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 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. 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. William Shakespeare Author: Karl Elze A Literary Biography by Karl Elze translated by L. Dora Schmitz. Publisher: George Bell & Sons Date: 1888Label on spine cover with typed text PAT 822.3 ELZ Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free 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, william shakespeare, karl elze

Used in 'Blackburn - a picturesque history' by Robin Da CostaBlack & white photo of Thomas Richards Burrowes Morton 1854 -1923.C See page 10 of DeCosta book. Biography see page 52morton thomas richards burrowes

An example of the printed letter sent out to garner loans for the publication of the book being published about Stan Savige. A form was enclosed with the letters, but no examples have survived. The loans were to be repaid from sales of the book, and each lender of ten pounds or more would be entitled to purchase at the standard price a specially autographed copy.Part of the process of financing Savige's biography,Official letter head of the Committee for the Biography of Lieutenant-General Sir Stanley Savige (blue), Black printing on white quarto paper. Printed signature in blue.In the margin related to the penultimate paragraph: "As sent to non subscribers to the Savige Trust"savige book, committee

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.Photograph, taken by/or for the historian Dorothy Rogers, of the King family grave at Boroondara General Cemetery. Rogers was to write an entry on the King brothers that was published in the Australian Dictionary of Biography."Memorial to Arthur Septimus King & Family. Kew Cemetery. Plaque in Church"arthur septimus king, boroondara general cemetery, dorothy rogers

First art exhibition in the QVWC. A5 sized booklet. cream paper. 44 pages plus 3 page addition in back of program. Program provides short biographies of the 50 women featured.

Family history and biography of Edward Dillon who immigrated to Australia with his wife and son in 1857 and lived in Camberwell. He was a Councillor for the City of Boroondara and the Shire of Boroondara.boroondara

Joseph Wilson Swan was born in 1882, he made many discoveries and inventions covering a wide range of scientific interest and practical usage. This book was withdrawn from the Ballarat School of Mines LibraryBlue paperback book, 50 pages: Biography Sir Joseph Swan and the invention of the incandescent electric lamp. Includes photographic images of Joseph Swan a carbon filament lamp.sir joseph swan, invention, incandescent electric lamp, history, filament lamp, electricity, ballarat school of mines library

No.33 of 50, from the 'Cricket, Tennis & Golf Celebrities' series of swap cards issued by Ardath Cork Cigarettes. Image and biography of "Bunny" Austin. Materials: Paper, Inktennis

Biography of politician Pauline Toner. Published in Australian Dictionary of Biography Vol. 18 2012 and online. Accessed 30/06/20222 p black and white typescript, double sidedpauline toner, politicians, shire of diamond valley, councillors

Refer Cat No 629.Dark brown timber frame with gold inner edge with glass front. Biography of RAYENE STEWART SIMPSON VC, DCM. Black print on yellow coloured foolscap size paper.military history, aattv, vc dcm

Two pages article from The Age of Tuesday, February 18, 1973. The article lists the British Kings and Queens from the Saxon Kings till Elizabeth II with a short biography. the age, british royal families

Report by Allan Spowers, Chair of the Biography Committee, of progress up to March 31st, 1959 in the publication of the Savige biography, mainly concerned with pricing and the selection of a publisher.Part of the story of how the book 'There goes a Man' came to be created.Quarto printed letter, black on white with blue letterhead.In pencil: "Copies sent by Govan Cox to Main Committee Members and All Donors"savige book, biography

Black folder of clippings, photos, newsletters, Extra Muros, history, relating the the Ballarat Teachers' College class of 1949. It includes a short biography on Frank Lord: Teacher and Soldier by Wal Wallballarat teachers' college, william ellwood, dana street primary school, monica miller, reunions, anniversary, meph mcewan, joe scarlett, john hogan gervasoni, john gervasoni, jack gervasoni, margaret bennett, queen elizabeth ii, buckingham palace letterhead, forty-niner rose, mattee hayes, peter fryar, tom turner, cynthia silver lewin, margaret reynolds bennett, harry cumming, peg aloreo harris, verna lees kaye, lesley latch frank, gladys white hogg, lindsay campbell, joan cool read, maureen godfrey fithall, grahame fithall, david collins, ron edmonds, a gladness found, graham bartle, frank lord, allan sonsee, cecil allan sonsee, john neville stewart obituary, john hogan gervasoni obituary, richard stowell obituary, rita butt campbell obituary, john blackie obituary, jack dridan obituary, wilma gardy byrne obituary, joan johnson binns obituary, lesley latch frank obituary, mattee hayes ilton obituary, margaret panther leask obituary, moyra ahern smith obituary, margaret blaby gledhill obituary, dana street primary school letterhead

Biography of the life of pioneer feminist Henrietta Augusta Dugdale, who initiated the first female suffrage society. Published in 2011, this book offers an insight into Australian women's rights in the 19th century.australia, history, biography

Book. ALEC H CHISHOLM COLLECTION. 277 page hardcover volume of poems by Shaw Neilson. Edited with an introduction by Professor A. R. Chisholm (not the same person as Alec H Chisholm) Published in 1965 by Angus & Robertson Ltd, Sydney and printed by Halstead Press, Sydney. Catalogue sticker ''2023 NEI'' on spine. Inside the front cover are 2 sections of paper with the poem 'IF' by Kipling and 3 newspaper cuttings as follows - May 12, 1942 an obituary John Shaw Neilson by A. H. Chisholm. May 27, 1972 Sydney Morning Herald, a book review of a John Shaw Neilson biography. 30 April,1972 Sun Herald, book review of a J. S. Neilson biography. Biography was by L. J. Blake and Hugh Anderson.John Shaw Neilsonbooks, collections, poetry, alec h chisholm collection, john shaw neilson, poetry

254 page illustrated softcover book. Cardboard covers with B&W and colour photos. Title in black is in two tone brown strip in centre of cover. Biography of General Sir Granville Ryrie.Handwritten in blue on front end paper "Donated by Raymond Schilling" Red RSL stamp on front end paperbooks, biography