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 Magical Malaya Author: Ambrose Pratt Publisher: Robertson & Mullens Ltd Date: 1931 The label on spine cover has typed text R.H.915.95 PRA Pastedown front endpaper has a sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Library Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Warrnambool Mechanics Instituteflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, 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, magical malaya, ambrose pratt

David Syme The Father of Protection in Australia Author: Ambrose Pratt Publisher: Ward Lock & Co Date: 1908Label on spine cover with typed text RA 920.5 PRA Pastedown front endpaper has sticker that reads " With the Compliments of the Executors of the late Mr. David Syme" Front endpaper has a sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institutewarrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, book, warrnambool library, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, great ocean road, david syme the father of protection in australia, ambrose pratt

See Cat No. 5820. "The National War Memorial of Victoria". An interpretative Appreciation of/ The Shrine/of/ Remembrance/with 50 Illustrations.SOFT COVER BOOK Cover - Light weight cardboard, black print on front cover, with one illustration depicting buttress group, lions and women with wings. 40 pages - cut, plain, paper - print sections - heavy paper, black and white photographs - glossy off white paper. Spine stapled.books, military history, war memorials

Sydney Myer 180 pages with photos and illustrations. Story of Sidney Myer - a biography. Includes chapters on Bendigo ' ch. 18 The conquest of Bendigo, and ch 19 ' Bendigo years' First published 1978.Ambrose Prattbiography, sidney myer, sidney myer, retail trade, bendigo, commerce, myer store.

Black and white photograph. Inscriptions: 'group of shop girls of the Myer Store in Bendigo, from the book Sidney Myer by Ambrose Pratt'.person, group, employees

WW1 Issue for soldiers. 1914. Australian Imperial Force. WW1 The Great War, AIF, issue 1914. Small faded rose coloured soldiers handbook titled "Notes on Laws and Customs of War". WW1 issue. Front cover : Coat of Arms and title: Notes on the Laws and Customs of War. Author : Ambrose Pratt. Written for the Australian Imperial Force 1914. Authority: Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer Melbourne. ww1 1914-1918, soldiers handbook ww1, australian imperial force 1914, laws and customs pertaining to war ww1 aif.

A booklet produced about the Shrine of Remembrance. This is the 4th edition from April 1939 was revised from the original published in 1934. Part of the booklet is called "An Interpretive Appreciation" by Ambrose Pratt. It describes the parts the Shrine and some of its history. The other half is called "Historical Record" by John Barnes. It contains the full programme of the Dedication of the Shrine by the Duke of Gloucester in 1934 and photos of key aspects of the Shrine. Item was with other photos and programmes from different items relating to the Shrine of Remembrance - including discussions on its location and design. Labelled 'Shrine of Remembrance S1 - S14' it was part of an old archive numbering system, that showed there has been efforts in the past to collect, order and save items of Legacy's history. (01181 - 01190, 01206 - 01211, 01649, 01650).Details of the Shrine of Remembrance published for the public. It is important to note it mentions that Legacy had an important role in promoting the construction of the original design over alternate proposals (of a civic square or a hospital). There was an effort to record historical events for the "Archive Committee" which collected this and other documents relating to the Shrine together in a file (see items 01181 - 01190, 01206 - 01211, 01650).A 44 page of booklet describing for the Shrine, buff paper in a dark grey brown cover with black and white photos and black print.Handwritten on top right corner of the cover is S3 in red pen, part of an original numbering system.memorial, shrine of remembrance

Photographs of the Marble Boards showing the Ballarat Old Colonists' Association Past Presidents Board ballarat old colonists' association, honour board, john william graham, john paul murray, william robertson, robert uriah nicholls, thomas tuke hollway, william henry stokeld, john ambrose blight, arthur hereward nevett, walter herbert tweedie, alfred ernest campbell kerr, sidney wallace john clark, john glasson, john kildahl richards, walter j. irwin, charles n. tulloch, charles h.g. anderson, edmond c. doepel, t.p.w. wilson, e.a.h. guymer, r.h. ramsay, h.b. irwin, david a.e. fawell, j.h.c. coventry, l.j. drury, m.j. charles, d.l. pratt, james s. sleep, andrew r. robson, margaret rich, m.j. blenkiron, steve j. carter