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. A Descriptive Atlas of the Eucalypts of Australia and the adjoining Islands Author: Ferdinand Von Mueller Publisher: Government Printer Melbourne Date: 1879-1884 Label on spine cover with typed text RA 583.4 VONM Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Librarywarrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, great ocean road, book, warrnambool library, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library, warrnambool public library, a descriptive atlas of the eucalypts of australia, a descriptive atlas of the eucalypts of australia and the adjoining islands, ferdinand von mueller

Ferdinand Von Mueller was the Government Botanist for the Colony of Victoria. He was an early examiner in Botany at the Ballarat School of Mines. The book was donated to the Ballarat School of Mines by the Melbourne Public Library. The Bookplate in the front states the book is number 1278 in the Ballarat School of Mines Library and was presented on 02/12/1892.Two books (ninth and tenth decade) with soft cover and blue tape spine. Includes text and black and white images relating to Eucalypts .1) includes a bookplatebotany, ferdinand von mueller, ballarat school of mines, eucalypts, botanist, bookplate, melbourne public library, state library of victoria

Light card cover, some staining, central longitudinal crease back and front covers. Discoloration from light exposure. Blue cloth backstrip on spine. Minor insect damage top left corner back cover. Light foxing throughout. Binding intact. Good condition.non-fictionA Descriptive Atlas of the Eucalypts of Australia and the Adjoining Islands.botany, eucalypts, australia

Light card cover, some staining, discoloration due to light exposure. Light vertical crease probably due to folding. Blue cloth back strip on spine, some wear at top and bottom. Light foxing throughout. Minor insect damage to rear endpaper. Binding intact. Good condition.non-fictionA descriptive atlas of the eucalypts of Australia and the adjoining islands.botany, eucalypts, australia

Light card cover, mould and mildew staining, discoloration from light exposure. Minor insect damage to top right front cover. Mould staining front four pages. Mildew & fluid stains through out. Some foxing throughout. Blue cloth backstrip on spine, worn at top and bottom. Binding intact. Fair condition.non-fictionA descriptive atlas of the Eucalypts of Australia and the adjoining islandsbotany, eucalypts, australia

Light card cover with some mildew & other staining back & front. Discoloration from light exposure. Blue cloth backstrip on spine with minor wear top & bottom. Mildew & moisture staining throughout, light foxing. Binding intact. Fair condition.non-fictionA descriptive atlas of the Eucalypts of Australia and the adjoining islands.botany, eucalypts, australia

Light card cover with blue clothe backstrip on spine. Mildew staining top left front cover, small stains elsewhere. Minor insect damage top left back cover. Slight tearing top of backstrip. Moisture staining throughout with some mildew stains. Foxing on some pages. Binding intact. Fair conditionnon-fictionA descriptive atlas of the eucalypts of Australia and the adjoining islands.botany, eucalypts, australia

Light card cover with worn blue cloth backstrip, tearing at top and bottom. Widespread moisture, mildew and fungal staining throughout. Small patches of insect damage to cover. Poor conditionnon-fictionA descriptive atlas of the Eucalypts of Australia and the adjoining islandsbotany, eucalypts, australia

Light card cover, creased top right front, tearing at bottom, with faded and worn blue cloth backstrip to spine. Backstrip torn at top and separated from body of book. Several pages missing at the front. Moisture stains on cover. Minor insect damage to some pages. Foxing throughout. Poor condition.non-fictionA descriptive atlas of the Eucalypts of Australia and the adjoining islandsbotany, eucalypts, australia

Light card cover with blue cloth backstrip to spine, torn at upper extremity. Some staining and marks on cover, discoloration from light exposure. Some foxing through out. Binding intact. Fair condition.non-fictionA descriptive atlas of the Eucalypts of Australia and adjoining islands. This last part of the series also contains a Synopsis of the Species, Geographic Index, Index of Vernacular Names, Index of Decades and Alphabetical Index.botany, eucalypts, australia

Light card cover with green cloth backstrip to spine. Significant moisture, mildew and fungal staining on cover and throughout. cover and several pages are torn at extremities. Poor condition.non-fictionA descriptive atlas of the Eucalypts of Australia and adjoining islands.botany, eucalypts, australia