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 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. Cabinet Timbers of Australia Author: R T Baker Publisher: Government Printer Sydney Date: 1913Label on spine cover with typed text RA 691.1 BAK Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Public Librarywarrnambool, 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, cabinet timbers of australia, r t baker

The Dept of Repatriation of the Commonwealth of Australia is now The Dept of veterans Affairs..1) Document 14 pages, re repatriation benefits, pensions and Allowances from the Commonwealth of Australia Repatriation Dept. This is actually 3 documents all the same but have been glued together like a pamphlet, two on white paper, one on blue paper. .2) Document 8 pages, light brown colour, stapled from the Repatriation Commission, amendments on pensions, medical treatment and other benefits. .3) Document, folds into 3, yellowish paper printed in green and black relating to War Widows benefits from the Australian Repatriation Dept, no date but benefits are in pounds, schillings and pence, pre 1966. .4) .5) & .6) Documents, folds into 3, yellowish paper, red and black printing from the Repatriation Dept of Australia, details a a guide to Service pensions, means test, rates of pensions, property etc. .7) & .8) Booklets, 53 pages, off white colour from the Commonwealth of Australia with instructions for the guidance of a repatriation local committee, issued by the Repatriation Commission.repatriation, pensions, allowances

Typed spiral bound booklet with text and several photographs, chronological history between years 1915 and 1967.5 photos on front cover

Digital copy of One Hundred Years, Official Programme and History of Ballarat for its Centenary Celebrations, 1938ballarat centenary, victor greenhalgh, ronaldson-tippett, george hotel, f.w. holst, ballarat gas company, herbert werner frederick de nully, ballarat timeline, western plateau, rowlands, band of hope and albion consols, ballarat water supply, ballarat sewerage scheme, arch of victory

The Natural History of Selborne Author: Rev Gilbert White Publisher: George Bell and Sons Date: 1890Label on spine with typed text R.H. 574.942 WHI warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, rev gilbert white, the natural history of selborne

This work is a collection of twelve essays that are concerned with place names, clan organisation and local and regional Aboriginal history.maps, document reproductionsdjab wurrung, ngengen wurrung, koroitgundidj, dhauwurud wurrung, djab wurrung, barababaraba, daung wurrung, taungurung, dja dja wurrung, jardwadjali, jodajoda, yorta yorta, nguri-illam wurrung, waywurru, koroit, buangor, mt eccles, mt napier, langi ghiran, grampians national park, massacres, clan organization, land tenure, george augustus robinson, samuel carter, aldo massola, alfred william howitt

This document is a summary of 'An indigenous history of Stonnington (2006) by Dr Ian Clark and Laura Kostanski, University of Ballarat.maps, b&w illustrations, b&w photographs, colour illustrations, word listswoiwurrung, woi wurrung, boonwurrung, boon wurrung, eastern kulin, derrimut, george augustus robinson, george langhorne, helen baillie, banjo clarke, jim berg, stonnington, william thomas, coranderrk, local history, victorian history,

Coloured photograph of of the display in large cabinet in Local History Room of Sewing Machines and related sewing objects.sewing machines, nunawading and district historical society.

Coloured photograph of extensions to Local History Room beginning - Safety fence erected and initial foundations dug.schwerkolt cottage & museum complex. local history room, whitehorse historical society, arrowsmith, ted

Coloured photograph of extensions to Local History Room - extension finally enclosed for the internal fitting. Bluewall to be painted.schwerkolt cottage & museum complex. local history room, whitehorse historical society, arrowsmith, ted

Coloured photograph of extensions to Local History Room - new disabled toilet from interior of Implements area.schwerkolt cottage & museum complex. local history room, whitehorse historical society, arrowsmith, ted

Coloured photograph of extensions to Local History Room finished. Time to get unbelievable mess back to normal.schwerkolt cottage & museum complex. local history room, whitehorse historical society, arrowsmith, ted

Coloured photograph of members hard at work in completed extended Local History Room. 19 March 2003.schwerkolt cottage & museum complex. local history room, whitehorse historical society, arrowsmith, ted

Set of four clear-fronted plastic A4 binders containing family history research printouts and photocopies.

Income and expenditure of the Communist Party Australia (Victoria Branch?) from 1915-1954. Includes memberships/affiliations. Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Australia) describes the Party as originating in 1920 although the beginning of these records precedes that date by five years. It is also noted that the party officially dissolved in 1992, although the record held ceases at 1954 when the funds were transferred to Building Trades Federation Trust Account. The records are contemporaneous with Robert Menzies' attempted ban of the Party in 1951. The records cease in 1954 which was a time of active paranoia in Australia about Communism. The Labor Party split happened in 1955 leading to the formation of the Democratic Labor Party (a party describing itself at anti-communist).Politics and government. Financial records keeping - Communist Party of Australia.Book; 191 pages. Cover: brown background; gold lettering; title ("Cash Book"). Loose pages - account balances, Commonwealth Trading Bank of Australia, Victoria Street, Melbourne.Preliminary pages, in pencil: "Relief Fund see page 47".btlc, ballarat trades hall, ballarat trades and labour council, communist party australia, cpa, politics and government, financial records, democratic labor party, australian labor party, communism

Empire Builders In Australia Early Days in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia Author: Edith Ralph Publisher: T. Fisher Unwin Date: 1911Label on spine cover with typed text R.A. 994.02 RAL Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Librarywarrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, empire builders in australia

This book was written by Edward Vidler (1863-1942), a printer, publisher and author. Born in England, Vidler was in Geelong in the 1880s and produced there a commemorative volume on that city. He came to Warrnambool in the early years of the 20th century and was Secretary of the Warrnambool and District Progress League and the Warrnambool Chamber of Commerce and Industry. While in Warrnambool he produced an important 1907 publication, ‘Warrnambool Past and Present – Sixty Years of Progress’ and also organized the production of the Pioneer Honour Board featuring portraits of 204 Warrnambool and district pioneer men. After he left Warrnambool he lived in Melbourne where he edited magazines and published his own and other writings. He was a foundation member of the group that established the Maranoa Native Gardens in Balwyn and promoted Australian flora and fauna. This book is of great interest s it was written by Edward Vidler, a resident of Warrnambool in the early 1900s and an important and influential figure in our history. He left behind in Warrnambool two most important legacies – the Pioneer Honour Board and the book ‘Warrnambool Past and Present’, a history of Warrnambool that has proved invaluable to researchers today. No information has been found on the original owner of the book, William Ewers. This is a 1931 soft cover book of 96 pages. The cover has a grey-coloured background and a sepia-coloured photograph of two kookaburras on a tree branch on the front cover and an advertisement for a publication called ‘Songs of the Bush’ on the back cover. The book is dedicated to the Gould League of Bird Lovers. It has a Contents page, a Foreword, a Preface, pages on Australian birds and an Index. It has many black and white photographs of Australian birds. It is glued and bound with blue tape.Signature on front cover and inside first page: ‘Wm. D. Ewers’edward vidler, history of warrnambool, warrnambool pioneer honour board, 1907 warrnambool history book, ‘warrnambool past and present’.

The Bendigo Ordnance Factory began operating in 1942, producing heavy artillery and naval guns. In the late 1990s the then Federal Government-owned facility was sold to the multinational Thales, which continues to operate the factory today. The Ted Hocking collection of photos were digitized onto two CDs in 2014. As well the Bendigo Historical Society has a collection of glass negatives includes some slides of women working in the munitions factory. Seven slides were included in an album that was prepared for Dr Edith Summerskill who visited Australia in 1944 as part of an Empire Parliamentary Delegation. The album included photographs of Australian women working at the factory during WW2. A copy of the album is in the Collection of the Australian War Memorial.Twenty-three photos produced by the Bendigo Munitions Factory, later known as the Ordnance Factory and then the Australian Defense Industries. The photos are mainly of staff carrying out maintenance.history, bendigo, bendigo munitions factory, bendigo ordnance, bendigo adi, doctor edith summerskill, ww2, slide box 1 10165, slide box 2 10166, slide box 3 10167, ted hocking collection

The Bendigo Ordnance Factory began operating in 1942, producing heavy artillery and naval guns. In the late 1990s the then Federal Government-owned facility was sold to the multinational Thales, which continues to operate the factory today. The Ted Hocking collection of photos were digitized onto two CDs in 2014. As well the Bendigo Historical Society has a collection of glass negatives includes some slides of women working in the munitions factory. Seven slides were included in an album that was prepared for Dr Edith Summerskill who visited Australia in 1944 as part of an Empire Parliamentary Delegation. The album included photographs of Australian women working at the factory during WW2. A copy of the album is in the Collection of the Australian War Memorial.Nineteen photos produced by the Bendigo Munitions Factory, later known as the Ordnance Factory and then the Australian Defense Industries. The photos are mainly of staff carrying out construction work.history, bendigo, bendigo munitions factory, bendigo ordnance, bendigo adi, doctor edith summerskill, ww2, slide box 1 10165, slide box 2 10166, slide box 3 10167, ted hocking collection

The Bendigo Ordnance Factory began operating in 1942, producing heavy artillery and naval guns. In the late 1990s the then Federal Government-owned facility was sold to the multinational Thales, which continues to operate the factory today. The Ted Hocking collection of photos were digitized onto two CDs in 2014. As well the Bendigo Historical Society has a collection of glass negatives includes some slides of women working in the munitions factory. Seven slides were included in an album that was prepared for Dr Edith Summerskill who visited Australia in 1944 as part of an Empire Parliamentary Delegation. The album included photographs of Australian women working at the factory during WW2. A copy of the album is in the Collection of the Australian War Memorial.Twenty-two photos produced by the Bendigo Munitions Factory, later known as the Ordnance Factory and then the Australian Defense Industries. The photos are mainly of staff, daily life and awards.history, bendigo, bendigo munitions factory, bendigo ordnance, bendigo adi, doctor edith summerskill, ww2, slide box 1 10165, slide box 2 10166, slide box 3 10167, ted hocking collection

The Bendigo Ordnance Factory began operating in 1942, producing heavy artillery and naval guns. In the late 1990s the then Federal Government-owned facility was sold to the multinational Thales, which continues to operate the factory today. The Ted Hocking collection of photos were digitized onto two CDs in 2014. As well the Bendigo Historical Society has a collection of glass negatives includes some slides of women working in the munitions factory. Seven slides were included in an album that was prepared for Dr Edith Summerskill who visited Australia in 1944 as part of an Empire Parliamentary Delegation. The album included photographs of Australian women working at the factory during WW2. A copy of the album is in the Collection of the Australian War Memorial.Twenty-two photos produced by the Bendigo Munitions Factory, later known as the Ordnance Factory and then the Australian Defense Industries. The photos are mainly of staff, daily life and awards.history, bendigo, bendigo munitions factory, bendigo ordnance, bendigo adi, doctor edith summerskill, ww2, slide box 1 10165, slide box 2 10166, slide box 3 10167, ted hocking collection

The Bendigo Ordnance Factory began operating in 1942, producing heavy artillery and naval guns. In the late 1990s the then Federal Government-owned facility was sold to the multinational Thales, which continues to operate the factory today. The Ted Hocking collection of photos were digitized onto two CDs in 2014. As well the Bendigo Historical Society has a collection of glass negatives includes some slides of women working in the munitions factory. Seven slides were included in an album that was prepared for Dr Edith Summerskill who visited Australia in 1944 as part of an Empire Parliamentary Delegation. The album included photographs of Australian women working at the factory during WW2. A copy of the album is in the Collection of the Australian War Memorial.Twenty-two photos produced by the Bendigo Munitions Factory, later known as the Ordnance Factory and then the Australian Defense Industries. The photos are mainly of staff, daily life and awards.history, bendigo, bendigo munitions factory, bendigo ordnance, bendigo adi, doctor edith summerskill, ww2, slide box 1 10165, slide box 2 10166, slide box 3 10167, ted hocking collection

Charles Hotham was Governor of Victoria at the time of the Eureka Stockade (03/12/1854).Unbound images (29) used in the in the History of Ballarat by W.B. Withers, including posters associate with the Eureka Stockade , including a black and white Government poster distributed after the Eureka Stockade (as published in Withers 'History of Ballarat'). The poster calls for Social order after the events at Ballarat. eureka stockade, reward posters, charles hotham, w.b. withers, john alloo, eureka stockade monument, s.t. gill, f.w. niven, s.d.s. huyghue, history of ballarat, di chambrillon, frederick vern, reward poster, french, golden point