Photos are stored with a letter by Mrs E.V. Pullin, President Ringwood Historical Research Group Inc, dated 19 July 1988.Photograph of four people looking at floral display. L-R Hartley Taylor - President Ringwood Garden Club, Bob Flower - Waverley Garden Club, two ladies (perhaps from Waverley Garden Club, perhaps judges). +Additional Keywords: Taylor, Hartley / Flower, Bob / Pullin, Mrs E.V. / Lindsay, Mr J. / Cole, Gretta / Cole, Alex / McDonnell, Capt. Ralph

This item is from the ‘Pattison Collection’, a collection of books and records that was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, which was founded in Warrnambool in 1853. By 1886 the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) had grown to have a Library, Museum and Fine Arts Gallery, with a collection of “… choice productions of art, and valuable specimens in almost every branch and many wonderful national curiosities are now to be seen there, including historic relics of the town and district.” It later included a School of Design. Although it was very well patronised, the lack of financial support led the WMI in 1911 to ask the City Council to take it over. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian to establish and organise the Warrnambool Library as it was then called. When the WMI building was pulled down in 1963 a new civic building was erected on the site and the new Warrnambool Library, on behalf of the City Council, took over all the holdings of the WMI. At this time some of the items were separated and identified as the ‘Pattison Collection’, named after Ralph Pattison. Eventually the components of the WMI were distributed from the Warrnambool Library to various places, including the Art Gallery, Historical Society and Flagstaff Hill. Later some were even distributed to other regional branches of Corangamite Regional Library and passed to and fro. It is difficult now to trace just where all of the items have ended up. The books at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village generally display stamps and markings from Pattison as well as a variety of other institutions including the Mechanics’ Institute itself. RALPH ERIC PATTISON Ralph Eric Pattison was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, in 1891. He married Maude Swan from Warrnambool in 1920 and they set up home in Warrnambool. In 1935 Pattison accepted a position as City Librarian for the Warrnambool City Council. His huge challenge was to make a functional library within two rooms of the Mechanics’ Institute. He tirelessly cleaned, cleared and sorted a disarrayed collection of old books, jars of preserved specimens and other items reserved for exhibition in the city’s museum. He developed and updated the library with a wide variety of books for all tastes, including reference books for students; a difficult task to fulfil during the years following the Depression. He converted all of the lower area of the building into a library, reference room and reading room for members and the public. The books were sorted and stored using a cataloguing and card index system that he had developed himself. He also prepared the upper floor of the building and established the Art Gallery and later the Museum, a place to exhibit the many old relics that had been stored for years for this purpose. One of the treasures he found was a beautiful ancient clock, which he repaired, restored and enjoyed using in his office during the years of his service there. Ralph Pattison was described as “a meticulous gentleman whose punctuality, floorless courtesy and distinctive neat dress were hallmarks of his character, and ‘his’ clock controlled his daily routine, and his opening and closing of the library’s large heavy doors to the minute.” Pattison took leave during 1942 to 1942 to serve in the Royal Australian Navy, Volunteer Reserve as Lieutenant. A few years later he converted one of the Museum’s rooms into a Children’s Library, stocking it with suitable books for the younger generation. This was an instant success. In the 1950’s he had the honour of being appointed to the Victorian Library Board and received more inspiration from the monthly conferences in Melbourne. He was sadly retired in 1959 after over 23 years of service, due to the fact that he had gone over the working age of council officers. However he continued to take a very keen interest in the continual development of the Library until his death in 1969. 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 Magic Garden Auhtor: Gene Stratton - Porter Publisher: Hutchinson & Co Date: 1950Label on spine has typed text PAT FIC STR Front loose endpaper has a sticker from Warrnambool Children's Library Front loose endpaper has a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Servicewarrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, pattison collection, warrnambool library, ralph eric pattison, warrnambool city librarian, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library, the magic garden, gene stratton - porter

Used to break up soil in gardeningGarden fork, four steel tines bolted to wooden shaft and wooden handle gripgarden fork, garden equipment

Colour photograph showing view across 'Garden Hill' property to ranges beyond Healesville.garden hill, kangaroo ground, yarra glen road

Coloured photograph of people dancing at Society's Wisteria Garden Part on 12 October 2001wisteria garden party 2001, nunawading and district historical society, dancing

Black and white photograph of Michael McDonnell (right) in the garden at the back of the hotel Original on CDROMmcdonnell, michael

Black and white photograph. Garden view looking towards the Californian Redwood from the Pavilionj.l. provan, garden view, trees, californian redwood

Article in "Woman's World" about Burnley graduate, Joan Kilby (1950). Landscape gardener. woman's world, female students, graduates, joan kilby, landscape gardener

plants, trees, garden views, x fatshedera, plectranthus argentatus, solanum rantonetii, lycianthes rantonetii

A colour photograph of the garden entrance and bridge at Arbor Green Gardens in Marysville. This cottage, along with most of the buildings in the township, was destroyed in the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.A colour photograph of the garden entrance and bridge at Arbor Green Gardens in Marysville.Garden Entrance & bridge./ Arbor Green Galleries/ 1 Falls Rd. M'sville./ Spring 1992marysville, victoria, australia, photograph, accommodation, arbor green cottage, 2009 black saturday bushfires

Rotunda, Alexandra Gardens (1910-c.1960). The Alexandra Gardens’ rotunda was located within three acres of ‘gem like’ gardens ‘bright with verdant lawns and choice blooms’ in the centre of Kew. Designed by architects Grainger and Little, the ornate two-storey wooden kiosk functioned as a children’s shelter on the ground level and a bandstand and oratory dais on the upper. Funded by council and community subscription, it was a ‘symbol of the public spirit of Victoria’ and a Kew Jubilee commemoration memorial. Opened in 1910, the Kew Brass Band christened it the ‘finest band rotunda in Melbourne’. Deterioration saw its demise 50 years later. This work forms part of the collection assembled by the historian Dorothy Rogers, that was donated to the Kew Historical Society by her son John Rogers in 2015. The manuscripts, photographs, maps, and documents were sourced by her from both family and local collections or produced as references for her print publications. Many were directly used by Rogers in writing ‘Lovely Old Homes of Kew’ (1961) and 'A History of Kew' (1973), or the numerous articles on local history that she produced for suburban newspapers. Most of the photographs in the collection include detailed annotations in her hand. The Rogers Collection provides a comprehensive insight into the working habits of a historian in the 1960s and 1970s. Together it forms the largest privately-donated collection within the archives of the Kew Historical Society.Lawn and original rotunda in the Alexandra Gardens, Cotham Road, Kew. The Alexandra Gardens were opened in 1908. The land on which the gardens were formed originally formed part of the Madford Estate. A feature of the gardens was a large brick, wood and tiled rotunda. "Alexandra Gardens. Formerly part of S. King. (Rest of Estate mainly belongs to St Anthonys home). Opened 1908. Alexandra Gardens. (Rotunda now demolished)"alexandra gardens, kew, dorothy rogers

Black and white photograph. Square domed pavilion in a public garden. A man is reclining on the lawn in the foreground.pavilion, public garden, landscape

Coloured photograph of children at Animal Farm at Society's Wisteria Garden Party on 12 October 2001wisteria garden party 2001, nunawading and district historical society, children

Coloured photograph of children at animal farm with at Society's Wisteria Garden Party on 12 October 2001wisteria garden party 2001, nunawading and district historical society, children

9 coloured photographs (a-i) of the Fairy Day held during the Wisteria Garden Party of 1994wisteria garden party 1994 whitehorse historical society

Black and white photograph of the Municipal Gardens at the rear of the Nunawading Civic Centre. Established c 1986city of nunawading civic centre

Arthur Henry Dear was an employee of the City of Kew, acting as Hall Keeper of the Kew Recreation Hall in Wellington Street, and later the new Kew City Hall in Cotham Road. The Arthur Dear Collection contains memorabilia - tickets, programmes, invitations - as well as his identification badge. Items in the collection dates from the 1940s to the 1970s. Programme for a garden party concert held by the City of Kew. The list includes timings for the concert and performers.arthur dear collection, city of kew, kew recreation hall, damn yankees, concert

Colour photograph. Garden view looking across the ponds towards the tree line with the Sequoia sempervirens.garden view, luffmann ponds, sequoia sempervirens, ponds, lily ponds, tree line