An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria.An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower Mine in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria. The Golden Bower gold mine was a quartz reef mine. William Edward Chester discovered the Golden Secret gold vein which became part of the Golden Bower Mine at Chesterville near Donovans Creek on the Cumberland goldfield which he mined with George Locke until the late 1930s. golden bower gold mine, cumberland valley, victoria, quartz reef mining, water-powered battery, william edward chester, george locke, chesterville, donovan's creek, cumberland goldfield

An early black and white photograph of the blacksmith's forge at the Golden Bower mine in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria.An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower Mine in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria. The Golden Bower gold mine was a quartz reef mine. William Edward Chester discovered the Golden Secret gold vein which became part of the Golden Bower Mine at Chesterville near Donovans Creek on the Cumberland goldfield which he mined with George Locke until the late 1930s. golden bower gold mine, cumberland valley, victoria, quartz reef mining, water-powered battery, william edward chester, george locke, chesterville, donovan's creek, cumberland goldfield

An early black and white photograph of the Golden Bower mine in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria.An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower Mine in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria. The Golden Bower gold mine was a quartz reef mine. William Edward Chester discovered the Golden Secret gold vein which became part of the Golden Bower Mine at Chesterville near Donovans Creek on the Cumberland goldfield which he mined with George Locke until the late 1930s. golden bower gold mine, cumberland valley, victoria, quartz reef mining, water-powered battery, william edward chester, george locke, chesterville, donovan's creek, cumberland goldfield

An early black and white photograph of the Golden Bower mine camp in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria.An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower Mine in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria. The Golden Bower gold mine was a quartz reef mine. William Edward Chester discovered the Golden Secret gold vein which became part of the Golden Bower Mine at Chesterville near Donovans Creek on the Cumberland goldfield which he mined with George Locke until the late 1930s. golden bower gold mine, cumberland valley, victoria, quartz reef mining, water-powered battery, william edward chester, george locke, chesterville, donovan's creek, cumberland goldfield

An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower Mine Camp in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria.An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower Mine in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria. The Golden Bower gold mine was a quartz reef mine. William Edward Chester discovered the Golden Secret gold vein which became part of the Golden Bower Mine at Chesterville near Donovans Creek on the Cumberland goldfield which he mined with George Locke until the late 1930s. golden bower gold mine, cumberland valley, victoria, quartz reef mining, water-powered battery, william edward chester, george locke, chesterville, donovan's creek, cumberland goldfield

An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower Mine in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria.An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower Mine in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria. The Golden Bower gold mine was a quartz reef mine. William Edward Chester discovered the Golden Secret gold vein which became part of the Golden Bower Mine at Chesterville near Donovans Creek on the Cumberland goldfield which he mined with George Locke until the late 1930s. golden bower gold mine, cumberland valley, victoria, quartz reef mining, water-powered battery, william edward chester, george locke, chesterville, donovan's creek, cumberland goldfield

An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower Mine in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria.An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower Mine in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria. The Golden Bower gold mine was a quartz reef mine. William Edward Chester discovered the Golden Secret gold vein which became part of the Golden Bower Mine at Chesterville near Donovans Creek on the Cumberland goldfield which he mined with George Locke until the late 1930s. POST CARD EMPIRE FOR CORRESPONDENCE FOR ADDRESS ONLY STAMPgolden bower gold mine, cumberland valley, victoria, quartz reef mining, water-powered battery, william edward chester, george locke, chesterville, donovan's creek, cumberland goldfield, postcard, souvenir

An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower Mine Camp in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria.An early black and white photograph taken at the Golden Bower Mine Camp in the Cumberland Valley in Victoria. The Golden Bower gold mine was a quartz reef mine. William Edward Chester discovered the Golden Secret gold vein which became part of the Golden Bower Mine at Chesterville near Donovans Creek on the Cumberland goldfield which he mined with George Locke until the late 1930s. POST CARD CORRESPONDENCE. ADDRESS ONLY. KODAK/ AUSTRALIA 30/06/10 Rose Hill/ Fitzwilliam Street/ Kew Should have written/ to you months ago about the/ photos I took at Easter./ Sorry to say the one of the little/ girls was no good I expect/ you will recognise both these/ places/ K McDowell Mrs Fletcher/ Golden Bower Mine/ Via Marysville J Mahoneygolden bower gold mine, cumberland valley, victoria, quartz reef mining, water-powered battery, william edward chester, george locke, chesterville, donovan's creek, cumberland goldfield

A copy of an early wood engraving taken from a photograph of the deserted township of New Chum, near Healesville, on the Yarra Track in Victoria.A copy of an early wood engraving taken from a photograph of the deserted township of New Chum, near Healesville, on the Yarra Track in Victoria. The Yarra Track is the former name of the gold fields road from Healesville to the Woods Point and Jordan Goldfields in Victoria.new chum, healesville, yarra track, victoria, frederick grosse, albert charles cooke, thomas waters, wood engraving

A copy of an early wood engraving taken from a photograph of the township of Marysville in Victoria.A copy of an early wood engraving taken from a photograph of the township of Marysville in Victoria. The Yarra Track is the former name of the gold fields road from Healesville to the Woods Point and Jordan Goldfields in Victoria.victoria, frederick grosse, albert charles cooke, thomas waters, wood engraving, marysville, wood's point road

An early black and white photograph of a bridge over the Cumberland Creek near Marysville in Victoria.An early black and white photograph of a bridge over the Cumberland Creek near Marysville in Victoria. The Cumberland Creek is in the Cumberland Valley near Cambarville which was a timber town near Marysville. Cambarville is notable for its giant mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) trees within the Cumberland Memorial Scenic Reserve, and relics from former sawmills and gold mining. The Big Culvert is located nearby on the Marysville - Woods Point Road, which was historically part of the Yarra Track. Cambarville was established as a timber mill town in the 1940s. Timber mill owners A Cameron and FJ Barton named Cambarville. They established the mill to salvage timber from trees destroyed in the 1939 bushfires. Cambarville was impacted by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and any remaining structures were destroyed.ARMSTRONG COLLECTION 42 STATION STREET/ SANDRINGHAM 3191/ TEL. (03) 9521 5442/ IAN M.L. ARMSTRONG OAMcumberland creek, marysville, victoria, cumberland valley, cambarville, mountain ash, eucalyptus regnans, cumberland memorial reserve, the big culvert, marysville-wood's point road, yarra track, a cameron, fj barton, 2009 black saturday bushfires

An early black and white photograph of a bridge over the Cumberland Creek near Marysville in Victoria.An early black and white photograph of a bridge over the Cumberland Creek near Marysville in Victoria. The Cumberland Creek is in the Cumberland Valley near Cambarville which was a timber town near Marysville. Cambarville is notable for its giant mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) trees within the Cumberland Memorial Scenic Reserve, and relics from former sawmills and gold mining. The Big Culvert is located nearby on the Marysville - Woods Point Road, which was historically part of the Yarra Track. Cambarville was established as a timber mill town in the 1940s. Timber mill owners A Cameron and FJ Barton named Cambarville. They established the mill to salvage timber from trees destroyed in the 1939 bushfires. Cambarville was impacted by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and any remaining structures were destroyed.ARMSTRONG COLLECTION 42 STATION STREET/ SANDRINGHAM 3191/ TEL. (03) 9521 5442/ IAN M.L. ARMSTRONG OAMcumberland creek, marysville, victoria, cumberland valley, cambarville, mountain ash, eucalyptus regnans, cumberland memorial reserve, the big culvert, marysville-wood's point road, yarra track, a cameron, fj barton, 2009 black saturday bushfires

An early black and white photograph of the forest near the Cumberland Falls in Victoria.An early black and white photograph of the forest near the Cumberland Falls in Victoria. The falls are located on the Marysville-Wood's Point Road. Cambarville is notable for its giant mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) trees within the Cumberland Memorial Scenic Reserve, and relics from former sawmills and gold mining. The Big Culvert is located nearby on the Marysville - Woods Point Road, which was historically part of the Yarra Track. Cambarville was established as a timber mill town in the 1940s. Timber mill owners A Cameron and FJ Barton named Cambarville. They established the mill to salvage timber from trees destroyed in the 1939 bushfires. Cambarville was impacted by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and any remaining structures were destroyed.ARMSTRONG COLLECTION 42 STATION STREET/ SANDRINGHAM 3191/ TEL. (03) 9521 5442/ IAN M.L. ARMSTRONG OAMcumberland falls, cambarville, marysville, victoria, waterfalls, postcard, souvenir, mountain ash, mining, timber mills, big culvert, yarra track, a cameron, fj barton, black saturday bushfires, 1939 bushfires, eucalyptus regnans

An early black and white photograph of Cumberland Falls near Marysville in Victoria.An early black and white photograph of Cumberland Falls near Marysville in Victoria. These falls are located on the Marysville-Wood's Point Road. Cambarville is notable for its giant mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) trees within the Cumberland Memorial Scenic Reserve, and relics from former sawmills and gold mining. The Big Culvert is located nearby on the Marysville - Woods Point Road, which was historically part of the Yarra Track. Cambarville was established as a timber mill town in the 1940s. Timber mill owners A Cameron and FJ Barton named Cambarville. They established the mill to salvage timber from trees destroyed in the 1939 bushfires. Cambarville was impacted by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and any remaining structures were destroyed.ARMSTRONG COLLECTION 42 STATION STREET/ SANDRINGHAM 3191/ TEL. (03) 9521 5442/ IAN M.L. ARMSTRONG OAMcumberland falls, cambarville, marysville, victoria, waterfalls, postcard, souvenir, mountain ash, mining, timber mills, big culvert, yarra track, a cameron, fj barton, black saturday bushfires, 1939 bushfires, eucalyptus regnans

An early black and white photograph of Cumberland Falls near Marysville in Victoria.An early black and white photograph of Cumberland Falls near Marysville in Victoria. These falls are located on the Marysville-Wood's Point Road. Cambarville is notable for its giant mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) trees within the Cumberland Memorial Scenic Reserve, and relics from former sawmills and gold mining. The Big Culvert is located nearby on the Marysville - Woods Point Road, which was historically part of the Yarra Track. Cambarville was established as a timber mill town in the 1940s. Timber mill owners A Cameron and FJ Barton named Cambarville. They established the mill to salvage timber from trees destroyed in the 1939 bushfires. Cambarville was impacted by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and any remaining structures were destroyed.ARMSTRONG COLLECTION 42 STATION STREET/ SANDRINGHAM 3191/ TEL. (03) 9521 5442/ IAN M.L. ARMSTRONG OAMcumberland falls, cambarville, marysville, victoria, waterfalls, postcard, souvenir, mountain ash, mining, timber mills, big culvert, yarra track, a cameron, fj barton, black saturday bushfires, 1939 bushfires, eucalyptus regnans

An early black and white photograph of a hotel along the Yarra Track.An early black and white photograph of a hotel along the Yarra Track. The Yarra Track is the former name of the gold fields road from Healesville to the Woods Point and Jordan Goldfields, in Victoria, Australia. A direct route via the Yarra River and the Great Divide was discovered by Rieck in September 1862 and became known as the Yarra Track. Early in 1863, the Victorian Government decided to construct a 193-kilometre (120 mile) road along the route. Its original width varied between 4 and 6 metres (12 and 20 feet), and was designed to accommodate horse-drawn vehicles. The Track involved the climbing of the Black Spur, descent into the Acheron Valley, and then through Marysville to the Cumberland where it followed the existing route. Unable to ascertain both the location and name of hotel.ARMSTRONG COLLECTION 42 STATION STREET/ SANDRINGHAM 3191/ TEL. (03) 9521 5442/ IAN M.L. ARMSTRONG OAMyarra track, healesville, wood's point, jordan goldfields, victoria, yarra river, great divide, reick, black spur, acheron valley, marysville, cumberland creek

An early black and white photograph of The Scandinavian's Hotel and Boarding House along the Yarra Track.An early black and white photograph of The Scandinavian's Hotel and Boarding House along the Yarra Track. The Yarra Track is the former name of the gold fields road from Healesville to the Woods Point and Jordan Goldfields, in Victoria, Australia. A direct route via the Yarra River and the Great Divide was discovered by Rieck in September 1862 and became known as the Yarra Track. Early in 1863, the Victorian Government decided to construct a 193-kilometre (120 mile) road along the route. Its original width varied between 4 and 6 metres (12 and 20 feet), and was designed to accommodate horse-drawn vehicles. The Track involved the climbing of the Black Spur, descent into the Acheron Valley, and then through Marysville to the Cumberland where it followed the existing route.ARMSTRONG COLLECTION 42 STATION STREET/ SANDRINGHAM 3191/ TEL. (03) 9521 5442/ IAN M.L. ARMSTRONG OAMthe scandinavians', yarra track, healesville, wood's point, jordan goldfields, victoria, yarra river, great divide, reick, black spur, acheron valley, marysville, cumberland creek

An early black and white photograph of The Scandinavian's Hotel and Boarding House along the Yarra Track.An early black and white photograph of The Scandinavian's Hotel and Boarding House along the Yarra Track. The Yarra Track is the former name of the gold fields road from Healesville to the Woods Point and Jordan Goldfields, in Victoria, Australia. A direct route via the Yarra River and the Great Divide was discovered by Rieck in September 1862 and became known as the Yarra Track. Early in 1863, the Victorian Government decided to construct a 193-kilometre (120 mile) road along the route. Its original width varied between 4 and 6 metres (12 and 20 feet), and was designed to accommodate horse-drawn vehicles. The Track involved the climbing of the Black Spur, descent into the Acheron Valley, and then through Marysville to the Cumberland where it followed the existing route.ARMSTRONG COLLECTION 42 STATION STREET/ SANDRINGHAM 3191/ TEL. (03) 9521 5442/ IAN M.L. ARMSTRONG OAMthe scandinavians', yarra track, healesville, wood's point, jordan goldfields, victoria, yarra river, great divide, reick, black spur, acheron valley, marysville, cumberland creek

An early black and white photograph of a camp which was opposite The Scandinavian's Hotel and Boarding House along the Yarra Track.An early black and white photograph of a camp which was opposite The Scandinavian's Hotel and Boarding House along the Yarra Track. The Yarra Track is the former name of the gold fields road from Healesville to the Woods Point and Jordan Goldfields, in Victoria, Australia. A direct route via the Yarra River and the Great Divide was discovered by Rieck in September 1862 and became known as the Yarra Track. Early in 1863, the Victorian Government decided to construct a 193-kilometre (120 mile) road along the route. Its original width varied between 4 and 6 metres (12 and 20 feet), and was designed to accommodate horse-drawn vehicles. The Track involved the climbing of the Black Spur, descent into the Acheron Valley, and then through Marysville to the Cumberland where it followed the existing route.ARMSTRONG COLLECTION 42 STATION STREET/ SANDRINGHAM 3191/ TEL. (03) 9521 5442/ IAN M.L. ARMSTRONG OAMthe scandinavians', yarra track, healesville, wood's point, jordan goldfields, victoria, yarra river, great divide, reick, black spur, acheron valley, marysville, cumberland creek

A colour photograph of the entrance to The Big Culvert.A colour photograph of the entrance to The Big Culvert. The Big Culvert is a historic granite and bluestone arch along the Yarra Track, a major route to Melbourne through the 1800s. Built in 1870 and a major piece of infrastructure for its time, the heritage listed culvert allowed water to flow under often-flooded the road. The Yarra Track is the former name of the gold fields road from Healesville to the Woods Point and Jordan Goldfields, in Victoria, Australia. A direct route via the Yarra River and the Great Divide was discovered by Rieck in September 1862 and became known as the Yarra Track. Early in 1863, the Victorian Government decided to construct a 193-kilometre (120 mile) road along the route. Its original width varied between 4 and 6 metres (12 and 20 feet), and was designed to accommodate horse-drawn vehicles. The Track involved the climbing of the Black Spur, descent into the Acheron Valley, and then through Marysville to the Cumberland where it followed the existing route.the big culvert, yarra track, victoria, healesville, wood's point goldfields, jordan goldfields, black spur, acheron valley, cumberland valley

TRACK OF THE YEARS. The Story of St.Arnaud by Yvonne S Palmer had aroused local interest when this book was presented in 1955.The fortunes of this prosperous community, whose origins go back to the excitement of of the New Bendigo gold-rush, gleaned from an unusual wealth of reminiscences,diaries, letters, newspapers and photograph albums, are now placed permanently on record in this fascinating narrative. Contents: The New Bendigo Goldrush, Pastoral Settlement, The Aborigines of the Eastern Wimmera, A Permanent Goldrush, The Township Surveyed, Councils at Work 1861- 1870, Local Government in the District. 1861-1870. Sons of the Antipodes, Diggers in Townsmen, Daughters and Wives, Companies and Miners, Mining Settlements, Increasing Needs, Not by Bread Alone, The beginning of Farming, The Changing Countryside, A New St.Arnaud has Come, Deep Sinking and Dividends, Fewer farmers- Larger farms, Pride but not Complacency.Track of The Years by Yvonne S. Palmer. The Story of St.Arnaud. Hardcover book, blue cover with black and white photograph on the dustcover.Includes photographs and maps.308 pages, 1st Edition.1st Edition Published by Melbourne University Press in 1955. 308 pages.

A soft cover book, A New Bendigo The Story of the Gold and Silver Mines of St.Arnaud by Ralph W. Birrell. 257 pages, includes photographs.and map.

Rolf Boldrewood (1826-1915) ‘Rolf Boldrewood’ is the pen-name used by Thomas Alexander Browne as a writer. Browne was the eldest child of Captain Sylvester John Brown and Elizabeth Angell nee Alexander. He was born in London on 6th August 1826 and arrived in Australia with his parents and siblings when he was 5 years old and grew up in Sydney. In the 1860’s Browne added the ‘e’ to his surname. As a 17 year old Browne took up land in the Western District of Victoria between Portland and Port Fairy on a property named “Squattlesea Mere”. He remained there until 1858, enjoying the squatters’ life on his 32,000 acre property, growing potatoes and running cattle and horses. He sold in 1858 and purchased a sheep station on the Murray River near Swan Hill. He later sold this and bought another sheep station near Narrandera until bad seasons and severe droughts eventually caused him to change his career after 25 years as a squatter. Over the next 25 years Browne held the position of Police Magistrate and as a gold commissioner in various locations. His third career as an author lasted approximately 40 years. In 1865 he wrote two articles on pastoral life while he was recovering from a riding accident. In the 1870’s his writing was bringing in the income to support his family, changing his focus to the writing of novels. A series of these was written for the Australian market and published in The Sydney Mail and the Centennial Magazine. His later novels were aimed at the overseas markets. His best known novel “Robbery Under Arms” was written from 1882 to 1883 and has been serialised on radio in Australia and Britain. The novel was filmed in 1907, 1920 and 1957, and in 1985 it was made into a television series. It is now an Australian Classic. He also wrote short stories, several nonfiction graziers’ guides, and an autobiography named “Old Melbourne Memories” in 1884. [This information has been taken from Wikipedia; Australian Authors-Perry Meddlemiss; Australian Dictionary of Biography, Browne, Thomas Alexander (1826-1915)] Old Melbourne Memories 1 Author: Rolf Boldrewood Publisher: MacMillan & Co Date: 1896Label on spine with typed text R.A. 994.5 BOL warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, old melbourne memories 1, rolf boldrewood

About Ion L Idriess 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 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 where 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 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 SIGNIFICANCE 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, and to 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. As with many Mechanics' Institutes in Australia, the one which operated in Warrnambool was established and overseen for many years by key individuals associated with the development of the city itself. The WMI publication collection is historically significant because of its association with local people, places and the key historical themes in the development of Warrnambool of rural development, industry, farming, education, and community. The collection documents and illustrates the changing interests, focus and tastes of Victorians, especially those in regional cities. Generally the individual items in the collection are not particularly rare, as examples of all probably exist in other public collections in Victoria. It is primarily because there are so very few surviving Mechanics' Institute collections in Victoria, which lends this overall collection its significance. Many items in the WMI Collection have the potential to support further research, both as individual objects and through the collection in its entirety. This material is significant for its ability to assist in the interpretation of the history of the area and adds to the general understanding of the development of the township. Many components of the WMI publication collection complement and reinforce the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum Collection, the Warrnambool Art Gallery Collection, and that in the Warrnambool Historical Society, and also contribute to a clearer understanding of the original Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute collections. This will greatly enhance the appreciation of the few surviving Mechanics' Institute collections across Victoria, and also in New South Wales. The similarities and differences between the small number of collections that have survived can provide further insights into how the people of Victoria in general, and Warrnambool in particular, constructed a civic culture of adult learning to foster an informed citizenry. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute publication collection is of both local and state significance. Lasseters Last Ride First published in 1931 Author: Ion Idriess Publisher: Angus & Robertson Label on spine with typed text R.A. 994.03 IDR warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, great ocean road, book, warrnambool library, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library, warrnambool public library, lasseters last ride, ion idriess, indigenous people