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. George Frederick Watts Cassell's Gems of Art 1817 to 1904 Author: E. Rimbault Dibdin Publisher: Cassell and Co Date: 1923 Label on spine cover with typed text PAT 927 DIB Pastedown front end page has 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, 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, george frederick watts, e. rimbault dibdin

Index, ill, p.169.non-fictionA critical and interpretive study of the art of GF Wattartists - england - biography, george frederick watts 1817-1904

From L-R : Nathan Spielvogel, Hector Young, Percy Watt and George Holden. . Taken on the front porch at Illfracombe in 1908 after the four men had enjoyed a weekend fishing There appears to be a photo hanging on the wall in the background which looks like it could be of a young Marion Watt and the family's dog, a golden retriever In "The Gum Sucker at Home: Bound for Croajingolong 1908" by Nathan Spielvogel, published in Mary Gilbert's Personalities and Stories of the Early Orbost District, 3rd edition, p. 107-116, Spielvogel talks of his trip to Orbost, and fishing with Watt, Bruce and Young aboard Percy Watt's boat, the Maris Stella. Spielvogel's story says Young was the secretary at James & Birds auctioneers and "was one of the builders of the first foot bridge over the Backwater". It says George Holden was a Bank Manager at the Bank of Victoria. (info. from Campbell Watt) This photograph shows Mr Nathan Spielvogel on the left. He was a school teacher at the Orbost State School following Mr Rowe. Nathan Frederick Spielvogel (1874-1956), teacher, writer and historian, was born on 10 May 1874 at Ballarat, Victoria, son of Newman Frederick Spielvogel, pawnbroker, and his wife Hannah, née Cohen. As well as his stories he published a number of books about the history of Ballarat. Spielvogel taught at Orbost for at least a year Nathan Frederick Spielvogel (1874–1956) was a teacher, writer and historian. As a country schoolteacher, he traveled widely in the eastern Australian outback and also made a journey to London. Spielvogel gained distinction as one of the only Australian Jewish writers of his time. Many of his early books were best-sellers. He has an association with the history of Orbost having spent a year as a teacher at Orbost. The Watt family were early Marlo settlers.A black / white photograph / postcard of four men sitting around a small table playing cards. Two of the men have pillows behind their heads. Three are smoking pipes.on back - "On R - N. Spielvogel"spielvogel-nathan-orbost

School Council, Members of Staff, List of Full Course Students 1948, S.M.B. Magazine Committee, Editorial, Principal's Page, News and Notes, Editor's Notes, Obituary - S. H. Mayo, Farewells to Staff Members, Alterations in Staff, Science Section, The Literary Society, S.M.B. Yesterday and Today, The Ex-Servicemen, R.A.A.F. Story, Art Section, Escape from Nazi Europe, Short Story Competition, Senior Sport, Girls Sport, Commercial Notes, The Junior Techs, Junior Technical School Students' 1948, Students' doing Trade Apprenticeship Courses Green cover with maroon and green lettering, soft covered magazine of 54 pages. Artwork Mr Ramm - By Robert Tantau Borrick - By H. McWilliam Darb - By Robert Tantau Have a chip Will - By Robert Tantau Junior - By Robert Tantau Bruce - By Robert Tantau Pen and ink Ilustration (car) - By Ron Cairns Rosemary - By Robert Tantau Maurine - By Robert Tantau Howard - By H. Tozer Mick - By Robert Tantau Lorna - By Robert Tantau Sandy - By Robert Tantau Hughes - By Robert Tantau Bautovich - By Robert Tantau Bill and Banjo - By Robert Tantau Mac - By Robert Tantau Rowy - By John Willis ballarat school of mines, magazine, h. tozer, v. lancaster, g. murdoch, m. greenwood, alan j. fenton, c. rook, b. bryan, c. g. fairbank, r. p. flower, c. sanos, eric e. marshman, r. w. richards, m. k. ashton, w. k. l. murray, g. ramm, john c. collins, f. g. procter, dr. j. r. pound, donald c. johnston, neville d. gardner, arthur c. burrow, phillip e. richards, john f. swain, hester darby, lewis huisman, betty freeth, j. williams, m. treganowan, gwenyth williams, w. archibald, maureen callahan, margaret ryan, t. downes, dawn anderson, m. rowbottom, beverley letti, l. greenbank, valerie ritchie, beryl hutchings, p. reidy, robert tantau, willis brown, wesley wilson, donald durant, geo m. hetherington, john a. wilson, maxwell f. murray, ron cairns, geoffrey j. edmonds, john k. ballinger, william n.. edwards, r. rosser, horace j. graham, kevin k. treloar, john h. boag, francis l. veal, hans fumberger, john r. jopling, william h. wray, stanley j. dunstan, john willis, robert e. davis, jeffrey m. coward, william j. scala, george r. searle, norman w. ludbrook, robert r. u'ren, rex h. hollioake, alan vinegrad, h. mcwilliam, james w.b. tippett, james w. brokenshire, frederick g. savage, ronald t. spence, john r. sawyer, terence p. lannen, e. lloyd, d. brayshaw, valerie daff, betty hearn, thelma halsall, v. henderson, netta pitcher, moira baker, betty whitford, joan ellis, pamela hay, r. b. williams, heather coad, s. shillington, b. duffer, j. a. willsher, m. mclean, j. catherall, c. beeston, e. shaw, n. silvey, d. stevens, k. adams, t. hewitt, i. lepp, j. mccormack, a. young, l. george, j. terrill, k. spalding, j. watts, w. clarke, g. hindson, d. gilbert, a. hewitt, r. plover, g. murrowood, r. cochrane, j. bethune, j. walton, r. ward, j. blain, r. gluyas, r. luke, j. daly, k. ward, i. mcconchie, p. hewitt, j. skilbeck, e. jones, c. hoffman, w. mckenzie, r. phillips, g. allen, h. saw, c. mayne, b. graham, m. tweedale, d. alexander, w. rodgers, r. norman, m. horwood, p. hains, m. coleman, g. hannah, r. bawden, r. simpson, d. ditchfield, albert bradley, w. d. ditchfield