Pattison Collection 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 1942 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 PUBLIC LIBRARY The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) was formed by a voluntary community group in 1863, within six years of Warrnambool’s beginnings, and its Reading Room opened in 1854. The WMI operated until 1963, at which time it was one of the oldest Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria. Mechanics’ Institutes offered important services to the public including libraries, reading rooms and places to display and store collections of all sorts such as curiosities and local historical relics. In 1886 a Museum and Fine Arts Gallery were added to the WMI and by the beginning of the 20th century, there was also a billiards room and a School of Art. By this time all Mechanics’ Institutes in country Victoria had museums attached. Over the years the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Library was also known as the Warrnambool Public Library the Warrnambool Library and the Free Library. Early funding from the government was for the “Free Library”. The inscription in a book “Science of Man” was for the “Warrnambool Public Library”, donated by Joseph Archibald in 1899. Another inscription in the book “Catalogue of Plants Under Cultivation in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens 1 & 2, 1883” was presented to the “Warrnambool Library” and signed by the author W.R. Guilfoyle. In 1903 the Warrnambool Public Library decided to add a Juvenile Department to library and stock it with hundreds of books suitable for youth. In 1905 the Public Library committee decided to update the collection of books and added 100 new novels plus arrangements for the latest novels to be included as soon as they were available in Victoria. In July 1911 the Warrnambool Council took over the management of the Public Library, Art Gallery, Museum and Mechanics’ Institute and planned to double the size of the then-current building. In 1953, when Mr R. Pattison was Public Librarian, the Warrnambool Public Library’s senior section 10,000 of the 13,000 books were fiction. The children’s section offered an additional 3,400 books. The library had the equivalent of one book per head of population and served around 33 per cent of the reading population. The collection of books was made up of around 60 per cent reference and 40 per cent fiction. The library was lending 400 books per day. In 1963 the Warrnambool City Council allocated the site of the Mechanics’ Institute building, which included the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery, for the new Municipal Offices and the Collections were dispersed until 1971. The Warrnambool Library took over the Mechanics’ Institute Library’s holdings on behalf of the Warrnambool City Council. Since the closure of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute the exact location and composition of the original WMI books and items have become unclear. Other materials have been added to the collection, including items from Terang MI, Warrnambool Court House and Customs House. Many of the books have been identified as the Pattison Collection, named after the Librarian who catalogued and numbered the books during his time as Warrnambool Public Librarian in the time before the Mechanics’ Institute closed. It seems that when Warrnambool became part of the Corangamite Regional Library some of the books and materials went to its head office in Colac and then back to Warrnambool where they were stored at the Art Gallery for quite some time. Some then went to the Warrnambool Historical Society, some stayed at the Art Gallery and some were moved to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The various stamps and labels on the books held at Flagstaff Hill show the variety of the collection’s distribution and origin. The books in the collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village date from the 1850s to the late 1950s and include rare and valuable volumes. Many of the books are part of the “Pattison Collection” after the Warrnambool’s Public Librarian, Mr R. Pattison. The Pattison Collection, along with other items at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, was originally part of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s publication collection is of both local and state significance. Warrnambool Public Library 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. Far Forest Author: Francis Brett Young Publisher: William Heinemann Date: 1936 The label on the spine with the typed text PAT FIC YOU Pastedown front endpaper has a sticker from Warrnambool Public Library covered by a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Corangamite Regional Library Service Flyleaf has a stamp from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, warrnambool, 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, far forest, francis brett young

This photograph was taken at what is now the Young’s Creek picnic area which is located on the site of an old sawmill, once owned and operated by L.E. & H. Williams, dating back to the early 1920’s. The mill was eventually sold, dismantled, and the machinery transferred to a sawmill at Cabbage Tree Creek. there are still some items of old sawmill debris. The old steam engine at the edge of the car park is the remains of the mill’s former power plant. This portable steam engine was constructed in Leiston, Suffolk, in England.This is a pictorial record of a popular recreational area in the Orbost district in the late 19th century.A black / white photograph of a wooden bridge over a creek in forest setting. There is a second copy.on back - handwritten "the Young's Creek Bridge June 1897"young's-creek-orbost bridge-young's-creek

A colour postcard of the early Marysville township in Victoria.Early postcard of Marysville c.1900POST CARD Stamp Here Printed in Australia This space may be used for Correspondence/ within the Commonwealth without/ extra postage THIS SPACE FOR NAME AND/ ADDRESSmarysville, victoria, postcard, souvenir

black and white image: brick church, single spire. Forest Street Presbyterian Church.buildings, church, forest street presbyterian church, forest street uniting church, church, bendigo

Rural City of Wangaratta Collection. Purchased with funds from the Wangaratta Arts Council.A rectangular landscape of forest ferns painted in oil using shades of green, brown, and blue.Obverse: Elaine Burge/ (bottom right corner)wangaratta art gallery, elaine burge, landscape, forest, healesville, painting

20 acres of land at Forest Hill Nunawading on Canterbury Road next to Wesleyan Chapel.20 acres of land at Forest Hillwesleyan chapel, willson, henry, hunt's lane, forest hill, mount pleasant methodist church

Photocopy of photo of Julius and Edith Draeger on their property 'Dresden', Glebe Street, Forest Hill.Julius and Edith Draeger on their property 'Dresden', Glebe Street, Forest Hill.dresden, draeger, carl julius otto, edith florence, glebe street, forest hill, kendall, june

Auction of 20 home sites in McGrath's Estate, Forest Hill by frank Fisher & Co.mcgrath's estate, forest hill, forest hill, frank fisher co., peak court, forest hill, ottawa avenue, forest hill, beatrice court, forest hill, lake road, forest hill

See ND2991 for history of kindergarten.Black & white photograph of the outside of the nursery wing of the Forest Hill residential Kindergarten in 1938.forest hill residential kindergarten, kindergarten

Locomotive 8A, rolling stock, gangers and passengers, somewhere between Gellibrand and Beech Forest.beech forest; gellibrand; railway; loco 8a;

A four-wheeled, two-horse buggy and, further along, two men standing on a railway embankment before laying the track, near McDevitt in 1901A horseshoe curve near McDevitt during the course of construction of the Beech Forest railway, 1901.beech forest; mcdevitt; embankment; railway;

Cast iron lace was made in foundries in most cities. There were 42 such foundries in Melbourne alone. It was cheaper to make than wrought iron. "Pig iron", iron ore, was melted in a blast furnace, mixed with alloys and poured into molds made of sand. The alloys needed a minimum of 2% carbon.Black and White Photo by A Doney Bendigo of balustrade in Forest Street next to Wesley ChurchA. Doney Bendigoa doney, forest street

CAst iron lace was made in foundries in most cities. There were 42 such foundries in Melbourne alone. It was cheaper to make than wrought iron. "Pig iron"' iron ore, was melted in a blast furnace, mixed with alloys and poured into moulds usually made with sand. The alloys needed a minimum of 2% carbon.Black and White photo by A Doney of Balustrade on property on the corner of Forest and Barnard Streets Bendigo.A Doney Bendigoalan doney, bendigo, wrought iron, forest street bendigo, barnard street bendigo

On 24 March 1962 the special train marking the closure of the Colac-Beech forest railway line was again put on by the Australian Railway Historical Society, this time called the "Bye-Bye Beechie". It had G42 as the locomotive, eight NBH excursion carriages with NC guard's vans at either end, pulling a crowd of keen passengers. Special excursion trains until mid-1962.Colour. G42 locomotive inscribed "Australian Railway Historical Society, Bye-Bye Beechie, 24-3-62", an NC guard's van, eight NBH excursion carriages and another NC guard's van on No.2 Road at Beech Forest Railway Station, with dismounted passengers all around. On No.4 Road a number of loaded or semi-loaded NQR wagons and an NUU louvre van, with a truck, a car, and a van at the end of the row. A parked red truck in the foreground is next to a timber stack.beech forest: railways; "bye bye beechie";, beech forest: railways; "bye bye beechie";

A colour-tinted photograph of the early Marysville township in Victoria. This postcard was published by Victorian Stamp Market as a souvenir of Marysville.Early postcard of Marysville township c.1900POST CARD Printed in Germany This Space may be used for Correspondence. FOR ADDRESS ONLY V.S.M. Series.marysville, victoria, victorian stamp market, postcard, souvenir

Born: The Hague, Netherlands 1801; Arrived: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1853; Died: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1879VictorianGift of Wooleen Pty. Ltd., 1980Rural colonial forested landscape with animals, figures trees and mountains. Gold brushed timber frame.Recto: Signed "H.L.V.d.Houten / [illegible]" in brown oil in l.r.c of composition; Not dated; Not titledpainting, landscape, trees, figures, animals, buildings, mountains, colonial, horse, dog