting the technique to develop the typical characteristics of crackle glazes and lustres, with contrasting areas of black. Jane also applies a fine slip called terrasigillata which gives soft, warm ochre colours. This technique was once used by the Greeks over 2000 years ago to seal and decorate their pots. She is also strongly onfluenced by the French potters, particularly in the style of terre vernissee, a decorative form of terracotta tableware. Three piece stoneware and raku fired ceramic sculpture. The first piece is a hollow, dome shaped object. It is orange (terracotta slip) in colour with a copper metallic band and a black edge on one side with a small yellow glazed rounded triangle and metallic strip of colour on the otherside. The second piece is shaped like a traditional vase. It is orange (terracotta slip) in colour with white crackle on the inside. It has a yellow slip edge with a dark glazed square on one side and on the other side a black thick edge that mirrors the contour of this shape. The third piece is shaped loosley in the form of the letter 'z'. It compliments the second piece with a yellow slip edge and black glazed square to its lower left side and top right as well as on its' other side a black thick edge that mirrors the contour of this shape. This piece has a very small skewed square opening at its' top. All three pieces have elements of crazing and variations of colour and lustre, caused by the raku process. 2006.52.1VA has the artist name/signature 'J. Annois' inscriped small (with fine point ceramic tool?) on the front of the piece, bottom right; 2006.52.2VA has the artist name 'Jane'? inscribed (unlegible - with fine point ceramic tool?) underneath; 2006.52.3VA has the artist name/signature 'Jane Annois' inscriped (with fine point ceramic tool?) inside its hollow form. evolution, raku, stoneware, terrasigillata, terracotta, glazes, slip, terre vernissee

Alan Martin studied under Max Meldrum, at the National Gallery School and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He later established his own art school. He has won several prizes and is represented in several provincial collections. Alan Marshall was the author of more than fifteen books, and lived much of his life in Eltham. He became a central figure in the area's arts community of writers, artists, sculptors, film makers, actors and musicians. He contracted polio when he was young is considered one of Australia's most successful and loved authors. His most famous book, 'I Can Jump Puddles' is based on his life story and the obstacles he faced as a child in trying to overcome his disability. The portrait of Alan Marshall was exhibited as a finalist at the 1956 Archibald Prize.

This honor board was made by Robert Prenzel (1866–1941) who was born and trained in Prussia, and migrated to Australia arriving in Melbourne on 24th November on the steamer Habsburg. In Melbourne Prenzel first worked for the German sculptor and modeller Otto Waschatz, decorating private homes and public buildings. From 1891-1901 Prenzel worked in partnership with another German, Johann Christian Treede, after which he continued in business on his own. He also participated in the activities of Melbourne’s Deutscher Turnverein. During the first quarter of the current century he became the major exponent in the field of furniture and woodwork of the cult of nationalism, and was renowned for his carvings, many of them in the art nouveau style, of Australian animals, birds, trees and flowers. The two most common types of Australian timber in his work are mountain ash and blackwood.Colour photographs of a beautifully carved World War One Honour Board carved by Robert Prenzel.world war one, kalimna, kalimna honour board, h. clements, w.a. fish, d. mcdougall, j.a. rowe, c.c. sandford, c.d. somerville, l.j. cowlishaw, l.c. fish, t. hanson, c.a. innes, a.c. lester, j.a. lake, g.j. ward

Ludwig HIRSCHFELD-MACK (1893-1965) Born 11 July 1893, Frankfurt am Main, Germany In 1940 Hirschfeld-Mack was deported to Australia from England as an enemy alien in the Dunera. He was interned at Hay and Orange, New South Wales, and at Tatura, Victoria. There he made a number of woodcuts that illustrated life under detention. Released in 1942 through the sponsorship of (Sir) James Darling, headmaster of Geelong Church of England Grammar School, Hirschfeld-Mack was appointed its art master. He promoted his pupils' self-knowledge, introduced them to avant-garde painting techniques, and encouraged wood-carving, weaving, musical instrument-making, leatherwork and other crafts. (http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hirschfeld-mack-ludwig-10510, accessed 29 June 2016) He died on 7 January 1965 at Allambie Heights, Sydney Framed abstract paintingSigned in pencil lower left hand side 'L.H.Mack 1959'art, artists, mack, hirschfeld-mack, ludwig hirschfeld-mack, ludwig hirshfeld-mack, printmaking, monoprint, bauhaus

Tony NANKERVIS A graduate student from the Gippsland Centre for Art and Design (GCAD), Tony Nankervis has been a pioneer of the long wood-fired ceramics technique in Australia. He retired from lecturing at Southern Cross University after working there for 19 years in 2004. He describes his work as 'one-off functional table ware', which includes highly-individualised everyday table items. Nankervis prefers the pre-Industrial Revolution method of firing pottery, involving heating the kiln by burning wood for five days, to the modern, quicker methods using gas or electricity. The distinctive surfacing in wood-fired ceramics is generated by the ash and volatile salts from the burning wood. The wood ash and salts blush the ceramic pieces in the kiln, with finished work taking on the nature of the firing process, which has been described as painting with fire.Two woodfired earthernware cylindrical forms by Tony Nankervis. tony nankervis, woodfire, jan feder memorial collection, jan feder, ceramics, gippsland campus, jan feder memorial ceramics collection, alumni

Gift to Hilda and Eva Sebire in 1905. Uranium glass is glass which has had uranium, usually in oxide diuranate form, added to a glass mix before melting for coloration. The proportion usually varies from trace levels to about 2% uranium by weight, although some 20th-century pieces were made with up to 25% uranium.[1][2] Uranium or Vaseline glass was once made into tableware and household items, but fell out of widespread use when the availability of uranium to most industries was sharply curtailed during the Cold War in the 1940s to 1990s. Most such objects are now considered antiques or retro-era collectibles, although there has been a minor revival in art glassware. Otherwise, modern uranium glass is now mainly limited to small objects like beads or marbles as scientific or decorative novelties.A pair of ornamental Vaseline or uranium milk glass yellow/green swans.glass, ornaments, swans

This is an example of Melbourne Legacy promotional material that was issued to inform the public on the work of Legacy. One edition was included as a supplement in Mufti, (a veterans publication) in September 1982. The first edition featured Prince Phillip and the words he spoke during a telecast in 1980. Legatee Ken Green was the president. The edition in September 1982 had definitions of key words such as Legatee, Junior Legatee and an explanation of where money came from. It featured a photo of Alisa Watson of the Youth Leadership Group. Edition No 4 was from the Diamond Jubilee Year in 1983, it featured an article on Legatee Frank Doolan and the foundation of Legacy. It mentions a time capsule being placed in the Art Centre on 30 August 1983. See other items of marketing material from the 1990s to 2009 (items 01240 to 01258). The collection shows the types of marketing materials that were produced and the celebrities that were helping Legacy.An example of promotional material issued by Legacy.Brochure to promote Legacy x 5 editions. 01444.1 Volume 1 No. 1 August 1981 01444.2 Volume 1 No. 3 September 1982 01444.4 Volume 1 No. 4 June 1983 01444.3 Volume 1 No. 5 December 1983 01444.5 Volume 1 No. 6 August 1984fundraising, promotion

Alice Watson studied at the Ballarat Technical Art School (at the School of Mines, Ballarat) from 1930 until 1933. Watson sat several departmental exams, including drawing and painting plant forms from nature, lettering, Composition of Form and Colour and advanced General Design, as well as dressmaking and embossed leatherwork. General Design examinations required only designs on paper, and not the full execution of an object (which was the case for Applied Design exams). Watson's folio applies many Australian native floral elements to design. Upon graduating, Watson taught at the Murtoa High School, living with her parents until their deaths in 1972 and 1988 when she was 74 years old. Alice Watson died in Ballarat, aged 95, having conserved her beautiful student folio, which was generously gifted to the Federation University permanent Historical Collection by the Watson family.Watercolour painting of a standing woman with short light brown hair, in a green striped sleeveless shirt, a dark green shorts, and green heels, she is at the beach and there are birds in the background.Watermark (1917 UNBLEACHED ARNOLD)alice watson, beach, cape, woman, ballarat technical art school, alumni

Vessels for storing water such as these are common throughout the ages and evident in the pottery of the middle east, Mediterranean and Africa. Between 1880 and 1910 Bendigo Pottery produced these as part of their terracotta ware range. Established by George Guthrie in 1857 (about 5km north of its current site) and then again seven years later in 1864 after it initially closed, Bendigo Pottery remains one of the most influential and longest running Pottery’s in Australia. Over the years the Pottery has contributed to the growth and development of the district through both its products including building products, table ware and decorative and commemorative war as well as artistically, being responsible for training and supporting many potters locally. The City of Greater Bendigo has had a long history of partnering with Bendigo Pottery to produce tourism tableware and art pieces and the Civic Collection holds a number of important items within its collection.Polished terracotta water holder with saucer and stopper. Globular body with rounded base. The shoulders taper into long cylindrical neck, no handle or pouring spout. Surface is undecorated expect for two rings at base of neck. This is the smaller of the two. 0430a stopper; 0430b vessel; 0430c saucerNone foundbendigo pottery, george gutherie, city of greater bendigo tourism

Vessels for storing water such as these are common throughout the ages and evident in the pottery of the middle east, Mediterranean and Africa. Between 1880 and 1910 Bendigo Pottery produced these as part of their terracotta ware range. Established by George Guthrie in 1857 (about 5km north of its current site) and then again seven years later in 1864 after it initially closed, Bendigo Pottery remains one of the most influential and longest running pottery’s in Australia. Over the years the Pottery has contributed to the growth and development of the district through both its products including building products, table ware and decorative and commemorative ware, as well as artistically, being responsible for training and supporting many local potters. The City of Greater Bendigo has had a long history of partnering with Bendigo Pottery to produce tourism tableware and art pieces and the Civic Collection holds a number of important items within its collection.Polished terracotta water holder with saucer and stopper. Globular body with rounded base. The shoulders taper into long cylindrical neck, no handle or pouring spout. Surface is undecorated except for two rings at base of neck. This is the larger of the two. 0431a stopper; 0431b vessel; 0431c saucerNone foundbendigo pottery, city of greater bendigo tourism, george guthrie

Michael Turner born in 1934 is a British painter and illustrator specialising in motoring and aviation paintings. After leaving school he attended Art College followed by National Service with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers for 2 years. On leaving National Service he worked with a London advertising studio before turning freelance in1957. The Bristol Blenheim depicted in the painting was a British light bomber used extensively for 2 years of the Second World War. It was powered by a pair of Bristol Mercury V111 air cooled radial engines capable of developing 860 bhp. armament was a combination of Vickers, Browning and Lewis machine guns in .303 ( 7.7mm ). A 1000lb (450kg ) could be carried in the internal bomb bay in the centre section of the fuselage. The 114 Squadron was a Squadron of the British Royal Air Force formed in India during the First World War. The Squadron was disbanded in 1971.Large wooden framed painting of an RAF WW2 bomber in flight.Below the painting is the wording " A 114 Squadron Blenheim 1V on a low level bombing run over the power station at Knapsack Cologne, in August 1941 - donated by Laurie Pillar".

This honor board was made by Robert Prenzel (1866–1941) who was born and trained in Prussia, and migrated to Australia arriving in Melbourne on 24th November on the steamer Habsburg. In Melbourne Prenzel first worked for the German sculptor and modeller Otto Waschatz, decorating private homes and public buildings. From 1891-1901 Prenzel worked in partnership with another German, Johann Christian Treede, after which he continued in business on his own. He also participated in the activities of Melbourne’s Deutscher Turnverein. During the first quarter of the current century he became the major exponent in the field of furniture and woodwork of the cult of nationalism, and was renowned for his carvings, many of them in the art nouveau style, of Australian animals, birds, trees and flowers. The two most common types of Australian timber in his work are mountain ash and blackwood.Colour photographs of a beautifully carved World War One Honour Board by Robert Prenzel.lakes entrance, robert prenzel, world war one, lakes entrance honour board

This book was part of a large group of books referred to as the Pattison Collection, which belonged to the Warrnambool Public Library, part of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute. About RALPH ERIC PATTISON and the ‘PATTISON COLLECTION’ The ‘Pattison Collection’ is a collection of books and records that was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, founded in Warrnambool in 1853. By 1886 the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) had grown to have a Library, Museum and Fine Arts Gallery, with a collection of “… choice productions of art and valuable specimens in almost every branch and many wonderful national curiosities are now to be seen there, including historic relics of the town and district.” It later included a School of Design. Although it was very well patronised, the WMI was led to ask the City Council to take it over in 1911 due to lack of financial support. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian to establish and organise the Warrnambool Public Library as it was then called. Ralph Eric Pattison was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1891. He married Maude Swan from Warrnambool in 1920 and they set up home in Warrnambool. In 1935 when Pattison accepted the position as City Librarian for the Warrnambool City Council his huge challenge was to make a functional library within two rooms of the Mechanics’ Institute. He tirelessly cleaned, cleared and sorted a disarrayed collection of old books, jars of preserved specimens and other items reserved for exhibition in the city’s museum. He developed and updated the library with a wide variety of books for all tastes, including reference books for students; a difficult task to fulfil during the years following the Depression. He converted all of the lower areas of the building into a library, reference room and reading room for members and the public. The books were sorted and stored using a cataloguing and card index system that he had developed himself. He also prepared the upper floor of the building and established the Art Gallery and later the Museum, a place to exhibit the many old relics that had been stored for years for this purpose. One of the treasures he found was a beautiful ancient clock, which he repaired, restored and enjoyed using in his office during the years of his service there. Ralph Pattison was described as “a meticulous gentleman whose punctuality, floorless courtesy and distinctive neat dress were hallmarks of his character, and ‘his’ clock controlled his daily routine and his opening and closing of the library’s large heavy doors to the minute.” Pattison took leave from 1942 to 1945 to serve in the Royal Australian Navy, Volunteer Reserve as Lieutenant. A few years later he converted one of the Museum’s rooms into a Children’s Library, stocking it with suitable books for the younger generation. This was an instant success. In the 1950’s he had the honour of being appointed to the Victorian Library Board and received more inspiration from the monthly conferences in Melbourne. He was sadly retired in 1959 after over 23 years of service, due to the fact that he had gone over the working age of council officers. However, he continued to take a very keen interest in the continual development of the Library until his death in 1969. THE NEW WARRNAMBOOL LIBRARY When the WMI building was pulled down in 1963 a new civic building was erected on the site and the new Warrnambool Library, on behalf of the City Council, took over all the holdings of the WMI. At this time some of the items were separated and identified as the ‘Pattison Collection’, named after Pattison. Eventually, the components of the WMI were distributed from the Warrnambool Library to various places, including the Art Gallery, Historical Society and Flagstaff Hill. Later some were even distributed to other regional branches of Corangamite Regional Library and passed to and fro. It is difficult now to trace just where all of the items have ended up. The books at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village generally display stamps and markings from Pattison as well as a variety of other institutions including the Mechanics’ Institute itself. Ion Llewellyn Idriess was born in Waverley, Sydney, New South Wales on 20th September 1889 and passed away on 6th June 1979 in Mona Vale, Sydney, New South Wales at the age 89. After Idriess finished school he worked in the assay office of Broken Hill Proprietary mine. Both Idriess and his mother had typhoid fever when Ion was about 15 years old and it caused his mother’s death. After spending time with his Grandmother in Sydney he found work on a paddle-steamer and had a relapse of the fever. He then went into the western district of New South Wales where he worked in many different itinerant jobs, including rabbit poisoner, boundary rider, drover, sandalwood harvester, shearer, dingo shooter and opal miner. While opal mining at Lightning Ridge he wrote short stories, about life on the opal fields, for the Bulletin using the name “Gouger”. Idriess then moved to North Queensland in search of gold, tin and sandalwood. He travelled over a great deal of the Cape York Peninsula spending a lot of this travel time with local indigenous people; thus began his lifelong interest in their customs. He then spent time on cattle stations in the Gulf of Carpentaria. In 1914 Idriess travelled to Townsville and enlisted in the 5th Light Horse as a trooper. He became a specialist in sniping and was a spotter for the noted sniper Billy Sing. He saw service in Palestine, Sinai and Turkey. Idriess was wounded at Beersheba and after fighting the Battle of Gaza he was invalided home in March 1918. After recovering from his wounds Idriess again travelled to the Cape York Peninsula where he worked with pearlers and missionaries in the Torres Strait Islands. He then went gold mining in Papua New Guinea, buffalo shooting in the Northern Territory of Australia and then exploring in Central and Western Australia. LITERARY WORKS OF IDRIESS In 1928 Idriess settled in Sydney and published the first of his 47 books. In 1931 - “Lasseter’s Last Ride”, became his first best seller. In the years 1932 and 1940, he published three books in each year. “The Cattle King” (1936) and “Flynn of the Inland” (1932) have gone through reprinting forty to fifty times. His last book was published in 1969. Idriess’ books were in general non-fiction and were written in a colourful and immediate story style, taken from life experiences gained during his travels. Idriess was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his service to literature in 1968. 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 it's 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 has 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 1850’s 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. 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. 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. Over The Range Author: Ion L Idriess Publisher: Angus & Robertson Date: 1937 The label on spine cover with typed text PAT 919.53 IDR Front loose endpaper has a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service Flyleaf has a stamp from Warrnambool Public Library Flyleaf has a stamp from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute The top of the text block has a stamp from Warrnambool Public Library flagstaff 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, over the range, ion l idriess

The Norman Oliver collection. Norman Oliver was three times Mayor of Bendigo - 1950-51, 1964-65, 1970-71. Three typed pages of speech notes. Undated but information suggests 1965. Corrections made in blue and red ink. Mentions that the Easter Fair has recently ended. Topics discussed : the Cancer Campaign success and recent advances in treatment and facilities, a discussion with a Mr Larritt, the grandson of Bendigo's first surveyor, and the work his grandfather performed, especially regarding the reservations chosen for the Hospital and the Home and Hospital for the Aged, the Art Gallery's Dobell exhibition, Commonwealth Youth Sunday on May 2nd, the promotion of Bendigo by the Victorian Promotion Committee, and Anzac Day business. Oliver states that 'in 1914 the citizens of Bendigo presented the 7th Bn AIF with a set of bugles. One of the bugles used by 'Pompey' Simpson in the landing of Gallipoli and in France until he was wounded in 1917, when it was used by Wally Granland until the Armistice. On Anzac Eve at the 9PM ritual to the Fallen, the bugle will be used for the first time since the first war ..by Bugler John Murphy of Southern Command.' The HMAS Bendigo Assoc. reunion and information.bendigo, council, speech notes, norman joseph oliver , councillor norman oliver. mayor of bendigo. anti-cancer appeal. victorian inland meat authority. anzac day.

Maroon cover, gold print and trim, 1138 pages. On front of book 'Centennial International Exhibition Melbourne, 1888-9 Official Record' Patrick Payes, Mayor of the City of Sandhurst (Bendigo) was a member of the Commission and listed with other members of the Commission. The International Exhibition of Works of Industry and Art at Melbourne was held to commemorate the centenary ' of the founding of the first Colony of Australia' Some Bendigo exhibits include: Page 631: exhibit 1797, Harry J., Knape Street, American Gully, Sandhurst, Victoria - working model of a gold mine. Exhibit 1810, Percy and Hunter, Wattle street Sandhurst, Victoria - safety fuses for blasting operations. Exhibit 1811, Plainbeck, Hermann, Sandhurst, Model of a mine. The wine exhibits: page 304 - 317 A. Bruhn, EmuCreek page 305 - 306 F.Grosse, Strathfieldsaye page 307 W. Jones, Mandurang, page 309 H. Meyer, Mandurang, page 309 E. Schroeder, Castlemaine, page 310 F.K. Shaw, Goornong, page 310 A. Trinkaus, Muckleford, page 311 Albert Bruhn listed in competitors for Burgoyne Prize Bendigo Pottery Co, page 606.australia, history, centennial international exhibition

Set of 8 colour laser printed copies of colour 35mm negatives featuring photographs of trams taken by Ron Fluck in Melbourne on 27/1/1979 and 28/1/1979 (1758.6 and 1758.7). 1758.1 - (Negative No. 251) - W2 340 at Airport West terminus. Sleepered track section on inbound track - must have been running single line at the time, following changeover to new terminus from Essendon Airport to Airport west. 1758.2 - NN253 - Z16 at Wattle Park terminus. 1758.3 - NN252 - VR 700 at Footscray terminus. 1758.4 - NN250 - W2 340 enroute to the Airport West terminus. New freeway arrangement being constructed on the left hand side of the tramway. 1758.5 - NN254 - Z1 11 at East Burwood Terminus 1758.6 - NN255 - W2 234 at Batman Ave terminus - one of the trams painted in "Transporting Art Program" 1758.7 - NN256 - W2 234 and SW6 912 at Batman Ave terminus. 1758.8 - NN257 - Z1 88 and W5 726 at corner of Bourke and Spencer St. Melbourne, with the Mail Exchange in the background. See Destination City 5th Editionmelbourne, essendon airport, princes bridge, footscray, east burwood, wattle park, transporting art, tram 11, tram 234, tram 340, tram 700, tram 16, tram 726, tram 88, tram 912

Set of 12 colour views of Geelong on a folded strip, glued within a colour printed cover, titled "A Souvenir of Geelong", printed on both sides of the strip. Booklet printed with an address area on rear. Produced by Nulcolorvue Productions, Mentone, Victoria. The rear has a slit on the rear cover that allowed the folder to be secured. On the inside of the front cover, has an introduction to Geelong, notes "modern tram and bus routes" Pictures are: 1. Gheringhap St showing Geelong City Hall and Post Office 2. The Barwon River, Geelong 3. T&G Building, Ryrie St - shows tramway overhead 4. Christ Church, Moorabool St 5. Malop St Geelong 6. Art Gallery and Park 7. St Marys Roman Catholic Cathedral 8. The Geelong Post Office with buses in background and a Safety Zone sign 9. Moorabool St Geelong - has overhead and a bar traffic light/ 10. Queens Park Geelong 11. The Waterfront at Geelong. 12. Eastern Beach Swimming Pool. Made during the early 1950's, given motor cars in the photo. trams, tramways, geelong, moorabool st, ryrie st

The newspaper was produced to celebrate the 100th year of the Ballarat Courier.96 page newspaper celebrating 100 years of publishing the Ballarat Courier Newspaper. Stories and images include: Robert Clark, Ballarat history, Sturt Street, Selkirk Bricks, Ballarat Industry, Thomas Bath, Royal Hotel, hotels, Begonia Festival, James Smith, Hollways, Myers, Ballarat Orphanage, Nazareth House, Lake Elsworth, Batches, libraries, Timken, Sunshine Biscuits, M.B. John, AMCAST, reservoirs, Ballarat Council,, Morsheads, Civic Hall, Alfred Hall, Art Gallery, Christies, 3BA, Paddle Bros, South Street, BTV 6, Memorial Theatre, Her Majesty's, Whitelaw-Monier, Coltman, costume, Messer and opie, politics, Dudley Erwin, Bill Stephen, Vance Dickie, Tom Evans, Murray Byrne, McKay - Macleod, Crockers, Ballarat Shire, Sovereign Hill. St Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, Ballarat School of Mines, Mt Helen Campus, Ballarat Girls School. Ballarat North Technical School , Burke and Wills Memorial, Joe White Maltings, Ballarat Airport, Sunicrust, architecture, women, trams, transport, Faulls, Franklin Caravans, Olympics, football, history of Sunshine Biscuits robert clark, clark, ballarat, sturt street, selkirk bricks, industry, thomas bath, royal hotel, hotels, begonia festival, james smith, hollways, myers, ballarat orphanage, nazareth house, lake elsworth, batches, libraries, timken, sunshine biscuits, m.b. john, amcast, reservoirs, ballarat council, morsheads, civic hall, alfred hall, art gallery, christies, 3ba, paddle bros, south street, btv 6, memorial theatre, her majesty's, whitelaw-monier, coltman, costume, messer and opie, politics, dudley erwin, bill stephen, vance dickie, tom evans, murray byrne, mckay - macleod, crockers, ballarat shire, sovereign hill. st patrick's cathedral, christ church cathedral, ballarat school of mines, churches, mt helen campus, ballarat girls school. ballarat north technical school, burke and wills memorial, joe white maltings, ballarat airport, sunicrust, architecture, women, trams, transport, faulls, franklin caravans, olympics, football, bray raceway, coliseum motors, schoools, education, craig bros, dayelsford, clunes, beaufort, linton, skipton, heinz bors, villiers, flecnoe, jones, robertson, cowles, bulless, cronn, matthews, ballarat library, cowley's eureka iron works, john hollway and sons, ken webb, mayoral chain, ken flecknoe, a.e. flecknoe, bath's hotel, eureka stockade memorial park

Set of three magazines, A4 photocopied titled ""Around the Tracks Newsletter of the Workshops"" edited by Norm Cross stapled on the left hand side, during the early days of The Met. .1 - Issue No. 18, Feb. 1986, 10 sheets, with a photo for Senior Foreman Greg Lourey on the front cover, report by Howard Smith on the 1985 Christmas Picnic, retirement of Safety Officer Frank Huffer after 49 years of service, article on Greg Lourey, second part of John Prideaux article on Cambodia killing fields, and a list of the pop art trams and repairs needed to the tramcars. .2 - Issue No. 11, March 1986, featuring a photo of MMTB 197 on the front cover, personality profiles on Joe Vizzini, Doug Kerr, a preview of the film Malcolm, notes on the condition of some trams, W5 situation and workshops notes. .3 - Issue No. 12 - May 1986, featuring photo of Les Jewell and Brendan Creasy on uni cycles, comments on Norms editorial in the previous issue by Craig Roach, article on Bruce McKenzie, profile on Norm Cross written by Norm Cross, Bryan Egan - storeman, Preston Workshops Social club, Aussie slang words,Yellow highlighted applied where Norm's name is mentioned or his columns.trams, tramways, preston workshops, the met, unions, transporting art, malcolm, w5 class

This item is from the ‘Pattison Collection’, a collection of books and records that was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, which was founded in Warrnambool in 1853. By 1886 the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) had grown to have a Library, Museum and Fine Arts Gallery, with a collection of “… choice productions of art, and valuable specimens in almost every branch and many wonderful national curiosities are now to be seen there, including historic relics of the town and district.” It later included a School of Design. Although it was very well patronised, the lack of financial support led the WMI in 1911 to ask the City Council to take it over. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian to establish and organise the Warrnambool Library as it was then called. When the WMI building was pulled down in 1963 a new civic building was erected on the site and the new Warrnambool Library, on behalf of the City Council, took over all the holdings of the WMI. At this time some of the items were separated and identified as the ‘Pattison Collection’, named after Ralph Pattison. Eventually the components of the WMI were distributed from the Warrnambool Library to various places, including the Art Gallery, Historical Society and Flagstaff Hill. Later some were even distributed to other regional branches of Corangamite Regional Library and passed to and fro. It is difficult now to trace just where all of the items have ended up. The books at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village generally display stamps and markings from Pattison as well as a variety of other institutions including the Mechanics’ Institute itself. RALPH ERIC PATTISON Ralph Eric Pattison was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1891. He married Maude Swan from Warrnambool in 1920 and they set up home in Warrnambool. In 1935 Pattison accepted a position as City Librarian for the Warrnambool City Council. His huge challenge was to make a functional library within two rooms of the Mechanics’ Institute. He tirelessly cleaned, cleared and sorted a disarrayed collection of old books, jars of preserved specimens and other items reserved for exhibition in the city’s museum. He developed and updated the library with a wide variety of books for all tastes, including reference books for students; a difficult task to fulfil during the years following the Depression. He converted all of the lower area of the building into a library, reference room and reading room for members and the public. The books were sorted and stored using a cataloguing and card index system that he had developed himself. He also prepared the upper floor of the building and established the Art Gallery and later the Museum, a place to exhibit the many old relics that had been stored for years for this purpose. One of the treasures he found was a beautiful ancient clock, which he repaired, restored and enjoyed using in his office during the years of his service there. Ralph Pattison was described as “a meticulous gentleman whose punctuality, floorless courtesy and distinctive neat dress were hallmarks of his character, and ‘his’ clock controlled his daily routine, and his opening and closing of the library’s large heavy doors to the minute.” Pattison took leave during 1942 to 1945 to serve in the Royal Australian Navy, Volunteer Reserve as Lieutenant. A few years later he converted one of the Museum’s rooms into a Children’s Library, stocking it with suitable books for the younger generation. This was an instant success. In the 1950’s he had the honour of being appointed to the Victorian Library Board and received more inspiration from the monthly conferences in Melbourne. He was sadly retired in 1959 after over 23 years of service, due to the fact that he had gone over the working age of council officers. However he continued to take a very keen interest in the continual development of the Library until his death in 1969. WARRNAMBOOL'S 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 November1884 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 fund raising 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 court house 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 historic 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 Historic 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 art works 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 percent of the reading population. The collection of books was made up of around 60 percent reference and 40 percent 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 has 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 1850’s to the late 1950’s 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. Ethel Mary Turner Ethel Turner (25th January 1872 – 8th April 1958) was an English-born Australian novelist and children's literature writer. She was born Ethel Mary Burwell in Doncaster in England. Her father died when she was two, leaving her mother Sarah Jane Burwell with two daughters (Ethel and Lillian). A year later, Ethel’s mother married Henry Turner, who was 20 years older and had six children of his own. Sarah Jane and Henry had a daughter, Rose. Henry Turner died suddenly, leaving Sarah Jane with nine children and little income. In 1879 Sarah Jane moved to Australia with Ethel, Lillian, and Rose; within the next two years she married Charles Cope and gave birth to his son Rex. Ethel Turner was educated at Paddington, New South Wales Public School and Sydney Girls High School she was one of the school's original thirty-seven pupils. Ethel started her writing career at eighteen, founding the Parthenon, a journal for young people, with her sister Lillian. Writing as “Dame Durden”, she wrote children's columns for the Illustrated Sydney News and later for the Australian Town and Country Journal. In 1891 the family moved to Woodlands, a large house in Lindfield, now Killara, which was then out in the country. Woodlands still stands today in Werona Avenue and is where she wrote “Seven Little Australians”. In 1896 Ethel married Herbert Curlewis, a lawyer. After living in Mosman, they built their own house overlooking Middle Harbour. The house, Avenel, is where Ethel Turner spent the rest of her years. She survived her daughter Jean Curlewis, who died of tuberculosis, by 28 years. Jean was also a writer of children's books, although not as popular as her mother. Jean's works include “The Ship That Never Set Sail”, “Drowning Maze”, and “Beach Beyond (1923)”. Her son Adrian, was a Barrister, Captain in WW2 and a Changi and Thai-Burma Railway POW and later a Judge. Ethel Turner died at Mosman on 8 April 1958 at 85. She is buried at Macquarie Park Her best-known work is her first novel, Seven Little Australians (1894), which is widely considered a classic of Australian children's literature and was an instant hit both in Australia and overseas. It is about a family of seven children growing up in Australia. The book, together with its sequels “The Family at Misrule” (1895) and “Little Mother Meg” (1902) that deal with the lives of the Wolcott family, particularly with its seven mischievous children in 1880s Australia. A companion to "Seven Little Australians", “Judy and Punch” was published in 1928. Like her stepfather, the character of Captain Woollcott was a widower with six children. The book was made into a feature film in Australia in 1939 and a UK television series in 1953. A 10-episode television series was made in 1973 by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Turner published a number of other books for children, short stories and poems. “Three Little Maids” (1900) is a strongly autobiographical novel about her family's migration from England to Sydney, Australia. Turner wrote more than forty novels. Some were about the mischievous Wolcott’s. Others were serialized, like her books on "the Cub", and some were stand-alone. The children she wrote about were all adventurous and independent. They frequently got themselves into sticky situations and got themselves out of them with very little to no adult help. Turner was awarded a number of prestigious literary awards and could be considered one of Australia's best-loved authors. She is listed on The Australian Women's Register. The Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature is given annually under the auspices of the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards. Ref Ethel Mary Turner, Biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Turner 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. Brigid and The Cub Author: Ethel Turner Publisher: Ward, Lock & Co Date: 1919Label on spine cover with typed text PAT FIC TUR Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Public Library covered by a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Warrnambool Mechanics Institutewarrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, 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, great ocean road, brigid and the cub, ethel turner