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Brighton Historical Society
Flag, W. Morgan & Co, School flag, circa 1910s - 1930s
This flag was used by Rosbercon Girls Grammar School, which operated in Brighton from 1906 until 1941. The school was established in 1906 by the Tisdall family. The Tisdalls were a family of educators: Irish-born Henry Thomas Normanton Tisdall and his wife Lucy taught for many years at the Walhalla State School in Gippsland, along with Lucy's sisters Alice and Clara Weekes. Three of the Tisdall daughters, Ethel, Constance and Theodosia (Theo) followed their mother and aunts into the teaching profession. Constance in particular considered education her true calling and harboured a dream of one day being principal of her own school. After Henry's death in 1905, faced with financial uncertainty and several unmarried daughters to support, Lucy Tisdall decided to take a risk. She sold the family's Toorak home and, together with her sister Alice, leased 'Ashburnham', a large Victorian villa at 106 North Road, Brighton. The plan was to open a private school, with Ethel and Constance as co-principals and Lucy, Alice and Theo teaching and managing the household affairs. This came as a "joyful surprise" to Constance, who was only informed of the plan after it had been finalised. The school was named Rosbercon after Henry's home village in County Wexford, Ireland. The crest, designed by son Bert Tisdall around 1910, featured a crowned letter 'A' above the motto "amor vincit omnia" ("love conquers all"), both inspired by a verse in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Prioress's Tale": "about her arm she bore/A paire of bedes gauded all in grene,/And theron heng a broche of gold full shene,/On which there was first writ a crowned 'A',/And after, Amor Vincit Omnia." It was a motto Constance held close to her heart, embodying her values as a teacher. Reflecting in 1961, she wrote, "In a school without punishments, a school with love and understanding between teacher and pupil - with a love of teaching on one side, and a desire to learn on the other, love would indeed conquer all." The school's opening day in 1906 proved less than auspicious, with no pupils arriving at all. The women persisted and by the end of the first week, five students had been enrolled. From here, the school grew steadily in size. A new schoolroom designed by architect Harold Desbrowe-Annear was built in the house's orchard to accommodate the increasing numbers, but by 1911 the Tisdalls began looking for larger premises. They leased the nearby property 'Hazeldean' at 124 North Road and, during the 1912 school holidays, the Desbrowe-Annear schoolroom was raised onto a lorry drawn by sixteen horses and moved down the road to what would become Rosbercon's new home. In 1923, Constance instituted a modified version of the Dalton Plan, an education model based on individualised learning. Girls in senior years were encouraged to work more independently, making regular use of the reference library and working to a monthly assignment schedule. The school performed well academically and in competitive sport, but over time was eclipsed by the nearby Firbank Church of England Girls' Grammar School (established 1909), whose institutional backing provided it with access to wider resources and facilities than those of the small family-run Rosbercon. At the end of 1933, Ethel and Theo retired and Constance became principal of St Anne's Church of England Girls' Grammar School (now Gippsland Grammar) in Sale. Rosbercon was sold to Miss Iris Hay, who served as principal from 1934 until the school's closure in 1941. Following her own retirement in 1947, Constance Tisdall settled in Erica Avenue, East Malvern, in a house named 'Rosbercon' after her former school. She continued teaching English literature, mostly to migrants, and enjoyed regular visits from former students. Well into the late 1960s, old Rosbercon girls continued a tradition of coming together for an annual reunion on the first Saturday in November, on which day Constance would fly the school flag at her home.Large navy blue flag with horizontal maroon stripe at top and bottom, and school crest in centre. Stylised maroon "A" topped with yellow crown. Yellow scroll below with motto in navy blue letters: "AMOR.VINCIT.OMNIA".flag, school flag, rosbercon girls grammar school -
Melton City Libraries
Newspaper, Lack of support may close hall, 1977
"The Mechanics Institute movement flourished in Victoria from 1839 to 1950. It was based on the development of Mechanics’ Institutes in Scotland and England from the 1820s, which were intended to educate and enlighten the working classes. The term ‘mechanic’ in those days meant an artisan, craftsman or working man, especially those who had moved from rural areas to work in new city factories during the Industrial Revolution. The early Institutes were usually equipped with a reading room, a library and a lecture room. Although enjoying mixed success in Britain, they contributed to the development of public education and library services. The movement was adopted more enthusiastically in the colonies. It began slowly in Victoria but its expansion after the gold rushes population influx was rapid, especially in rural areas. Every suburb and town wanted to have a Mechanics’ Institute. During the 1850s approximately forty Institutes were established, with even greater growth in the period 1860 to 1900. By 1900 there were 400 Institutes in Victoria. The establishment of a Mechanics’ Institute was often a great achievement for a local community, requiring organising committees to raise substantial funds for a building site (where this had not been granted by the Government), and the building. Once built, the committee then had to purchase books, provide a caretaker or librarian, and finance the ongoing use of and improvements to the building. ‘The history of many Institutes is a story of tremendous community effort, and often, financial difficulties’. In addition to being monuments to local enterprise and community life, the Mechanics’ Institutes played a vital role as an intellectual forum, and in contributing to an informed and participatory democracy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They provided journals and other reading matter on local, state, national and international issues, and hosted of lectures and held debates about wider issues such as Federation, colonial nationalism, defence, female suffrage, the price of land and labour. With the development of the school and technical education in the latter part of the nineteenth century, the need for community technical and adult education declined. As a result of the introduction of government library grants in 1867, many Mechanics’ Institutes incorporated a free library in their buildings to finance collection of their books. By 1884-85, there were 257 free libraries in Victoria. However, government support and library grants dropped off in the 1890s depression. Entertainment took on a greater role in the 1890s, with the introduction of moving pictures, billiards rooms, games rooms (chess), concerts and dances. The First World War had a devastating impact on many rural communities, and some Mechanics’ Institutes were no longer viable. On the other hand the early twentieth century was also a time of agricultural development, and many country towns were growing in this period. The 1930s depression further limited growth of many libraries and reduced grants substantially. In response many Mechanics’ Institutes were renamed, for example as memorial halls, in order to retain and attract more patrons (eg at nearby Sunbury). The diminishing role for Mechanics’ Institutes and the preference for larger and better appointed halls (with supper rooms, cloak rooms etc) resulted in demolition of some small Institutes. The advent of cars, radios, and television also provided other opportunities for recreation, learning and entertainment. The greater role of municipalities in providing library services also eroded the need for free libraries. While over 500 Mechanics’ Institutes or halls are extant, very few of these retain their original role as ‘diffusers of useful knowledge’. Most are still available for community purposes, as venues for meetings, socials, civic occasions etc, while others are employed as museums, shops and theatres. Most buildings are on Crown land, and managed by a delegated committee of management, who are responsible for raising revenue to maintain aging buildings. Many of those which were originally established on private land, such as Melton, have since reverted back to the Crown, and municipal Councils. The most common Mechanics Institute building form is the simple weatherboard gable building with iron roofs, notable for their ‘honest simplicity’ rather than as ‘monuments of the ancients’. At the other extreme there are some magnificent two storeyed brick and stucco structures with elaborate ornamentation (as was apparently envisaged by some in Melton in 1905-10)". The future of Melton Mechanic Institute Gazette articlelocal architecture -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Document - Personal Papers, Melbourne Tramways Trust (MTT), "Notice Papers for 'The Melbourne Tramways Trust' meetings", 1884 -1885
Set of 33 Notice Paper or Meeting Agendas - sent to Trust Members and others for The Melbourne Tramways Trust for period March 1884 to Feb. 1885. Printed by Ferguson and Moore for the Trust. Signed by the Secretary. Covers construction arrangements, appointments, financial, loans, debentures, legislation, arrangements with the Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company and other organisations including banks. Notes are the principal items shown in the Orders of the Day. Printed by Fergusson and Moore Meeting No. Date Notes 1 14/3/1884 Appointment of Solicitor, E. G. Fitz Gibbon interim Secretary 2 21/3/1884 Appointment of Solicitors and Bankers 4 4/4/1884 Confer with MTOC and appointment of an Engineer. Signed by Hugh T. Jordan as clerk. 6 18/4/1884 Consider different routes, elect a Works Committee 7 25/4/1884 Confer with Mr. G. Duncan. 8 2/5/1884 Report from Legislative Committee, appointment of Mr. Duncan as Engineer to the Trust. 2nd copy has handwritten note regarding confirmation of the appointment. 9 9/5/1884 Consideration of amendments to the Act. 10 16/5/1884 Authorisation of borrowing of #500,00 and appointment of a Secretary. 11 23/5/1884 Finance report. 12 30/5/1884 Meet with deputation to have Lygon St line extended to Brunswick and payment of accounts. 13 6/6/1884 Applications for Secretary, and petition for Lygon St extension. 14 13/6/1884 Legislative committee report 15 20/6/1884 Advance to MTOC and assist bill through Parliament 16 27/6/1884 Works committee report. Signed by T. Hamilton as Secretary. 17 4/7/1884 Payment of accounts, including G. Duncan and office accounts. 18 11/7/1884 Construction of one line of tramway and another attempt for the Lygon St tramway again. 19 16/7/1884 Reduction of debenture interest rate to 4% and paying for cutting down of Swanston St. 20 1/8/1884 Interest fixed at 4.5%, accounts, construction of Richmond line, and meeting dates. 21 15/8/1884 Payments to MTCo re cost of original Acts. 22 29/8/1884 Sealing of Debentures to England, and accounts 23 5/9/1884 Re amendments to Bill for Tramway Act and payment for patents. 24 19/9/1884 Accounts, overhang of tramcars, completion of tramways. 25 26/9/1884 Tenders for works, finance report, payment of MTT expenses by MTOC. 26 10/10/1884 Works committee Report – copy in file – payments of accounts and recommend acceptance of Duncan’s plans and Richmond line by public tender. 27 Special 20/10/1884 Letter from MTOC re possible delays in the Bill – additional Branches bill. 28 24/10/1884 Finance – debentures now in England, appointment of H. Jordan as Treasurer and accounts. 29 7/11/1884 Works committee and accounts, purchase of cement, letter from Mr. Pyman re rejection of petition. 30 21/11/1884 Shows chairman’s name – Thomas O’Grady, approval of plans etc for the Richmond line. 31 5/12/1884 Works committee, accounts, payment to Mr. Pyman, purchase of equipment and engines for the Northern lines and appointment of an inspecting Engineer in England. Queries from England re sufficiency of the guarantee on the debentures. 32 19/12/1884 Finance Committee report – accounts. 33 9/1/1885 Finance and works – accounts, tenders for cement etc, appoint of an inspector of works, authorise plans for Brunswick, Fitzroy and Spencer St and Collingwood and Nicholson St. 34 23/1/1885 Finance and works – accounts, report on tenders. 35 6/2/1885 Committee reports, accounts, land purchase, appoint of Mr. Carruthers as inspecting Engineer in England – 1% of value of work. For a word version - see: \dbtext\hawthtramcoll\images\htd2001doc.doctrams, tramways, mtt, cable trams, melbourne tramways trust, construction, finances, mto co -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Jim Connor, Main Road, Eltham, 14 Jan 2017
The Eltham Hotel is the oldest continually operating hotel in the Eltham district. Initially referred to as the Little Eltham Hotel, it has been known as the Eltham Hotel since the 1850s through to present time with a very brief period as the Eltham Tavern in the late 1980s. Benjamin Oliver Wallis was a prominent Eltham resident, publican and Councillor during the second half of the nineteenth century. He owned the house that is now the Nillumbik Living and Learning Centre at 739 Main Road Eltham and one stage the Eltham Hotel. Wallis migrated to Melbourne in 1853 but his wife and children remained in Cornwall for a further 10 years. Later in 1853 Richard Warren engaged Wallis to build the Eltham Hotel and it opened in 1854. The hotel was constructed of hard basaltic blue stone quarried in the Eltham district and cemented together with mud, and partly of bricks made at Eltham. The Fountain of Friendship Hotel on the opposite side of Maria Street (Main Road) opened shortly after. The hotel was a well-known resting place for gold diggers during the gold rush at Woods’ Point and Warren would buy the gold from the diggers. In 1858 Warren fell into financial difficulties and had to sell the hotel. Wallis bought the hotel and obtained a publican’s licence in 1861. In the 1850s the Fountain had been the more popular hotel but after that the Eltham Hotel became more popular. It is understood that in about 1857 Wallis probably built the “Living and Learning house” for tanner John Pearson. In 1868 Pearson became bankrupt and Wallis acquired the house and he lived there until his death in 1896. For some of this time the house was in the name of Benjamin’s son Richard but he died in 1888 and ownership reverted to his father. Wallis was a member of the Eltham Jockey Club and in 1867 his wife Anna rode her horse Charlotte in the Annual Races. Anna was also an angler and is reported to have caught a large perch in the Yarra River. She died in 1887. On 16th September 1886 Wallis sold the hotel to Christopher Watson (Snr). Watson died in 1887 and the hotel passed to his son Christopher Watson (Jr) who owned it until his death in 1909 at which time his wife Emily took over the license. Upon her death, their son Herbert applied for the license in January 1915. In July 1925, Herbert Watson demolished the original building and, in its place, erected a modern hotel which remains the foundation of the present Eltham Hotel. The contractors at the time commented on how well the original building had been constructed. A description of the new building was detailed in the Advertiser newspaper of January 8, 1926: “The new building consists of. two stories. designed in English tavern style, and contains-all told, 24 rooms. On the second floor, in front uninviting the two gables is a deep balcony, which will be much appreciated by visitors. The lower story is wholly of brick, and the upper one of wood and fibrous cement plaster. The rooms are spacious and lofty, and the windows are large and of latest style, and light the rooms splendidly. The entrance hall is 8 feet wide. The bar is a very commodious room and is furnished in the most up-to-date and convenient manner. The dining room, a very attractive apartment, is 30 feet by 15 feet 6 inches, and the bar parlor is also a large and well furnished room. A large cellar, an indispensable adjunct to an hotel, has been excavated beneath the bar. On the upper story are 12 bedrooms, and among other conveniences are two bath rooms in which hot and cold water can be used. All the rooms have been supplied with the necessary appliances for electric lighting, which will be one of the progressive evidences which Eltham will shortly enjoy.” “In the yard a brick garage to accommodate three cars at once, has been erected. This, as well as the hotel, is roofed with tiles.” “From the front of the hotel (especially the balcony) a lovely view of the country west and, north may be obtained.” “It may be added that it Is intended to have an ornamental garden, a tennis court. and a kiosk in connection with the hotel, and the property will have a rustic fence round it.” The hotel has since undergone several modifications and extensionsTomorrow's history documented todayeltham, jim connor collection, main road, eltham gateway, eltham hotel, pitt street -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Jim at "The Pub" Eltham; Reed's Eltham Hotel, c.1948
Olive Elsie May Reed was licensee of the Eltham Hotel from April 1948 to January 1950. The Eltham Hotel is the oldest continually operating hotel in the Eltham district. Initially referred to as the Little Eltham Hotel, it has been known as the Eltham Hotel since the 1850s through to present time with a very brief period as the Eltham Tavern in the late 1980s. Benjamin Oliver Wallis was a prominent Eltham resident, publican and Councillor during the second half of the nineteenth century. He owned the house that is now the Nillumbik Living and Learning Centre at 739 Main Road Eltham and one stage the Eltham Hotel. Wallis migrated to Melbourne in 1853 but his wife and children remained in Cornwall for a further 10 years. Later in 1853 Richard Warren engaged Wallis to build the Eltham Hotel and it opened in 1854. The hotel was constructed of hard basaltic blue stone quarried in the Eltham district and cemented together with mud, and partly of bricks made at Eltham. The Fountain of Friendship Hotel on the opposite side of Maria Street (Main Road) opened shortly after. The hotel was a well-known resting place for gold diggers during the gold rush at Woods’ Point and Warren would buy the gold from the diggers. In 1858 Warren fell into financial difficulties and had to sell the hotel. Wallis bought the hotel and obtained a publican’s licence in 1861. In the 1850s the Fountain had been the more popular hotel but after that the Eltham Hotel became more popular. It is understood that in about 1857 Wallis probably built the “Living and Learning house” for tanner John Pearson. In 1868 Pearson became bankrupt and Wallis acquired the house and he lived there until his death in 1896. For some of this time the house was in the name of Benjamin’s son Richard but he died in 1888 and ownership reverted to his father. Wallis was a member of the Eltham Jockey Club and in 1867 his wife Anna rode her horse Charlotte in the Annual Races. Anna was also an angler and is reported to have caught a large perch in the Yarra River. She died in 1887. On 16th September 1886 Wallis sold the hotel to Christopher Watson (Snr). Watson died in 1887 and the hotel passed to his son Christopher Watson (Jr) who owned it until his death in 1909 at which time his wife Emily took over the license. Upon her death, their son Herbert applied for the license in January 1915. In July 1925, Herbert Watson demolished the original building and, in its place, erected a modern hotel which remains the foundation of the present Eltham Hotel. The contractors at the time commented on how well the original building had been constructed. A description of the new building was detailed in the Advertiser newspaper of January 8, 1926: “The new building consists of. two stories. designed in English tavern style, and contains-all told, 24 rooms. On the second floor, in front uninviting the two gables is a deep balcony, which will be much appreciated by visitors. The lower story is wholly of brick, and the upper one of wood and fibrous cement plaster. The rooms are spacious and lofty, and the windows are large and of latest style, and light the rooms splendidly. The entrance hall is 8 feet wide. The bar is a very commodious room and is furnished in the most up-to-date and convenient manner. The dining room, a very attractive apartment, is 30 feet by 15 feet 6 inches, and the bar parlor is also a large and well furnished room. A large cellar, an indispensable adjunct to an hotel, has been excavated beneath the bar. On the upper story are 12 bedrooms, and among other conveniences are two bath rooms in which hot and cold water can be used. All the rooms have been supplied with the necessary appliances for electric lighting, which will be one of the progressive evidences which Eltham will shortly enjoy.” “In the yard a brick garage to accommodate three cars at once, has been erected. This, as well as the hotel, is roofed with tiles.” “From the front of the hotel (especially the balcony) a lovely view of the country west and, north may be obtained.” “It may be added that it Is intended to have an ornamental garden, a tennis court. and a kiosk in connection with the hotel, and the property will have a rustic fence round it.” The hotel has since undergone several modifications and extensions Pages from a scrapbook belonging to Heather Jenkins (nee Sargeant) who lived as a child in the Police Residence at 728 Main Road, Eltham in the 1920s.Heather Sargeant was the daughter of Constable W.C. Sargeant, the local police officer in residence at Eltham, 1922-1927Glued on a brown paper scrapbook page (torn from scrapbook) with 8 black and white/sepia photos of varying sizes, 1 newspaper clipping and one greeting card with printed sketch and handwritten captions in ink. On back of page is 1 black and white photo and a large newspaper clipping.eltham, police residence, heather jenkins (nee sargeant), walter withers, constable w.c. sargeant, eltham hotel, jim jenkins, reed's eltham hotel, olive elsie may reed -
Puffing Billy Railway
V. R. Krupp 1888. IV. Rail, 1888
60lbs rail that was used throughout the Victorian rail network. In 1887 Gibbs, Bright and Co. had a contract with Victorian Railways for railway and canal construction and supply of Krupp Rails. Gibbs, Bright and Co were merchant bankers and shipping agents and merchants who where also Directors of the GWR ( Great Western Railway ) and the Ship The "Great Britain" in England Gibbs, Bright and Company had principally been involved in shipping and trading, mainly in the West Indies, but following the discovery of gold in Victoria they established an office in Melbourne and soon became one of the leading shipping agents and merchants in the Colony. They expanded into passenger shipping and soon established offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Adelaide and Perth as well as launching passenger services between England, Mauritius and New Zealand. Gibbs, Bright also held a number of financial agencies from British mortgage, finance and investment companies as well as representing several British insurance companies in Australia. In addition they conducted a growing import business as well as an export business that included livestock, dairy produce, wool and flour. Also the company played a substantial part in the development of Australia's mineral resources, starting with lead in 1895, and later venturing into tin, gold, copper, cement and super phosphates. In Australia, after WWI, many of the larger companies were managing their own import and export so Gibbs, Bright and Company tended to focus its Agency business on smaller companies while expanding their interest into other markets such as timber, wire netting, zinc, stevedoring, road transport, marine salvage, gold mining as well as mechanical, structural, electrical and marine engineering. The Company's shipping interests continued to grow as well and still formed a major part of its business. In 1948 the parent company in England took the major step from tradition when they changed the business from a partnership into a private limited company. The name was the same, Antony Gibbs and Sons Limited, and in practice the effect of the change was very little. Some of the firm's branches and departments had already become limited companies and the formation of a parent company simplified the structure. The Australian operation was in time changed to Gibbs Bright & Co Pty Ltd in 1963. In 1848 Alfred Krupp becomes the sole proprietor of the company which from 1850 experiences its first major growth surge. In 1849 his equally talented brother Hermann (1814 - 1879) takes over the hardware factory Metallwarenfabrik in Berndorf near Vienna, which Krupp had established together with Alexander Schöller six years earlier. The factory manufactures cutlery in a rolling process developed by the brothers. Krupp's main products are machinery and machine components made of high-quality cast steel, especially equipment for the railroads, most notably the seamless wheel tire, and from 1859 to an increased extent artillery. To secure raw materials and feedstock for his production, Krupp acquires ore deposits, coal mines and iron works. On Alfred Krupp's death in 1887 the company employs 20,200 people. His great business success is based on the quality of the products, systematic measures to secure sales, the use of new cost-effective steel-making techniques, good organization within the company, and the cultivation of a loyal and highly qualified workforce among other things through an extensive company welfare system. From 1878 August Thyssen starts to get involved in processing the products manufactured by Thyssen & Co., including the fabrication of pipes for gas lines. In 1882 he starts rolling sheet at Styrum, for which two years later he sets up a galvanizing shop. The foundation stone for Maschinenfabrik Thyssen & Co. is laid in 1883 with the purchase of a neighboring mechanical engineering company. In 1891 August Thyssen takes the first step toward creating a vertical company at the Gewerkschaft Deutscher Kaiser coal mine in [Duisburg-]Hamborn, which he expands to an integrated iron and steelmaking plant on the River Rhine. Just before the First World War he starts to expand his group internationally (Netherlands, UK, France, Russia, Mediterranean region, Argentina). info from The company thyssenkrupp - History https://www.thyssenkrupp.com/en/company/history/the-founding-families/alfred-krupp.htmlHistoric - Victorian Railways - Track Rail - made by Krupp in 1888Section of VR Krupp 1888 Rail mounted on a piece of varnished wood. Rail made of ironpuffing billy, krupp, rail, victorian railways -
Melton City Libraries
Document, Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving for the life of Ernest Wesley Barrie (Bon) 1909-1985, 1985
SUMMARY - Ernest W (Bon) Barrie, 1909 – 1985 Profile Melton Mechanics Institute Member 1935 - 1982i Trustee 1952 - 1982 Life Member 1968 Years of service – 47 years He constructed and provided a public address system which was used at Melton and district halls and sports grounds for a wide variety of community events including school sports, gymkhanas, theatrical productions and processions. Fire Brigade Melton Fire Brigade (and predecessor Bush Fire Brigade) Apparatus Officer, 1945 - 1953 Captain, 1951 - 1965 Mt Cotterill Fire Brigades’ Group Elected Group Officer, on the formation of the Group, 1967. As Group Communications Officer he operated the VL3 LY base radio station from home on a 24 hour basis for fire brigades of Melton, Rockbank, Sydenham, Diggers Rest, Toolern Vale, Truganina and Werribee. With his brother Edgar, he built the first Melton Fire Truck. It was housed on the family property until a fire station was constructed in the Melton township. Recipient of the Queens Medal, 1979 Recognised for 44 years of service on the Melton Fire Brigade Memorial Wall Plaque, dedicated May 2013 Melton State School, no 430 Committee – School Correspondent (secretarial and financial role) 34 years of Service Provided his Amplifier Equipment for events and the annual district School Sports from 1939-1973. Donated the House Athletic Shield Melton and District Historical Society 1968 – 1985 President and foundation member Willows Historical Park – supported the establishment of the park and contributed many volunteers hours in the construction and landscaping of the precinct Member, Western Metropolitan Groups of Historical Societies, 1980s Shire of Melton Councillor South Riding, 1969-1971 Member of the Water Trust Melton Uniting Church Melton Uniting Church (and its predecessors the Methodist, Methodist-Presbyterian churches). A lifetime association which extended from childhood when he attended Sunday school until his death in 1985. Member of the Presbyterian Board of Management for more than 25 years in which he held positions of Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, Board member of the Parish Council and Member of the Committee of Management. He was a Sunday school teacher 1933. Community development With Mr RC Butler met with Shire Council in 1937 to canvass residents to ascertain prospective Electric consumers in the district. Electricity was subsequently turned on at dusk on 20th December 1939. Melton Progress Association, including Melton Musical, Elocutionary and Vocal Competitions, Vice President 1939 1940 Melton Development Association, 1960s Volunteer Air Observers Corps (VAOC)ii Carried out plane spotting at Shire Office and spotting tower in Melton and later from home until 1944/45. Agriculture and farming Progress and Better Farming Association, Melton. Honorary Secretary, 1935 Member, Agricultural Engineering Society Australia c1960-1985 A successful grower of wheat, oats and barley, he planted experiment plots and held Field Days on the “Darlingsford” property. He later diversified into other grains and sheep (wool and meat). He took a enthusiastic interest in agricultural engineering and was keen to introduce innovative ideas that improved the productivity of farms and farming practices. In the mid 1950 he conducted trials during harvest on the family property of the original mechanical hay fork built on a British Bedford truck by Bill Gillespie. This design was further refined in collaboration with the Gillespie brothers and resulted in the construction the hydraulically operated tractor mounted hay fork. The innovative design of the hay fork created interest from far and wide and was quickly taken up by farmers because it significantly reduced hand labouring of loading sheaves of hay with a pitch fork. His father established chaff mills in Melton, Rockbank, Parwan, Diggers Rest in the first decade of 1900 and in 1915 went into partnership with JR Schutt to establish the Schutt & Barrie Pty. Ltd. Chaff Cutting and Flour Mill in West Footscray. When it ceased trading in 1968 the directors were: Ernest W Barrie and Thomas L Barrie, R, A, and M Schutt. Awards Queens Medal, 1979 Rotary Award for Community Service, 1980 Victoria 150th Anniversary Celebrations contributions, 1985 Service held at Melton Uniting Church local identities -
Melton City Libraries
Photograph, Bon Barrie, c.1940, Unknown
SUMMARY - Ernest W (Bon) Barrie, 1909 – 1985 Profile Melton Mechanics Institute Member 1935 - 1982i Trustee 1952 - 1982 Life Member 1968 Years of service – 47 years He constructed and provided a public address system which was used at Melton and district halls and sports grounds for a wide variety of community events including school sports, gymkhanas, theatrical productions and processions. Fire Brigade Melton Fire Brigade (and predecessor Bush Fire Brigade) Apparatus Officer, 1945 - 1953 Captain, 1951 - 1965 Mt Cotterill Fire Brigades’ Group Elected Group Officer, on the formation of the Group, 1967. As Group Communications Officer he operated the VL3 LY base radio station from home on a 24 hour basis for fire brigades of Melton, Rockbank, Sydenham, Diggers Rest, Toolern Vale, Truganina and Werribee. With his brother Edgar, he built the first Melton Fire Truck. It was housed on the family property until a fire station was constructed in the Melton township. Recipient of the Queens Medal, 1979 Recognised for 44 years of service on the Melton Fire Brigade Memorial Wall Plaque, dedicated May 2013 Melton State School, no 430 Committee – School Correspondent (secretarial and financial role) 34 years of Service Provided his Amplifier Equipment for events and the annual district School Sports from 1939-1973. Donated the House Athletic Shield Melton and District Historical Society 1968 – 1985 President and foundation member Willows Historical Park – supported the establishment of the park and contributed many volunteers hours in the construction and landscaping of the precinct Member, Western Metropolitan Groups of Historical Societies, 1980s Shire of Melton Councillor South Riding, 1969-1971 Member of the Water Trust Melton Uniting Church Melton Uniting Church (and its predecessors the Methodist, Methodist-Presbyterian churches). A lifetime association which extended from childhood when he attended Sunday school until his death in 1985. Member of the Presbyterian Board of Management for more than 25 years in which he held positions of Honorary Secretary and Treasurer, Board member of the Parish Council and Member of the Committee of Management. He was a Sunday school teacher 1933. Community development With Mr RC Butler met with Shire Council in 1937 to canvass residents to ascertain prospective Electric consumers in the district. Electricity was subsequently turned on at dusk on 20th December 1939. Melton Progress Association, including Melton Musical, Elocutionary and Vocal Competitions, Vice President 1939 1940 Melton Development Association, 1960s Volunteer Air Observers Corps (VAOC)ii Carried out plane spotting at Shire Office and spotting tower in Melton and later from home until 1944/45. Agriculture and farming Progress and Better Farming Association, Melton. Honorary Secretary, 1935 Member, Agricultural Engineering Society Australia c1960-1985 A successful grower of wheat, oats and barley, he planted experiment plots and held Field Days on the “Darlingsford” property. He later diversified into other grains and sheep (wool and meat). He took a enthusiastic interest in agricultural engineering and was keen to introduce innovative ideas that improved the productivity of farms and farming practices. In the mid 1950 he conducted trials during harvest on the family property of the original mechanical hay fork built on a British Bedford truck by Bill Gillespie. This design was further refined in collaboration with the Gillespie brothers and resulted in the construction the hydraulically operated tractor mounted hay fork. The innovative design of the hay fork created interest from far and wide and was quickly taken up by farmers because it significantly reduced hand labouring of loading sheaves of hay with a pitch fork. His father established chaff mills in Melton, Rockbank, Parwan, Diggers Rest in the first decade of 1900 and in 1915 went into partnership with JR Schutt to establish the Schutt & Barrie Pty. Ltd. Chaff Cutting and Flour Mill in West Footscray. When it ceased trading in 1968 the directors were: Ernest W Barrie and Thomas L Barrie, R, A, and M Schutt. Awards Queens Medal, 1979 Rotary Award for Community Service, 1980 Victoria 150th Anniversary Celebrations contributions, 1985 Photographs of Bon Barrielocal identities, pioneer families -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Letter - MERLE HALL COLLECTION: ROSALIND PARK CREATIVE VILLAGE BENDIGO PROJECT LETTERS, 1994
Merle Hall Collection: Rosalind Park Creative Village Bendigo Project Letters Merle Hall Collection: Rosalind Park Creative Village Bendigo Project Letters and agreements listed below from March 1994 to 1996 31 March 1994 To: Vcitorian Arts Council Members From Grant Finck Project Coordinator Content: Intoduces himself as the coordinator for 12 months; to members looking for expression of interest, includes Information Sheet 1994 on what the Creatvie Village is. 27 October 1995 To: Mrs Mearle Hall From: City of Greater Bendigo, Bernard Smith (Director Environmental Services) Content: Granting access to the Victoria Hill site for small quantities of geological material. 10 January 1996 To: Mrs Mearle Hall From: City of Greater Bendigo, Bernard Smith (Director Environmental Services) Content: Endorsement of the project by the Council and confirmation that the Council will provide preliminary site wrok to allow the project to be enabled. Also advised the Arts Bendigo Mosaic Projectmakes contact with the Salvation Army (New Work Oppurtunity Project) 27 February 1996 To: Mrs Mearle Hall From: Ken Beasley Manager Project Development The Smith Read Training Group. Content: LEAP Project Proposal - Mining Heritage Mosaic outlining the benefites of using LEAP Trainees to undertake the project. Proposed Scope of work outlining responsibilities of each participant. Bendigo Mining NL Environmental Trust Fund ( Perseverance Exploration and Department of Energy and Minerals Victoria representatives) 27 June 1996 To: Mrs Mearle Hall From: City of Greater Bendigo, Bernard Smith (Director Environmental Services) Content: Advising that the Council will match dollar for dollar funding for the engaement of an artist to supervise the construction of the Mosaic in Upper Rosaling Park up to $3,500. 22 July 1996 To: Anne Buzza From: Geoff Brown Camp Hill Primary School Content: Thanks for using and manageing the school students to help create tiles. 9 October 1996 To: Mrs Mearle Hall From: City of Greater Bendigo, Bernard Smith (Director Environmental Services) Content: Enclosed cheque for matching grant of $3500 15 October 1996 To: Mrs Mearle Hall From: City of Greater Bendigo, Bernard Smith (Director Environmental Services) Content: Agreement to relocate the project facilities to the car park and to maintain a close liaison between the Council and Arts Bendigo. 13 November 1996 To: Mrs Mearle Hall From: The Sidney Myer Fund Helen Morris Research Officer Content: Remittance advice for $1000 22 April 1997 To: Mrs Mearle Hall From: John Little Administrator Victorian Arts Council Content: Remittance advice for $500 towards the project and enclosing 12 VAC Annual reports. 20 October 1998 To: Mrs Mearle Hall From: City of Greater Bendigo, Andrew Hall (Director Community Development) Content: Advising that the Council will make a grant of $1090 for the purpose of printing of Brochures for Bendigo Heritage Mosaic. A service agreement to be signed before the issue of the grant, 21 March 2001 To: Mrs Mearle Hall From: City of Greater Bendigo,Justin Hanney (Director Community Services) Content: A reference from Council supporting the project application to Vic Health for the development of a series of small mosaic pieces along the linear pathway asjacent to the Bendigo Creek. 12 November 1996 To: Mrs Mearle Hall From: Arts Bendigo Inc. Content: Cheque for $2000 being first payment as under contract two for mosaic project. 4 December 1996 To: Mrs Mearle Hall From: Arts Bendigo Inc. Content: Cheque for $2000 being second payment as under contract two for mosaic project. 27 July 1997 To: Maery Gabriel Mosaic Artist From: Arts Bendigo Inc. Content: Cheque for $2000 being final payment as under contract two for mosaic project. 12 June 1997 - Two copies To: Maery Gabriel Mosaic Artist From: Arts Bendigo Inc. Content: Agreement between Maery Gabriel (The artist) and Arts Bendigo Inc. to complete the final two sections of the Bendigo Heritage Mosaic at the base of the Rosalin Park Poppet Head, Bendigo with a design of approvximately two square metre within each section. The work to be completed by the endo of July 1997, unless severe weather conditions make the laying impossible. Agreement for two lots of $2000. 14 June 1996 From: Maery Gabriel Mosaic Artist To: Arts Bendigo Inc. Content: receipt for 50% payment for two weeks and $60 Travelling expenses. 21 May 1996 Agreement between Arts Bendigo of P.O Box 563, Bendigo in the State of Victoria (hereinafter referred to as the ‘AB’ of the first part AND Meary Hall of Morningswood, Petersons Road, Ellinbank, 3821 in the State of Victoria (hereinafter referred to as ‘the artist’) o f the second part. ENGAGEMENT: (a) AB engages the Artist to provide her services as Mosaic Artist for the design and creation of a Mosaic pavement surround to the poppet head lookout in Rosalind Park, Bendigo and matters incidental threrto at such schools, halls and any other places as required from time to time by AB and the Artist accepts the engagement upon the term and condisitons heinafter appearing. (b) Services to be provided by the artist include community consultation and design work in association with AB Co-ordinator and Arts Bendigo, a minimum of six weeks of the artist’s time within the six months of the project. Completion of section one of the whole design with further work on the other sections to depend on available funding. The agreed fee was $5400 and $60 per visit to Bendigo with living away to be provided by Arts Bendigo 1 November 1996 Agreement between Arts Bendigo of P.O Box 563, Bendigo in the State of Victoria (hereinafter referred to as the ‘AB’ of the first part AND Meary Hall of Morningswood, Petersons Road, Ellinbank, 3821 in the State of Victoria (hereinafter referred to as ‘the artist’) o f the second part. ENGAGEMENT: (a) AB engages the Artist to provide her services as Mosaic Artist for the design and creation of a Mosaic pavement surround to the poppet head lookout in Rosalind Park, Bendigo and matters incidental threrto at such schools, halls and any other places as required from time to time by AB and the Artist accepts the engagement upon the term and condisitons heinafter appearing. (b) Services to be provided by the artist include community consultation and design work in association with AB Co-ordinator and Arts Bendigo, a minimum of six weeks of the artist’s time within the six months of the project. Completion of section one of the whole design with further work on the other sections to depend on available funding. The agreed fee was $5000 and $60 per visit to Bendigo with living away to be provided by Arts Bendigo, plus transfer of the diamond saw purchased by AB 28 August 1996 Memorial to Bendigo’s Mining Heritage and Traditions finacial and other support as at August 128th Arts Bendigo Financial contribution: $7000 Local Busine Sponsors: $2800 City of Greater Bendigo Matching Above: $2800 City of Greater Bendigo Site works: Equiv, $12000 Local Businesses and institutions supplying goods and services to total value of: Equiv: $7600 Expenditure: Purchase of equipment, including diamond saw: $2000 Purchase of materials: $800 Artists design fees: $3000 Artists on site work, travel and accomodation: $12000 insurance, administration etc.: $700 31 May 1996 List of possible donors checklist Undated Budget Sheet 21 September 1995 From: the Victorian Arts Council To: City of Greater Bendigo Content: Ivoice for $5000 10 december 1995 From: Maery Gabriel artist To: Arts Bendigo Content: Invoice $1575 for design of Rosalind Park Lookout. 45 hours @ $35/hour 1 October 1996 Historic mining Mosaic Pavement, Rosaling Park Poppet Head Financial Statement as a October 1st 1996 28 October 1996 From: Maery Gabriel To: Ann Buzza (representing Arts Bendigo) Report on project of Rosalind Park Mosaic as at October 1996. The report lists the difficulties faced with the weather, unsuitable facilities on site and problems with the LEAP team labour. -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - A SOUVENIR OF 'THE GLAMOUR GIRLS' REVUE 'THEN AND NOW' 1944, 1944
A Souvenir of 'The Glamour Girls' Revue 'Then and Now' 1944. From Mr & Mrs C Clark. Page 1, Bendigo presents 'The Glamour Girls' in Their Hit Revue 'Then & Now' a Pot Pourri of Dances and Fun, Produced and created by the Team Spirit of Peggy Hinsley, Elaine O'Shea, Joan Albert, Gladys Jordon, Amba Harrington, Moira Knowles. Doris Clow, Betty Angel, Cath Mc Queenie, Thelma Cochrane, Mona Roberts. Under Direction of C Clark. Musical Direction, Edward Thomas. Accompaniste, Leila Camp, Vida Roberts. Violinists, Honor Allfrey, Edgar Jarrett. Drums, Frank Kennedy, Andy Beattie. Costumes, Tivoli Theatres. Page 3/ In lending your personality, your charm and your talent to help raise Funds for the Returned Soldiers' Relief Appeal, you have given not only to the soldiers, but to the Nation a great service. As the producer and originator of the 'Glamour Girl Revue' I wish to place on record my personal thanks to the noble part you have played in making this show the financial success it has proved to be. You will appreciate that no remuneration has given by the Committee for your services, with this decision I am sure you fully concur. I would however, like you to accept this souvenir as a small token of gratitude for the great pleasure it has given my wife and I to have been associated with each and everyone of you as a team. May we have future successes in our services to those in need. Yours truly, (signed) C Clark. Page 5/ Photograph of Mr and Mrs C Clark signed; Sincerely M & C Clark. Extra page has been added here and a black and white photograph of the cast on stage attached using photograph corners. Page 5/ Photo of Peggy. Page 7. Page 9 photo of Elaine. Page 11 photo Joan. Page 13 Gladys. Page 15 Amba. Page 17 Moira. Page 19 Doris. Page 21 Betty. Page 23 Cath. Page 25 Thelma. Page 27 Mona. Page 29 Autographs: Betty Angell, Thelma Crochrane, S M Grossmann, Vida Roberts, Mona Roberts, G E Thomas, J Albert, H M Allfrey, J J Monte, Elaine O'Shea, Andrew Beattie, Moira Knowle, Teen Armstrong, C M McQueenie, Peg Hainsly, Doris Blow, Amba Harrington, J N Armstrong, M Clark, C Clark (autographs in copy A only.) Page 31. ''1940 - Never have so many owed so much to so few.'' - Winston Churchill. A Friend Who Understands. You've shared the joys and troubles The Laughter and the tears, And you've given loyal friendship Through the Changing Varied years, Your voice has been beside me Whispering courage for the day, And you've helped and blessed and cheered me Making glad the uphill way, And of all the many blessings That have reached me from God's hands, There's no gift more sweet and precious Than the Friend - who understands. 1944 ''Never have so few needed so much from so many'' - Returned Soldiers' Relief Appeal. Copy A/ Inscription on front cover To 'YACK'. Signed on page 3, C Clark. Signed on page 5 Sincerely M & C Clark. Page 29 Autographs: Betty Angell, Thelma Crochrane, S M Grossmann, Vida Roberts, Mona Roberts, G E Thomas, J Albert, H M Allfrey, J J Monte, Elaine O'Shea, Andrew Beattie, Moira Knowle, Teen Armstrong, C M McQueenie, Peg Hainsly, Doris Blow, Amba Harrington, J N Armstrong, M Clark, C Clark. Orange ribbon is faded. Copy B/ markings: front cover - Royal Historical Society of Victoria Bendigo Branch stamp, sticker - D1729. Cover and white sticker with D1729 on top right corner. First 2 sheets are torn at top hole punch. Orange ribbon is worn at the back.program, theatre, the glamour girls, a souvenir of 'the glamour girls' revue 'then and now' 1944. from mr & mrs c clark. their hit revue 'then & now' a pot pourri of dances and fun, produced and created peggy hinsley, elaine o'shea, joan albert, gladys jordon, amba harrington, moira knowles. doris clow, betty angel, cath mc queenie, thelma cochrane, mona roberts. under direction of c clark. musical direction, edward thomas. accompaniste, leila camp, vida roberts. violinists, honor allfrey, edgar jarrett. drums, frank kennedy, andy beattie. costumes, tivoli theatres. raise funds for the returned soldiers' relief appeal. as the producer and originator my personal thanks to the part you have this show a success. no remuneration has given by for your services. accept this souvenir as a token of. c clark. photograph of mr and mrs c clark signed; sincerely m & c clark. black and white photograph of the cast, peggy, elaine, joan, gladys, amba, moira, doris, betty, cath, thelma, mona, autographs: betty angell, thelma crochrane, s m grossmann, vida roberts, mona roberts, g e thomas, j albert, h m allfrey, j j monte, elaine o'shea, andrew beattie, moira knowle, teen armstrong, c m mcqueenie, peg hainsly, doris blow, amba harrington, j n armstrong, m clark, c clark. 'yack'. -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Slide - Photograph, Eltham Town Park, c.May 1988
In 1981 the Shire of Eltham Historical Society was asked by the Victorian Place Names Committee to comment on a proposal by the Shire of Eltham to assign names to parklands in Eltham as follows:- "Eltham Common" - the area between the municipal offices, Main Road, the Eltham railway -line, and Panther Place and containing Shillinglaw Cottage. The Shire has advised that this name has been used locally for the site since about 1975. "Alistair Knox Park" - the area bounded by the Eltham railway -line, Panther Place, Main Road, Bridge Street, and Susan Street, and through which flows the Diamond Creek. The area has been known locally as "Eltham Town Park" The proposed name "Alistair Knox Park" had created some local controversy with a number of reversals of the Council's decision and letters to the local paper both for and against the proposal. The society was reluctant to be drawn into this controversy particularly as there were known to be members with strong views both for and against the proposed name. The society appreciated the work done by Alistair Knox both in the formulation of the park concept and in its development but because of the controversy generated by the proposed naming and also because of the wide general use of the park by the public·, the name Eltham Town Park was felt more appropriate. The society noted that there was no outstanding historical associations with the land comprising the park which would warrant naming the park after any particular person, place or event. No objection was raised to the Eltham Common proposal as set-out above. The decision was made in the knowledge that Alistair Knox had been associated with the society over many years and was a prominent figure in the recent history of Eltham. He was regarded as a key figure in the environmental building movement and in particular was renowned for his use of mud bricks as a building material. He served as a councillor of the Shire of Eltham from 1971-1975, his final year as Shire President. It was during these years that the proposals to create the park in its present form were shaped and Alistair played a leading part in the decision to make it a landscaped passive recreational park rather than a sporting area. The parklands comprise a section of the Diamond Creek valley. The creek itself flows through the centre of the area which is overlooked by steep hills on each side. The parks form part of the land purchased from the Crown in 1851 by J.M. Holloway and then subdivided into allotments and called "Little Eltham". While most of the area was subdivided into residential lots the creek valley was subdivided into lots suitable for small farms. Some further subdivision took place over the years and the whole of the parks now comprises eight separate titles. A list of some of the former owners has been compiled but exhaustive research on all owners has not been carried out. The ownership of one parcel has been traced back to when it was purchased from Holloway by John Hicks Petty in 1874, long after it was subdivided. Other families owning land within the area over the years included Lyon, Rees, Clark, Waterfall, Carrucan, Graham, Hill and Morant. The character of the valley area has remained rural while development occurred on each side. Early photos show the area as orchard and grazing land. In 1901 the railway was constructed through the area resulting in the timber trestle bridge across the Diamond Creek. which is an important feature of the park landscape. A memorial obelisk to the Eltham servicemen killed in World War 1 was erected at the south eastern corner of the park. The site is now within the intersection of Main Road and Bridge Street and the memorial was shifted in the 1950s to the Eltham R.S.L. clubrooms. Following the financial failure of the local sub-branch, the memorial obelisk was again relocated to the Eltham War Memorial building precinct in 2011. During the early 1960's the Council started purchasing the land which now comprises the parks. In the late 1960's the area to the east of the Diamond Creek was used as a garbage tip and filled above the flood plain of the creek. When this area was filled the tip was transferred to the west side of the creek. From the early 1970's the area has been progressively developed as a park for passive recreation with ornamental lakes, extensive tree planting and landscaping. The character of the valley before the days of the tip has been recreated and this has earned a Landscape classification from the National Trust, an unusual honour for a man-made landscape. The parks are not only attractive in appearance. The large number of people using them, particularly at weekends and holidays is evidence of their popularity and the foresight and careful planning of local residents, Councillors and Council Staff. 35mm colour positive transparency (1 of 23) Mount - Kodak EktachromeProcess Date MAY 88Meltham, main road, alistair knox park, eltham town park -
Ballarat and District Irish Association
Photograph - digital, Shane Dunne, St Patrick's, Elaine, 2013, 2013
St Patrick's Catholic Church Elaine closed in 2013. Originally known as "Stony Rises" Elaine could once claim the largest Catholic church congregation in the Meredith parish, due to the extensive mining activity in the area. At the time the population of the district supported three hotels and 4 churches and the town was served by a water supply from a reservoir at Lal Lal. Elaine in common with other rural communities has lost many of the services that were once available, but it still retains a well maintained Catholic church and Public Hall as well as a Hotel, Post Office, General Store and Service Station. (http://www.parishofmeredith.org.au/elaine_h.html, accessed 04/03/2014) The St Patrick‘s Church at Elaine was opened on Sunday 28th, November, 1909 and a report appeared in the Advocate on December 4th, 1909. "On Sunday last the Very Rev.Dean Phelan, V.G., blessed a new church at Elaine, in the parish of Meredith. The church, which was built by a local firm, Messrs. Smith Bros, is a weather-board building on brick foundations, and gives a clear seating accommodation of 50 feet by 25 feet, independent of sanctuary, sacristy, and porch. After the ceremony, which commenced at 11 o‘clock, the pastor of the parish, Rev.M.Murphy, celebrated Mass, and the choir from St.Joseph‘s, Meredith, sang in a highly creditable manner portions of Weber‘s Mass, also a hymn to St.Patrick, under whose patronage the church is placed. The financial statement made by Fr.Murphy showed that the entire cost of the building, alter, seats, etc, was $1103.10; that $620 had been subscribed previous to the opening, and over $140 received on Sunday, including $20 from his Grace the Archbishop, and $10 each from the Dean and Fr.Murphy. After Communion the Very Rev.Dean Phelan preached on the necessity of a church as a dwelling place for God in His Eucharist Presence. Taking for his text, “Behold the tabernacle of God with men: He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people; and He Himself with them shall be their God.” In doing this work, I am pleased to learn that you have not only received material assistance from some who do not kneel at this altar, but that the authorities of the Presbyterian Church have given you their organ for the Mass today. This generous action deserves our special thanks and is in striking contrast with the anti-Catholic prejudice shown in other quarters. It reminds me of the action of Hiram, King of Tyre, when he heard that Solomon was about to build a house to the God of Israel. Not only did he offer cedar-trees from Libanus, but skilled men to carve the wood, and sent his trained sailors to assist in bringing from the mines of Ophir four hundred and twenty talents of gold for internal decoration. May that spirit of Christian charity ever dwell in your midst! (http://www.parishofmeredith.org.au/elaine_h.html, accessed 04/03/2014) The stained glass window of St Patrick was consecrated in 1928. According to The Geelong Advertiser on 25 July 1928: One of the largest congregations that has ever been in St.Patrick‘s Church attended on Sunday last, the occasion being the consecration of a memorial window to the memory of James Connell, who died in his 25th year in February last. Deceased was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. John Connell, respected residents of Elaine. He was loved and respected by all sections of the community, and was closely connected with all sporting bodies. Friends of the deceased and the family were present from Ararat, Stawell, Ballarat, Melbourne, Geelong and all the surrounding districts, also members of other denominations. A few noticed were Cr.C.C.Austin, Mr.H.Young, Mrs.A.Bowers, Mrs.Gray, Mr.and Mrs.R.Norgate and others. The stained window was made by Brookes Robinson in Melbourne, bearing the image of St.Patrick and the inscription thereon “To the undying memory of James Connell, who died 3.2.28 R.I.P.” The beautiful window was kindly placed in position by Mr.Bill Smith, Meredith. High Mass with full ceremonies was offered by Rev.Fr.F.Conlon,P.P., Meredith, with six alter attendants from St.Josephs School, Meredith. The Meredith choir, with Mrs.R.Grant organist, assisted by Miss K.Johnson (violin) rendered beautiful music, the principal parts of the singing being capably handled by Mrs.Thos Brady, Father Conlon took as his text, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. From henceforth now, said the spirit, that they may rest from their labors, for their works follow them.” With well chosen remarks Fr.Conlon touched feelingly on the many qualities of the late member. First as a good son; secondly as a good citizen and sportsman; thirdly as a good child of the church. The choir conducted an impressive ceremony with “Nearer my God to Thee.” (http://www.parishofmeredith.org.au/elaine_h.html, accessed 04/03/2014) Five colour photographs of St Patrick's Elaineelaine, st patrick, st patrick's elaine, . catholic, stained glass, james connell, james joseph connell -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Alan King, Site of the Diamond Creek Gold Mine, 28 December 2007
The largest gold mine in the area originated from a find in 1862. The mine was closed January 20, 1915 when a fire destroyed nearly all the above ground plant. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p75 Beneath Mine Hill, as locals call it, runs a network of tunnels once of central importance to the fledgling township of Diamond Creek. These are relics of gold mines, which transformed early Diamond Creek.1 The tiny settlement of about 20 families soared to more than 200 because of gold. For around 50 years, from 1862, gold mining was Diamond Creek’s major source of employment. On September 7, 1854 The Argus newspaper reported a find of a four pound (1.8kg) gold nugget in Nillumbik (an early name for Diamond Creek). Exactly where, is not known.2 The largest mine in the district, the Diamond Creek Gold Mine, apparently originated from a find in 1862. It is said Joe and Dave Wilson were visiting former tailor then cook, Charles Orme, at the southern end of Fraser Street. Sitting on a stump outside the front gate on land belonging to Dr A. E. Phipps the Wilsons found a vein of gold-bearing quartz, which led to the discovery of four quartz reefs varying in width to eight inches (20cm), running north and south. A reef found at the foot of the hill opposite Challenger Street became the Union Mine. This reef was traced south to Allendale Road where a small mine began operations.3 Other smaller mines later operated as well. Dr Phipps immediately began to mine and also built the Diamond Reef Hotel as a boarding house for miners. But Charles Orme, who owned the land alongside, leased his mine to Dr Phipps probably because of insufficient funds and business skills. By mid 1865 the mine had produced 2530 ounces of gold – a 100% profit on the original outlay. Of course there were problems. When the local dam dried up a Blake pump was installed to draw water from the creek. The Union Mine operated under the Diamond Creek Gold Mine management except when disputes sometimes resulted in separate management. However disagreements had to be resolved as the Union Mine depended on Diamond Creek Gold Mine pumps to remove underground water from common reefs. In 1912 the main shaft of about 380 yards (350m) employed 200 men recovering an average of 5000 ounces (141.7kg) of gold a year. But not everyone did well out of gold. Records of failed mining companies in the Victorian Public Record Office, reveal that owner Dr Phipps leased his Right to others. Companies came and went over the next 40 years, most sponsored by Melbourne businessmen who sold shares to gullible locals and then became insolvent. Although there were some good profits, financial returns were haphazard until 1905. Some local residents, who were share holders in short- term companies, became well-known names in modern Diamond Creek such as Scott, Haley, Butler, Alder, Ryan, Wadeson, Reeves, Alston, Paul and Edwards. Gold mining was brought to a disastrous end on January 20, 1915 at 3 pm, when fire destroyed nearly all the above-ground plant. Fortunately no lives were lost. But reopening the mine was almost impossible because of the increasing depth of water in the main shaft. The closed mine destroyed the livelihood of 200 families and the debris took many years to clear.4 In 1946 the Diamond Creek Gold Mine was reopened by the Golden Hind Mining Company, but money ran out before the 600 feet (182.8m) or so of water could be removed. Gold remains in the mine but enormous capital would be needed to buy the land, equipment and to remove the water. Today 12 known sealed shafts along the ridge of the hills on private property extend west for around one kilometre from the corner of Fraser and Haley Streets, crossing Norma and Fyffe to Dering Streets. As recently as 1987, heavy rains revealed a former Union Mine shaft in the Georgiadis family Fyffe Street back yard.5 Allendale Mine, south of Allendale Road, is still open and one of the Union Mine’s main drives (horizontal excavation) remains unsealed, on the Creek Reserve.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, diamond creek, diamond creek mine, fraser street, gold mining, james cook drive, mine hill -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book, Martin Paz
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 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 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 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. Jules Verne (1828–1905) Jules Verne pursued his writing career after finishing law school in 1849, during this time he was writing poetry and short stories. He began to hit his stride after meeting publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel in1862, who nurtured many of the works that would later comprise the author's 54 novels the (Voyages Extraordinaires). Often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction," Verne wrote books about a variety of innovations and technological advancements years before they were practical realities. In 1856, Verne met and fell in love with Honorine de Viane, a young widow with two daughters. They married in 1857, and in 1861, the couple's only child, Michel Jean Pierre Verne, was born. Realizing he needed a stronger financial foundation, Verne began working as a stockbroker. However, he refused to abandon his writing career, and that year he published his first book, The 1857 Salon (Le Salon de 1857). In all Verne authored more than 60 books as well as dozens of plays, short stories and librettos. He conjured hundreds of memorable characters and imagined countless innovations years before their time, including stories about submarine and space travel, terrestrial flight and deep-sea exploration. Jules Verne died in 1905, at his residence in the French city of Amiens, stricken with diabetes, on March 24, 1905. Verne had many memorable novels, his most famous being Five Weeks in a Balloon, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Around the World in Eighty Days, In Search of the Castaways and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea Additional works surfaced decades later. Backwards to Britain based on his many trips to the United Kingdom was finally printed in 1989, 130 years after it was written. Also Paris in the Twentieth Century, originally considered too far-fetched with its depictions of skyscrapers, gas-fuelled cars and mass transit systems, followed in 1994 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. Martin Paz Author: Jules Verne Publisher: Sampson Low Marston Searle and Livington Date: 1876 The label on the spine with typed text PAT 843 VER Flyleaf has a stamp from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute Front loose endpaper has a sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Library covered by a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, martin paz, jules verne, pattison collection, warrnambool library, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, ralph eric pattison, warrnambool city librarian, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book, From The Earth to The Moon
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 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. Jules Verne (1828–1905) Jules Verne pursued his writing career after finishing law school in 1849, during this time he was writing poetry and short stories. He began to hit his stride after meeting publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel in1862, who nurtured many of the works that would later comprise the author's 54 novels the (Voyages Extraordinaires). Often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction," Verne wrote books about a variety of innovations and technological advancements years before they were practical realities. In 1856, Verne met and fell in love with Honorine de Viane, a young widow with two daughters. They married in 1857, and in 1861, the couple's only child, Michel Jean Pierre Verne, was born. Realizing he needed a stronger financial foundation, Verne began working as a stockbroker. However, he refused to abandon his writing career, and that year he published his first book, The 1857 Salon (Le Salon de 1857). In all Verne authored more than 60 books as well as dozens of plays, short stories and librettos. He conjured hundreds of memorable characters and imagined countless innovations years before their time, including stories about submarine and space travel, terrestrial flight and deep-sea exploration. Jules Verne died in 1905, at his residence in the French city of Amiens, stricken with diabetes, on March 24, 1905. Verne had many memorable novels, his most famous being Five Weeks in a Balloon, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Around the World in Eighty Days, In Search of the Castaways and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea Additional works surfaced decades later. Backwards to Britain based on his many trips to the United Kingdom was finally printed in 1989, 130 years after it was written. Also Paris in the Twentieth Century, originally considered too far-fetched with its depictions of skyscrapers, gas-fuelled cars and mass transit systems, followed in 1994. Citation Information Biography.com Editors Jules Verne Biography: https://www.biography.com/writer/jules-verne 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. From The Earth to The Moon Author: Jules Verne Label on spine cover with typed text PAT 843 VER Front loose endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Public Library covered by a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Corangamite Regional Library Servicewarrnambool, 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, from the earth to the moon, jules verne -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book, The Steam House Part 1 The Demon of Cawnpore
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 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. Jules Verne (1828–1905) Jules Verne pursued his writing career after finishing law school in 1849, during this time he was writing poetry and short stories. He began to hit his stride after meeting publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel in1862, who nurtured many of the works that would later comprise the author's 54 novels the (Voyages Extraordinaires). Often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction," Verne wrote books about a variety of innovations and technological advancements years before they were practical realities. In 1856, Verne met and fell in love with Honorine de Viane, a young widow with two daughters. They married in 1857, and in 1861, the couple's only child, Michel Jean Pierre Verne, was born. Realizing he needed a stronger financial foundation, Verne began working as a stockbroker. However, he refused to abandon his writing career, and that year he published his first book, The 1857 Salon (Le Salon de 1857). In all Verne authored more than 60 books as well as dozens of plays, short stories and librettos. He conjured hundreds of memorable characters and imagined countless innovations years before their time, including stories about submarine and space travel, terrestrial flight and deep-sea exploration. Jules Verne died in 1905, at his residence in the French city of Amiens, stricken with diabetes, on March 24, 1905. Verne had many memorable novels, his most famous being Five Weeks in a Balloon, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Around the World in Eighty Days, In Search of the Castaways and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea Additional works surfaced decades later. Backwards to Britain based on his many trips to the United Kingdom was finally printed in 1989, 130 years after it was written. Also Paris in the Twentieth Century, originally considered too far-fetched with its depictions of skyscrapers, gas-fuelled cars and mass transit systems, followed in 1994. Citation Information Biography.com Editors Jules Verne Biography: https://www.biography.com/writer/jules-verne The Pattison Collection, along with other items at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, was originally part of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s publication collection is of both local and state significance. The Steam House Part 1 The Demon of Cawnpore Author: Jules Verne Publisher: Samson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington Label on spine cover with typed text PAT 843 VER Front loose endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Public Library covered by a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Corangamite Regional Library Servicewarrnambool, 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, the steam house part 1 the demon of cawnpore, the demon of cawnpore, jules verne -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book, The Tribulations of A Chinaman
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 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. Jules Verne (1828–1905) Jules Verne pursued his writing career after finishing law school in 1849, during this time he was writing poetry and short stories. He began to hit his stride after meeting publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel in1862, who nurtured many of the works that would later comprise the author's 54 novels the (Voyages Extraordinaires). Often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction," Verne wrote books about a variety of innovations and technological advancements years before they were practical realities. In 1856, Verne met and fell in love with Honorine de Viane, a young widow with two daughters. They married in 1857, and in 1861, the couple's only child, Michel Jean Pierre Verne, was born. Realizing he needed a stronger financial foundation, Verne began working as a stockbroker. However, he refused to abandon his writing career, and that year he published his first book, The 1857 Salon (Le Salon de 1857). In all Verne authored more than 60 books as well as dozens of plays, short stories and librettos. He conjured hundreds of memorable characters and imagined countless innovations years before their time, including stories about submarine and space travel, terrestrial flight and deep-sea exploration. Jules Verne died in 1905, at his residence in the French city of Amiens, stricken with diabetes, on March 24, 1905. Verne had many memorable novels, his most famous being Five Weeks in a Balloon, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Around the World in Eighty Days, In Search of the Castaways and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea Additional works surfaced decades later. Backwards to Britain based on his many trips to the United Kingdom was finally printed in 1989, 130 years after it was written. Also Paris in the Twentieth Century, originally considered too far-fetched with its depictions of skyscrapers, gas-fuelled cars and mass transit systems, followed in 1994. Citation Information Biography.com Editors Jules Verne Biography: https://www.biography.com/writer/jules-verne The Pattison Collection, along with other items at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, was originally part of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s publication collection is of both local and state significance. The Tribulations of A Chinaman Author: Jules Verne Publisher: Samson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington Date: 1885Label on spine cover with typed text PAT 843 VER Fron loose endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Public Library covered by a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Corangamite Regional Library Servicewarrnambool, 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, the tribulations of a chinaman, jules verne -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book, The Steam House Part 2 Tigers and Traitors
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 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. Jules Verne (1828–1905) Jules Verne pursued his writing career after finishing law school in 1849, during this time he was writing poetry and short stories. He began to hit his stride after meeting publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel in1862, who nurtured many of the works that would later comprise the author's 54 novels the (Voyages Extraordinaires). Often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction," Verne wrote books about a variety of innovations and technological advancements years before they were practical realities. In 1856, Verne met and fell in love with Honorine de Viane, a young widow with two daughters. They married in 1857, and in 1861, the couple's only child, Michel Jean Pierre Verne, was born. Realizing he needed a stronger financial foundation, Verne began working as a stockbroker. However, he refused to abandon his writing career, and that year he published his first book, The 1857 Salon (Le Salon de 1857). In all Verne authored more than 60 books as well as dozens of plays, short stories and librettos. He conjured hundreds of memorable characters and imagined countless innovations years before their time, including stories about submarine and space travel, terrestrial flight and deep-sea exploration. Jules Verne died in 1905, at his residence in the French city of Amiens, stricken with diabetes, on March 24, 1905. Verne had many memorable novels, his most famous being Five Weeks in a Balloon, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Around the World in Eighty Days, In Search of the Castaways and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea Additional works surfaced decades later. Backwards to Britain based on his many trips to the United Kingdom was finally printed in 1989, 130 years after it was written. Also Paris in the Twentieth Century, originally considered too far-fetched with its depictions of skyscrapers, gas-fuelled cars and mass transit systems, followed in 1994. Citation Information Biography.com Editors Jules Verne Biography: https://www.biography.com/writer/jules-verne The Pattison Collection, along with other items at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, was originally part of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Collection is primarily significant in its totality, rather than for the individual objects it contains. Its contents are highly representative of the development of Mechanics' Institute libraries across Australia, particularly Victoria. A diversity of publications and themes has been amassed, and these provide clues to our understanding of the nature of and changes in the reading habits of Victorians from the 1850s to the middle of the 20th century. The collection also highlights the Warrnambool community’s commitment to the Mechanics’ Institute, reading, literacy and learning in the regions, and proves that access to knowledge was not impeded by distance. These items help to provide a more complete picture of our community’s ideals and aspirations. The Warrnambool Mechanics Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and the important role it played in the intellectual, cultural and social development of people throughout the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. The collection of books is a rare example of an early lending library and its significance is enhanced by the survival of an original collection of many volumes. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute’s publication collection is of both local and state significance. The Steam House Part 2 Tigers and Traitors Author: Jules Verne Publisher: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington Date: 1887Label on spine cover with typed text PAT 843 VER Front endpaper has 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 warrnambool, 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, the steam house part 2 tigers and traitors, jules verne -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book - Fiction, Jules Verne, The Giant Raft Part 2 The Cryptogram, 1885
This book is one of several books in Flagstaff Hill's historic book collection by the author Jules Verne, who was a popular mid-to-late 19th-century fiction author. Some of his works included Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in Eighty Days. The book is part of the 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 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 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. Jules Verne (1828–1905) Jules Verne pursued his writing career after finishing law school in 1849, during this time he was writing poetry and short stories. He began to hit his stride after meeting publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel in1862, who nurtured many of the works that would later comprise the author's 54 novels the (Voyages Extraordinaires). Often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction," Verne wrote books about a variety of innovations and technological advancements years before they were practical realities. In 1856, Verne met and fell in love with Honorine de Viane, a young widow with two daughters. They married in 1857, and in 1861, the couple's only child, Michel Jean Pierre Verne, was born. Realizing he needed a stronger financial foundation, Verne began working as a stockbroker. However, he refused to abandon his writing career, and that year he published his first book, The 1857 Salon (Le Salon de 1857). In all Verne authored more than 60 books as well as dozens of plays, short stories and librettos. He conjured hundreds of memorable characters and imagined countless innovations years before their time, including stories about submarine and space travel, terrestrial flight and deep-sea exploration. Jules Verne died in 1905, at his residence in the French city of Amiens, stricken with diabetes, on March 24, 1905. Verne had many memorable novels, his most famous being Five Weeks in a Balloon, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Around the World in Eighty Days, In Search of the Castaways and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea Additional works surfaced decades later. Backwards to Britain based on his many trips to the United Kingdom was finally printed in 1989, 130 years after it was written. Also Paris in the Twentieth Century, originally considered too far-fetched with its depictions of skyscrapers, gas-fuelled cars and mass transit systems, followed in 1994. Citation Information Biography.com Editors Jules Verne Biography: https://www.biography.com/writer/jules-verne 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. Book; The Giant Raft (Part II) The Cryptogram Author: Jules Verne Publisher: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington Date: 1885 Blue hardcover book with fabric on cover. The title and original library shelf location are printed on the spine. A line drawing on the fly page is within a circle bordered by a vine plant. Within the circle is a man dressed in a suit, wearing a cravat, holding an unravelled scroll with marks like a crossword, and tugging at a vine wrapped around his neck. This illustrated fiction book has a handwritten paper label taped to the spine. The fly page has a handwritten inscription. The book is part of the Pattison Collection. Label "PAT 843 VER" Front loose endpaper sticker: "Warrnambool Public Library" covered by a sticker from "Corangamite Regional Library Service" Front loose endpaper Stamped "Corangamite Regional Library Service" Handwritten script inscription on Fly "C. L F. (or could be T.) 2/4/. (could be 2 pounds 4 shillings)" On Fly page "ILLUSTRATED" "1885"warrnambool, 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, the giant raft part 2 the cryptogram, jules verne, the cryptogram, the giant raft, science fiction, 1885 -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book, Keraban The Inflexible (part 1) The Captain of The Guidara
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 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. Jules Verne (1828–1905) Jules Verne pursued his writing career after finishing law school in 1849, during this time he was writing poetry and short stories. He began to hit his stride after meeting publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel in1862, who nurtured many of the works that would later comprise the author's 54 novels the (Voyages Extraordinaires). Often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction," Verne wrote books about a variety of innovations and technological advancements years before they were practical realities. In 1856, Verne met and fell in love with Honorine de Viane, a young widow with two daughters. They married in 1857, and in 1861, the couple's only child, Michel Jean Pierre Verne, was born. Realizing he needed a stronger financial foundation, Verne began working as a stockbroker. However, he refused to abandon his writing career, and that year he published his first book, The 1857 Salon (Le Salon de 1857). In all Verne authored more than 60 books as well as dozens of plays, short stories and librettos. He conjured hundreds of memorable characters and imagined countless innovations years before their time, including stories about submarine and space travel, terrestrial flight and deep-sea exploration. Jules Verne died in 1905, at his residence in the French city of Amiens, stricken with diabetes, on March 24, 1905. Verne had many memorable novels, his most famous being Five Weeks in a Balloon, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Around the World in Eighty Days, In Search of the Castaways and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea Additional works surfaced decades later. Backwards to Britain based on his many trips to the United Kingdom was finally printed in 1989, 130 years after it was written. Also Paris in the Twentieth Century, originally considered too far-fetched with its depictions of skyscrapers, gas-fuelled cars and mass transit systems, followed in 1994. Citation Information Biography.com Editors Jules Verne Biography: https://www.biography.com/writer/jules-verne 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. Keraban The Inflexible (part 1) The Captain of The Guidara Author: Jules Verne Publisher: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington Date: 1887Label on spine cover with typed text PAT 843 VER Front loose endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Public Library covered by a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Corangamite Regional Library Servicewarrnambool, 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, keraban the inflexible (part 1) the captain of the guidara, jules verne -
Ballarat Clarendon College
Book, The watches of the trails
John Anning MacLeod John was born in Ballarat as the second generation of Ballarat MacLeod’s, with his grandfather arriving in Geelong on the Hornet in 1857 as an 11 year old child with his 60 year old father John and mother Mary aged 37 years and 5 brothers and one sister. He grew up on the corner of Drummond Street and Mair Streets, opposite what became St John of God hospital, at his parents house of Dunvegan. John entered Ballarat College as a junior student in 1923. He received 3rd in Form prizes in both 1924 and 1925. His sister Margaret, attended Clarendon Ladies College. The household employed a chauffeur, a cook, a gardener and a ladies maid to care for them. In the 1930’s his father lost his fortune in the collapse of the jute future’s market so the staff were dismissed and he left Ballarat to go to Geelong College as a boarder. He was an officer in the Geelong College cadet corps and joined the Army as a private and rose to the permanent rank of Major after meritorious performance in the intelligence area of operations. He served in North Africa, in Palestine, Egypt, Moratai, the Philippines, Java and New Guinea. He was awarded his Military MBE by King George VI for exceptional devotion to duty and for brilliant coordination work amongst the allied intelligence team. During the war he met Mary Monica Carrol Bateman, a lietenant in the 2/4th Army General Hospital at a dinner party in Brisbane. The couple had four children, Hamish John Torquil born in 1945, Rory Hugh Alexander born in 1947 and twins Ian Donald and Katriona Margaret born in 1948. After the Second World War he worked for Lumley’s Insurance Brokers in London for a couple of years to follow up his accountancy training and then returned to Ballarat due to his father’s failing health and took over the management of John MacLeod and Co, Wholesale grocers and Merchants in Lydiard Street, Ballarat. The business had been started by his great grandfather and they produced the famous Sirdar brand of products and a special tea blend called Afternoon Cup. There was a spice mill in nearby Market Street and there they roasted peanuts, coffee and ground spices for packaging and distribution to the small corner shops who were the mainstay of commercial grocery. In the 1950’s John MacLeod and Co merged with James McKay and Sons to form McKay MacLeod Pty Ltd., wholesale tobacco, wine and spirits and grocery merchants who also manufactured the Sunny South brand of sweet mustard pickles, brewed vinegar and tomato sauce. He introduced the semi-automated system for extensions and financial records on the Bradma plates that saved staff the problems of sorting out the calculations for sales tax, miscellaneous charges etc. that greatly sped up the transactions at the checkout points. A new warehouse and office complex was built in Mair Street east up near Humffray Street, with the manufacturing factory on the opposite side of the street. They had a shop in St Arnaud and one in Geelong which was the local wholesaler for supplying to the corner shops of the greater Geelong area. With the development of supermarkets the demise of the corner store began and so the sales profiles began to diminish. He unsuccessfully stood for Liberal Party pre-selection for the seat of Ballarat in 1948 and served on the Liberal state finance and executive team for many years before resigning over the issue of conscripts being sent to Vietnam. He was instrumental in leading a group of Ballarat academics in opposition to the Vietnam war and publicly resigned from the Liberal Party over their foreign policy. John MacLeod saw the writing on the wall of the business in the early 1970’s and suggested that the firm restructured with focusing on tobacco, wine and spirits. His partners did not agree and so he sold out and retired to Barwon Heads. After a few years of golfing and surfing he became frustrated and joined SCORE, the Service Corp of Retired Executives. In this role he worked for ten years in the Geelong area solving accounting problems for Geelong small businesses and so helped Beaumont’s bakery back onto its feet. He worked gentlemen’s hours of 10 am to 3 pm which allowed him to have time for a round of 9 holes on the golf course at the end of the day and to have a surf before breakfast. He fully retired at the age of 65 and had ten years of voluminous reading of local library books before dying of burns at the age of 75. His war record has been documented in other archives at the College. He was a member of the Naval and Military Club and of the Barwon Heads Golf Club. He had good crafting skills and built a series of steam driven boats for his four children that used to be sailed at home on Lake Wendouree, Lake Learmonth and on the sheltered waters of the Barwon River. The boats are now being restored to operational order to be sailed by his great grandson Grayson Girardi. Red cloth bound book with title printed in gold lettering on spine, embossed publisher's mark centre of front cover and school crest in gold relief on front cover; book plate inside front cover. Book plate inside front cover: School crest / Ballarat College / I form / 3rd in form Prize / Awarded to / J MacLeod / December 1924 A Richardson B A Principaljohn-macleod, ballarat-college, book-prize, 1924 -
Ballarat Clarendon College
Book, The school across the road
John Anning MacLeod John was born in Ballarat as the second generation of Ballarat MacLeod’s, with his grandfather arriving in Geelong on the Hornet in 1857 as an 11 year old child with his 60 year old father John and mother Mary aged 37 years and 5 brothers and one sister. He grew up on the corner of Drummond Street and Mair Streets, opposite what became St John of God hospital, at his parents house of Dunvegan. John entered Ballarat College as a junior student in 1923. He received 3rd in Form prizes in both 1924 and 1925. His sister Margaret, attended Clarendon Ladies College. The household employed a chauffeur, a cook, a gardener and a ladies maid to care for them. In the 1930’s his father lost his fortune in the collapse of the jute future’s market so the staff were dismissed and he left Ballarat to go to Geelong College as a boarder. He was an officer in the Geelong College cadet corps and joined the Army as a private and rose to the permanent rank of Major after meritorious performance in the intelligence area of operations. He served in North Africa, in Palestine, Egypt, Moratai, the Philippines, Java and New Guinea. He was awarded his Military MBE by King George VI for exceptional devotion to duty and for brilliant coordination work amongst the allied intelligence team. During the war he met Mary Monica Carrol Bateman, a lietenant in the 2/4th Army General Hospital at a dinner party in Brisbane. The couple had four children, Hamish John Torquil born in 1945, Rory Hugh Alexander born in 1947 and twins Ian Donald and Katriona Margaret born in 1948. After the Second World War he worked for Lumley’s Insurance Brokers in London for a couple of years to follow up his accountancy training and then returned to Ballarat due to his father’s failing health and took over the management of John MacLeod and Co, Wholesale grocers and Merchants in Lydiard Street, Ballarat. The business had been started by his great grandfather and they produced the famous Sirdar brand of products and a special tea blend called Afternoon Cup. There was a spice mill in nearby Market Street and there they roasted peanuts, coffee and ground spices for packaging and distribution to the small corner shops who were the mainstay of commercial grocery. In the 1950’s John MacLeod and Co merged with James McKay and Sons to form McKay MacLeod Pty Ltd., wholesale tobacco, wine and spirits and grocery merchants who also manufactured the Sunny South brand of sweet mustard pickles, brewed vinegar and tomato sauce. He introduced the semi-automated system for extensions and financial records on the Bradma plates that saved staff the problems of sorting out the calculations for sales tax, miscellaneous charges etc. that greatly sped up the transactions at the checkout points. A new warehouse and office complex was built in Mair Street east up near Humffray Street, with the manufacturing factory on the opposite side of the street. They had a shop in St Arnaud and one in Geelong which was the local wholesaler for supplying to the corner shops of the greater Geelong area. With the development of supermarkets the demise of the corner store began and so the sales profiles began to diminish. He unsuccessfully stood for Liberal Party pre-selection for the seat of Ballarat in 1948 and served on the Liberal state finance and executive team for many years before resigning over the issue of conscripts being sent to Vietnam. He was instrumental in leading a group of Ballarat academics in opposition to the Vietnam war and publicly resigned from the Liberal Party over their foreign policy. John MacLeod saw the writing on the wall of the business in the early 1970’s and suggested that the firm restructured with focusing on tobacco, wine and spirits. His partners did not agree and so he sold out and retired to Barwon Heads. After a few years of golfing and surfing he became frustrated and joined SCORE, the Service Corp of Retired Executives. In this role he worked for ten years in the Geelong area solving accounting problems for Geelong small businesses and so helped Beaumont’s bakery back onto its feet. He worked gentlemen’s hours of 10 am to 3 pm which allowed him to have time for a round of 9 holes on the golf course at the end of the day and to have a surf before breakfast. He fully retired at the age of 65 and had ten years of voluminous reading of local library books before dying of burns at the age of 75. His war record has been documented in other archives at the College. He was a member of the Naval and Military Club and of the Barwon Heads Golf Club. He had good crafting skills and built a series of steam driven boats for his four children that used to be sailed at home on Lake Wendouree, Lake Learmonth and on the sheltered waters of the Barwon River. The boats are now being restored to operational order to be sailed by his great grandson Grayson Girardi. john-macleod, ballarat-college, 1925, book-prize -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book - Literary Work, A Hundred Years of British Painting 1851 to 1951, 1951
The author Eric Hesketh Hubbard (1892-1957) was born in England and lived in London. He was a painter, printer, designer, writer and lecturer. He also held the position of President of the Royal Society of British Artists and was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London. The book is part of Flagstaff Hill's Pattison Collection, a large group of books and records, some of which are rare and valuable. The collection was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute, which was founded in 1853 and is named after Warrnambool's Public Librarian, Ralph Pattison. The publisher firm Longmans, Green & Co. was founded in 1724 in London by Thomas Longman under the name Longman. In August of that year, he bought the two shops and goods of William Taylor and set up his publishing house there at 39 Paternoster Row. The shops were called Black Swan and Ship, and it is said that the 'ship' sign was the inspiration for Longman's Logo. After many changes of name and management, the firm was incorporated in 1926 as Longmans, Green & Co. Pty Ltd. The firm was acquired by Pearson in 1968 and was known as Pearson Longman or Pearson PLC. 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. The book is important for its connection with the London publisher Longmans, Green & Co. The firm has been established for over two centuries and is renowned for publishing encyclopedias, dictionaries, books on English grammar, textbooks, poetry, reference books, novels, magazines and more. The book has additional importance for its connection to the Pattison Collection, which, along with other items at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, was originally part of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institutes’ Collection. The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute book collection has historical and social significance for its strong association with the Mechanics Institute movement and its important role in people's intellectual, cultural and social development 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.A Hundred Years of British Painting 1851 to 1951 Hesketh Hubbard; President of the Royal Society of British Artists: Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London Author: Hesketh Hubbard Publisher: Longmans Green & Co Date: 1951 Purple cloth hardcover book with pasted jacket showing an oval design on the front cover. The book title has used either the word 'one hundred' or the numeral '100'. The fly page has a logo; a cartouche shape surrounding a sailing ship above the number 1724. This book is part of the Pattison Collection.Label on spine: "PAT 759.2 HUB" Sticker on pastedown front endpaper: "Warrnambool Public Library" covered by a sticker "Corangamite Regional Library Service" Stamp on front loose endpaper: "Corangamite Regional Library Service" Fly has a logo: "[cartouche shape] enclosing a sailing ship above "1724" "warrnambool, 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, great ocean road, hesketh hubbard, a hundred years of british painting, a 100 years of british painting, longmans green & co, british painting, british art, hesketh hvbbard, 1951, mid-20th century -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book, Jonathan Cape, It Can't Happen Here, 1935
This book “It can’t happen here” is a novel written by Sinclair Lewis. It was first published in 1935 in America. About SINCLAIR LEWIS (1885-1951) The author was born as Harry Sinclair Lewis in 1885 in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. He was renowned as an American novelist, playwright and short story writer. His first writings were romantic poems and short stories. Six of his novels were published by the time Lewis was 36. Lewis won the 1926 Pulitzer Prize for his book “Arrowsmith” but declined because he had been helped in the writing of it by science writer Paul de Kruif, who received 25% of royalties on the sales. However, Lewis is listed as the sole author. Lewis received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1930 for his “vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humour, new types of characters." He was the first author from the United States to receive this award. Lewis graduated from university in 1907. He worked as a reporter and editor for several publications. He was a prolific writer, publishing dozens of works and numerous articles, and became popular for his satire. Lewis married and divorced twice and died alone from a heart attack due to advanced alcoholism) near Rome on 10th January 1951, aged 66. 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.Lewis’s book is significant for its association with the writer, who was the first American to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature (1930). This book is significant for its connection with the Pattison Collection which, 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. Title: It can’t happen here Author: Sinclair Lewis Publisher: Jonathan Cape, London Date: 1935 Hardback board book covered with mustard-brown linen, with a clear plastic protective cover over it. The book’s title is printed across the front cover and on the spine. Also on the spine the author’s name, a symbol, and a white adhesive label with a typed library call number. On the loose front endpaper is an oval, purple stamp with text. Paper labels are on the inside endpaper. The book, a novel, is part of the Pattison Collection originally belonging to the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, and the Warrnambool Public Library.Adhesive label - “PAT / FIC / LEW” Inside front loose endpaper stamped in purple “WARRNAMBOOL MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE” Front endpaper label from Warrnambool Public Library and Corangamite Regional Library Serviceflagstaff 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 public library, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, ralph eric pattison, warrnambool books and records, corangamite regional library service, warrnambool city librarian, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool children’s library, american novel, jonathan cape, sinclair lewis, harry sinclair lewis, 1930 nobel prize for literature, it can’t happen here -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Time Capsule Ceremony, 10 November 1985, 10/11/1985
On Sunday, 10 November 1985 a time capsule was lowered into a monument installed near the corner of Main Road and Pitt Street in Eltham, within the gardens at the front of what is now the Eltham Community and Reception Centre. This monument commemorates Victoria’s 150th anniversary and the former location of the Eltham Town Centre, which existed along this section of Main Road, then known as Maria Street. Beneath the site is a time capsule to be opened in the year 2035. A plaque was also erected at this site in October 1987 to commemorate the Shire of Eltham Historical Society’s 20th anniversary. The main feature of this monument is a ‘tyring disc’, a blacksmith’s implement that was found on this site. This consists of a large iron disc that was used as a platform for fitting iron tyres (like the one shown on top of the platform) to wooden-spoked cart wheels. The local blacksmith and wheelwright worked together to assemble the wheel, which was clamped to the platform placed close to the fire. The red-hot iron hoop, previously forged to the correct size, was lifted with tongs by the blacksmith over the outside of the rim, then hammered down amid flames from the scorching timber. The wheelwright drenched the tyre with cold water as soon as it was in position. A clamp placed on the naff (hub) and screwed down tightly kept the spokes at a constant angle as the tyre cooled. An even pressure from the contracting tyre tightened the joints at each end of the spokes and formed a vice-like grip, which would last for the life of the wheel. [from EDHS Newsletter No. 45, November 1985:] TIME CAPSULE CEREMONY: Our 150th Anniversary Monument is now under construction in the gardens in front of the Eltham Community Centre. Further details of the project are given under a separate heading below and this item deals with the proposed ceremony. We propose to formally lower the time capsule into its container underneath the monument as part of the Eltham Community Festival. All members are invited to attend the ceremony at 2.00 p.m. on Sunday, 10th November. Come earlier with a picnic lunch if you like. Local people and firms who have contributed money or services for the monument will also be invited. As part of the Festival programme the public are welcome to attend. This is one of the most significant projects the Society has undertaken and members' participation in its finalization would be most gratifying to the organizing committee. 150TH ANNIVERSARY PROJECTS: We have concentrated our efforts on finishing the monument and time capsule project within the 150th year and have found it necessary to abandon the historical tour project. We have applied to the State 150th Committee to transfer the funds allocated for the tour to construction of the monument. The historical tour project will be continued at a later date and photos of historic houses in the area, taken by Doug Orford, will be available for use in an associated display. At the time of writing, the monument construction is on schedule for the ceremony on 10th November. The concrete base has been completed and the main feature of the monument, which is an old tyring plate or disc, will be lifted into place in the next week. The final ceremony will involve lowering the sealed time capsule into place, bolting down its container lid and then concreting over the lid. The capsule will contain mainly items relating to present day Eltham and its people and is to be opened in the year 2035, a video film made by Joh Ebeli and also details of families and organizations who have contributed to construction of the monument. It is proposed to place the items in the capsule on 5th November and any items members think could be included may be submitted up to that date. The Society has received an excellent response from local people, firms and organizations by way of assistance with this project. Graham Beyer, who originated the project, has arranged many of the donations. He and his firm, Package Handling Equipment, have donated the time capsule itself and have carried out fabrication of sections of the monument. The design of the monument was adapted by Graham Beyer from drawings by Joh Ebeli. Charmac Industries has donated the container for the time capsule and a cast gun metal name plate for the monument. BMG Concrete has donated concrete for the base which was constructed by Caridi Construction Company. Northbourne Garden Supplies has donated materials for the paving around the monument. Robert Becker from Eltham Apex directed construction of the paving by Society members. Terry Hutchinson has agreed to donate the use of his crane to lift the tyring disc into place. Financial contributions have been made by the Eltham Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Eltham. We are grateful to all who have helped, and members' support for firms who have donated their services would be an appropriate recognition. It is planned to print "Time Capsule Certificates" which can be held by organizations or passed on to descendants by individuals. The certificates will indicate an interest in the contents of the capsule when it is opened in fifty years. Certificates will be distributed to Society members and those who have contributed to the project.Nine colour photographsactivities, 1985, time capsule, eltham, eltham festival -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Time Capsule Ceremony, 10 November 1985, 10/11/1985
On Sunday, 10 November 1985 a time capsule was lowered into a monument installed near the corner of Main Road and Pitt Street in Eltham, within the gardens at the front of what is now the Eltham Community and Reception Centre. This monument commemorates Victoria’s 150th anniversary and the former location of the Eltham Town Centre, which existed along this section of Main Road, then known as Maria Street. Beneath the site is a time capsule to be opened in the year 2035. A plaque was also erected at this site in October 1987 to commemorate the Shire of Eltham Historical Society’s 20th anniversary. The main feature of this monument is a ‘tyring disc’, a blacksmith’s implement that was found on this site. This consists of a large iron disc that was used as a platform for fitting iron tyres (like the one shown on top of the platform) to wooden-spoked cart wheels. The local blacksmith and wheelwright worked together to assemble the wheel, which was clamped to the platform placed close to the fire. The red-hot iron hoop, previously forged to the correct size, was lifted with tongs by the blacksmith over the outside of the rim, then hammered down amid flames from the scorching timber. The wheelwright drenched the tyre with cold water as soon as it was in position. A clamp placed on the naff (hub) and screwed down tightly kept the spokes at a constant angle as the tyre cooled. An even pressure from the contracting tyre tightened the joints at each end of the spokes and formed a vice-like grip, which would last for the life of the wheel. [from EDHS Newsletter No. 45, November 1985:] TIME CAPSULE CEREMONY: Our 150th Anniversary Monument is now under construction in the gardens in front of the Eltham Community Centre. Further details of the project are given under a separate heading below and this item deals with the proposed ceremony. We propose to formally lower the time capsule into its container underneath the monument as part of the Eltham Community Festival. All members are invited to attend the ceremony at 2.00 p.m. on Sunday, 10th November. Come earlier with a picnic lunch if you like. Local people and firms who have contributed money or services for the monument will also be invited. As part of the Festival programme the public are welcome to attend. This is one of the most significant projects the Society has undertaken and members' participation in its finalization would be most gratifying to the organizing committee. 150TH ANNIVERSARY PROJECTS: We have concentrated our efforts on finishing the monument and time capsule project within the 150th year and have found it necessary to abandon the historical tour project. We have applied to the State 150th Committee to transfer the funds allocated for the tour to construction of the monument. The historical tour project will be continued at a later date and photos of historic houses in the area, taken by Doug Orford, will be available for use in an associated display. At the time of writing, the monument construction is on schedule for the ceremony on 10th November. The concrete base has been completed and the main feature of the monument, which is an old tyring plate or disc, will be lifted into place in the next week. The final ceremony will involve lowering the sealed time capsule into place, bolting down its container lid and then concreting over the lid. The capsule will contain mainly items relating to present day Eltham and its people and is to be opened in the year 2035, a video film made by Joh Ebeli and also details of families and organizations who have contributed to construction of the monument. It is proposed to place the items in the capsule on 5th November and any items members think could be included may be submitted up to that date. The Society has received an excellent response from local people, firms and organizations by way of assistance with this project. Graham Beyer, who originated the project, has arranged many of the donations. He and his firm, Package Handling Equipment, have donated the time capsule itself and have carried out fabrication of sections of the monument. The design of the monument was adapted by Graham Beyer from drawings by Joh Ebeli. Charmac Industries has donated the container for the time capsule and a cast gun metal name plate for the monument. BMG Concrete has donated concrete for the base which was constructed by Caridi Construction Company. Northbourne Garden Supplies has donated materials for the paving around the monument. Robert Becker from Eltham Apex directed construction of the paving by Society members. Terry Hutchinson has agreed to donate the use of his crane to lift the tyring disc into place. Financial contributions have been made by the Eltham Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Eltham. We are grateful to all who have helped, and members' support for firms who have donated their services would be an appropriate recognition. It is planned to print "Time Capsule Certificates" which can be held by organizations or passed on to descendants by individuals. The certificates will indicate an interest in the contents of the capsule when it is opened in fifty years. Certificates will be distributed to Society members and those who have contributed to the project.Two colour photographsactivities, 1985, time capsule, eltham, eltham festival -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Sinking the capsule, Graham Beyer on left and Joh Ebeli, Time Capsule Ceremony, 10 November, 1985, 10/11/1985
On Sunday, 10 November 1985 a time capsule was lowered into a monument installed near the corner of Main Road and Pitt Street in Eltham, within the gardens at the front of what is now the Eltham Community and Reception Centre. This monument commemorates Victoria’s 150th anniversary and the former location of the Eltham Town Centre, which existed along this section of Main Road, then known as Maria Street. Beneath the site is a time capsule to be opened in the year 2035. A plaque was also erected at this site in October 1987 to commemorate the Shire of Eltham Historical Society’s 20th anniversary. The main feature of this monument is a ‘tyring disc’, a blacksmith’s implement that was found on this site. This consists of a large iron disc that was used as a platform for fitting iron tyres (like the one shown on top of the platform) to wooden-spoked cart wheels. The local blacksmith and wheelwright worked together to assemble the wheel, which was clamped to the platform placed close to the fire. The red-hot iron hoop, previously forged to the correct size, was lifted with tongs by the blacksmith over the outside of the rim, then hammered down amid flames from the scorching timber. The wheelwright drenched the tyre with cold water as soon as it was in position. A clamp placed on the naff (hub) and screwed down tightly kept the spokes at a constant angle as the tyre cooled. An even pressure from the contracting tyre tightened the joints at each end of the spokes and formed a vice-like grip, which would last for the life of the wheel. [from EDHS Newsletter No. 45, November 1985:] TIME CAPSULE CEREMONY: Our 150th Anniversary Monument is now under construction in the gardens in front of the Eltham Community Centre. Further details of the project are given under a separate heading below and this item deals with the proposed ceremony. We propose to formally lower the time capsule into its container underneath the monument as part of the Eltham Community Festival. All members are invited to attend the ceremony at 2.00 p.m. on Sunday, 10th November. Come earlier with a picnic lunch if you like. Local people and firms who have contributed money or services for the monument will also be invited. As part of the Festival programme the public are welcome to attend. This is one of the most significant projects the Society has undertaken and members' participation in its finalization would be most gratifying to the organizing committee. 150TH ANNIVERSARY PROJECTS: We have concentrated our efforts on finishing the monument and time capsule project within the 150th year and have found it necessary to abandon the historical tour project. We have applied to the State 150th Committee to transfer the funds allocated for the tour to construction of the monument. The historical tour project will be continued at a later date and photos of historic houses in the area, taken by Doug Orford, will be available for use in an associated display. At the time of writing, the monument construction is on schedule for the ceremony on 10th November. The concrete base has been completed and the main feature of the monument, which is an old tyring plate or disc, will be lifted into place in the next week. The final ceremony will involve lowering the sealed time capsule into place, bolting down its container lid and then concreting over the lid. The capsule will contain mainly items relating to present day Eltham and its people and is to be opened in the year 2035, a video film made by Joh Ebeli and also details of families and organizations who have contributed to construction of the monument. It is proposed to place the items in the capsule on 5th November and any items members think could be included may be submitted up to that date. The Society has received an excellent response from local people, firms and organizations by way of assistance with this project. Graham Beyer, who originated the project, has arranged many of the donations. He and his firm, Package Handling Equipment, have donated the time capsule itself and have carried out fabrication of sections of the monument. The design of the monument was adapted by Graham Beyer from drawings by Joh Ebeli. Charmac Industries has donated the container for the time capsule and a cast gun metal name plate for the monument. BMG Concrete has donated concrete for the base which was constructed by Caridi Construction Company. Northbourne Garden Supplies has donated materials for the paving around the monument. Robert Becker from Eltham Apex directed construction of the paving by Society members. Terry Hutchinson has agreed to donate the use of his crane to lift the tyring disc into place. Financial contributions have been made by the Eltham Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Eltham. We are grateful to all who have helped, and members' support for firms who have donated their services would be an appropriate recognition. It is planned to print "Time Capsule Certificates" which can be held by organizations or passed on to descendants by individuals. The certificates will indicate an interest in the contents of the capsule when it is opened in fifty years. Certificates will be distributed to Society members and those who have contributed to the project.Colour photographactivities, 1985, time capsule, eltham, eltham festival -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph, Hunniford’s Eltham Post Office, Main Road near Bridge Street, Eltham, c.1888
Sepia photograph of Hunniford’s Eltham Post Office, Main Road near Bridge Street, Eltham, c.1888 (Postmistress Anne Hunniford possibly on left). The building originally had a shingle roof. Anne Hamilton born 1814 Co Tyrone, Ireland married Michael Head Burgoyne (1820-1843) in 1839, Co. Tyrone, Ireland. They had two children, Charlotte Caroline (1840) and John James Thomas Neville (Londonderry, Ireland 1844) Whilst pregnant with John, husband Michael died. Following John’s birth, she emigrated to Victoria, Australia where she married Thomas Hunniford in 1854. Daughter Anne Jane Hunniford was born in Eltham in 1855. Anne (Annie) Jane Hunniford and John James Thomas Neville Burgoyne were half siblings. In the mid 1860s Annie Hunniford succeeded her father, Thomas Hunniford as Post Mistress for Eltham. Photo dated based on advertising on façade of the building by Annie’s half-brother, John James Thomas Burgoyne promotes his services as the area manager for John M’Ewan and Co, Auctioneers as well as him being agent for the National Mutual Life Association of Australasia, National Insurance Company of Australasia, Federal Mutual Livestock Association of Australasia, and as a House, Land, Estate, Insurance and Financial agent. This was the time period that he placed advertising for same in the local paper. Australia Post: Gold brought life to the township - Diamond Valley News, Tuesday July 2, 1985, p17 On February 1, 1854, the first Eltham Post Office was established, commencing an association between the township and the Postmaster-General's Department that has continued for 131 years. At that time, the number of permanent residents would have been fairly small, probably less than 200. The discovery of gold in June 1851, at Anderson’s Creek, some five miles away, and later at Caledonia Diggings, Queenstown (now known as St Andrews), about 14 miles to the north-east, brought large numbers of prospectors passing through the township, hopefully culling the creeks and gullies for the precious metal. This additional "floating population" brought a greater demand for supplies and for communication with the outside world, and so it helped in the development of Eltham. Today, Eltham is a thriving township. It boasts an excellent shopping centre, municipal offices, court house. post office and many other amenities. Eltham continued to develop at a leisurely pace. During 1860, a total of just over 8000 postal articles were handled at the Eltham Post Office. By 1862, the mail route was "to and from Melbourne by way of Eltham and Kangaroo Ground, three times a week, by coach". There was also a branch mail that operated between Eltham and Greensborough, three times weekly. This was also conveyed by coach. Some time between 1864 and 1868 the management of the post office passed from Thomas Hunniford to his daughter, Miss Anne Hunniford, who managed the Eltham Post Office until her death in 1928. A big improvement in communication was provided for Eltham residents when a telegraph office was established at the post office in 1877. During 1923 a manual telephone exchange was provided at Eltham, the first two subscribers being J.J. O’Connor and Eltham Police Station. In 1949 the manual exchange was replaced by an automatic exchange and there were some 150 subscribers. Following the death of postmistress Miss Anne Hunniford in 1928, B.M. Burgoyne was placed temporarily in charge of the office. In 1929, J. N. Burgoyne was appointed postmaster, and he in turn was succeeded by H. C. Burgoyne in 1951. The post office was moved to a new site in 1954, but continued under the charge of Mr Burgoyne. In January 1958 there was a further change of site when the post office was raised to official status and transferred to new premises in Main Rd. William Donoghue was acting postmaster when the new office was opened. In March 1958 Mr W.E. Tovey was appointed postmaster, followed by Douglas McG. Gilmour in 1959. William Donoghue was fully appointed in 1966 and Barry Reichelt followed in 1973, prior to the present postmaster, Peter Jolly in November 1982. Peter is a young man with 18 years' experience. He commenced his training as a postal clerk at the training school in Melbourne in 1968 and was promoted to postal clerk at the Brunswick Post Office in 1969. He was finally transferred as postmaster to Fawkner Post Office in 1980. He has been at Eltham Post Office for the past 2½ years. He is married with one child and lives in Montmorency. The Eltham Post Office employs a staff of 21, of whom seven are indoor staff, 12 are postmen and two are drivers. The postmen in Eltham have an uphill battle delivering mail because of the hilly terrain. Nine of the postmen deliver mail on motorbikes, and the two delivery vans are both four wheel drives. Eltham Post Office services basically a residential area, with deliveries to 5600 homes. This is growing at the rate of 600 homes every 18 months, i.e. about 32 homes per month. At the present rate we will need a new postman every 18 months.Sepia photograph (two copies plus two black and white enlargements)Shop originally had a shingle roofpost office, eltham, main road, anne jane hunniford (1855-1928), federal mutual live stock insurance association of australasia, federal mutual livestock association of australasia, john j burgoyne, john m'ewan and co. auctioneers, national insurance company of australasia, national mutual life association of australasia -
Eltham District Historical Society Inc
Photograph - Digital Photograph, Alan King, Rob Roy Hill Climb, 24 November 2007
The Rob Roy Hill Climb originated in 1935 on the property of former Heidelberg Mayor, William Clinton, where he reared the Rob Roy breed of miniature ponies. He established Pleasure Grounds on part of the property attracting groups of Sunday visitors from Melbourne's inner suburbs. Visitors enjoyed a picnic area, pony rides, a dance hall and a tap room. Young men would ride their BSA or Harley Davidson motorcycles to the property which led to regular club-organised hillclimb meetings between 1930 and 1936. In 1935 Clinton offered the use of his property to the Light Car Club of Australia for their hillclimbs. The track was sealed that same year and the hillclimb at Clintons Road was one of only three specially designed bitumen surface hillclimbs in the world, the others being Shelsey Walsh and Prescott Hillclimbs in the UK. The first Light Car Club of Australia hillclimb was held at Rob Roy in February 1937. Covered under Heritage Overlay, Nillumbik Planning Scheme. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then / Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p133 About six times a year the unlikely sound of car engines emerges from deep in the heart of Christmas Hills.* Usually a quiet retreat, the Hills are home to one of the world’s oldest purpose-built motor sport venues - the Rob Roy Hillclimb. When sealed in 1939, the hillclimb at Clintons Road was one of only three specially designed bitumen surface hillclimbs in the world, the others being Shelsley Walsh and Prescott Hillclimbs in the UK.1 The Rob Roy Hillclimb originated in 1935 on the property of former Heidelberg mayor, William Clinton, where he reared the Rob Roy breed of miniature ponies. Rob Roy was the Scottish folk hero and outlaw. On part of his property Clinton established Pleasure Grounds, attracting Sunday parties from Melbourne’s inner suburbs. Visitors enjoyed a picnic area, pony rides, a dance hall and a tap room.2 Young men riding on their BSA or Harley Davidson bikes led to club-organised regular hillclimb meetings, between 1930 and 1936. In 1935 Clinton offered his property to the Light Car Club of Australia for their hillclimbs. In February 1937, the first Light Car Club of Australia hillclimb meeting was held at Rob Roy. Jack Day achieved the fastest time that day for the 760 yard (695m) track at 36 seconds in a Ford V8 engined Bugatti Special. At first the climb was just a dusty gravel track, but in 1939 it was up-graded and bituminised. Today the 695 metre track begins on a slight incline, proceeds through a sharp right turn, which formerly passed a rusty iron shed, now remembered by the name Tin Shed Corner. The track continues down a slight incline to a level stretch along the top of an embankment holding back a half-acre (0.2ha) dam, then up to a one-in-three gradient. The track then winds uphill through several left turns to the finish line. In 1939 Frank Kleinig reduced the record to 29.72 seconds in an MG Hudson. Throughout World War Two the Rob Roy Hillclimbs were suspended, but were resumed in 1947. The hillclimbs consistently attracted crowds averaging 500 to 600 people, peaking at 2000, until the hillclimb was destroyed by the 1962 bushfires. The meetings included nine Australian Hillclimb Championships, with the first in 1938 won by Peter Whitehead in his ERA. Eight of the Outright and Class record holders were Australian Grand Prix winners including Jack Brabham, who became a triple F1 World Champion. The Light Car Club of Australia held 61 meetings at Rob Roy. Events usually included Touring, Gran Turismo, Production, Sports, Racing and Vintage cars and in the latter years Go-carts. These meets suddenly stopped after the 1962 bushfire destroyed the access bridge on the property leading to the track area, although fortunately Clinton saved his home. The club then established the Lakeland Hillclimb venue close to Lilydale.3 From 1979 to 1987 the MG Car Club ran hill climbs at the Templestowe Hillclimb until the land was to be sub-divided. In 1991 the MGCC approached the Shire of Nillumbik about using the derelict Rob Roy venue. In 1992, after much lobbying, the club signed a ten-year lease from Melbourne Water, which has been renewed. The original track was faithfully reconstructed. Access roads were improved and guard rails were installed on the causeway. Permanent structures were rebuilt and tonnes of rubbish removed. This was made possible by an immense amount of voluntary work by MGCC members and financial support from the newly formed Friends of Rob Roy. In February 1993 the first Return to Rob Roy Historic Meeting was run with a huge spectator attendance of around 1000 enthusiasts. In September 2007, the Nillumbik Shire Council gave the hillclimb heritage protection. This acknowledged the property’s significant contribution to early Australian motor sport with its social connection to William Clinton and the local community.4 *Christmas Hills was named after emancipated convict and shepherd David Christmas, lost in these hills.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, rob roy hill climb, clintons road, light car club of australia, william clinton -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Book, Abandoned
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. Jules Verne (1828–1905) Jules Verne pursued his writing career after finishing law school in 1849, during this time he was writing poetry and short stories. He began to hit his stride after meeting publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel in1862, who nurtured many of the works that would later comprise the author's 54 novels the (Voyages Extraordinaires). Often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction," Verne wrote books about a variety of innovations and technological advancements years before they were practical realities. In 1856, Verne met and fell in love with Honorine de Viane, a young widow with two daughters. They married in 1857, and in 1861, the couple's only child, Michel Jean Pierre Verne, was born. Realizing he needed a stronger financial foundation, Verne began working as a stockbroker. However, he refused to abandon his writing career, and that year he published his first book, The 1857 Salon (Le Salon de 1857). In all Verne authored more than 60 books as well as dozens of plays, short stories and librettos. He conjured hundreds of memorable characters and imagined countless innovations years before their time, including stories about submarine and space travel, terrestrial flight and deep-sea exploration. Jules Verne died in 1905, at his residence in the French city of Amiens, stricken with diabetes, on March 24, 1905. Verne had many memorable novels, his most famous being Five Weeks in a Balloon, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Around the World in Eighty Days, In Search of the Castaways and Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea Additional works surfaced decades later. Backwards to Britain based on his many trips to the United Kingdom was finally printed in 1989, 130 years after it was written. Also Paris in the Twentieth Century, originally considered too far-fetched with its depictions of skyscrapers, gas-fuelled cars and mass transit systems, followed in 1994. Citation Information Biography.com Editors Jules Verne Biography: https://www.biography.com/writer/jules-verne 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. Abandoned Author: Jules Verne Publisher: Samson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington Date: 1892Label on spine cover with typed text PAT 843 VER Front loose endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Public Library covered by a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service Inside 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, abandoned, jules verne