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. 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. An Illustrated History of Arms and Armour Author: Auguste Demmin Publisher: George Bell & Sons Date: 1877Pastedown 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, an illustrated history of arms and armour, auguste demmin, arms and armour, demmin, auguste

Book. Harry Biggs Collection. A small yellow covered book. Written by K. S. Kings on the history of the Bendigo Tramways. Printed in Australia by Hedges & Bell Ltd., Maryborough, Victoria. First published in 1972.organisation, union, transport, harry biggs collection, the bendigo tramways: an illustrated history, k. s. kings, hedges & bell ltd.

University of Ballarat is a predecessor of Federation University.Hardcovedered book with paper cover with greay background and image of Ballarat and blue writing. ISBN:0-957-70338-4. by degrees, an illustrated history of university of ballarat, paul haynes, australian print group, anne beggs sunter, warren perry, clare gervasoni, carole seymour, toni lea-howie, david james, weston bate, patrick previtt, mary egan, william frederick longstaff, graham beanland, john brittain, julia margaret guerin, james oddie, charles howard beanland, alfred mica smith, dick richards, edgar john tippett, william thomas henry corbould, harry elphingstone, matthew griffith beanland, e.j. barker, sir redmond barry, thelma rungkat, john sharpham, morgan john, harold trudinger, sr therese power, . bill gribble, ron wild, alfred johnston, john wotzko, henry sutton

Green marbelled board cover with black leather spine & corners. Surface rubbing of board and leather, leather spine cracked at coners. Binding intact but spine detached at front cover. Six decorative gilt bands on spine. Title in gilt on spine. P. 177 torn, loose. P. 175 loose. 304 pp. Fair condition.Label inside front cover 'from Chapman Family'. Pressed pansies between pp. 99-100.scriptures, children, kilmore mechanics institute library.

RMS Mauretania was launched on 28 July 1938 at the Cammell Laird yard in Birkenhead, England and was completed in May 1939. The second Mauretania was the first ship built for the newly formed Cunard White Star company following the merger in April 1934 of the Cunard and White Star lines. A booklet illustrating the history of construction through to the launch of the passenger liner Mauretania in 1938rms mauretania, troop transport, passenger liner, cunard, white star

The Bendigo Tramways - an illustrated history 80 pages, photographs, illustrations and map. Published by Hedges and Bell Pty. Ltd. Maryborough. Chapters include battery trams, steam trams, electric supply company years and S.E.C. era.K.S. Kingstramways, history, trams, electric traction, public transport

Buninyong owes its existence to the Learmonth brothers and surrounding stations. Timber for fencing and building was followed by a number of industries including the discovery of the famous Ballarat goldfields. Buninyong people have fostered and maintained a range of social, sporting and philanthropic activites.An illustrated history of Buninyong. M.W. Thorpe. Mary Akers. Buninyong (Vic); Buninyong & District Historical Society; 1982. 64 p.; illus, maps. Soft cover. ISBN 0 959 3044 0 1buninyong; m.w. thorpe; mary akers; history; mount buninyong; gold; settlers;

Hardcover book. Cover - cardboard, with adhered mid blue colour paper. Blue and white colour print on front and spine. Front, illustrated artwork depicting an aircraft and RAAF Sister in uniform. Back - montage of black and white photographs of RAAF Nursing Service. 440 pages, cut plain, white colour paper. Illustrated history, numerous black and white photographs.publications, books, raaf history, nursing

This is an illustrated history of New Zealand. Since the foundation of Warrnambool in 1847 up to the present day there has been regular and important contact between the people of Warrnambool and New Zealand. In the 19th and early 20th centuries many people in Warrnambool moved either temporarily or permanently to New Zealand for marriage or economic reasons. Some residents of Warrnambool and district were involved in the Maori Wars and there was regular shipping between the two places with much timber imported from New Zealand, especially for the McGennan butter box factory and for building purposes (e.g. St. Joseph’s Church). The builder of theWarrnambool Breakwater, Arthur Dudley Dobson, came to Warrnambool after having practised his surveying and engineering skills in New Zealand (South Island – Trans Alpine Railway etc). This book is very useful for research into the Warrnambool/New Zealand connection, especially in the 19th century. There is information in this book on Arthur Dudley Dobson who was important in the history of both Warrnambool and New Zealand. This is a hard cover book of 488 pages. The cover is green with gold lettering on the front and spine. There is also a dust cover with a brown and green background with gold and green lettering and sepia-coloured photographs on the front and back covers. The book has illustrations from the Alexander Turnbull Library, an introduction, ten chapters of text, notes, glossary, bibliography and index. new zealand, arthur dudley dobson, history of warrnambool

landscape, waterwaysPrinted card, photo of Moorabool Falls, c 1900 (cut-out from "Illustrated History of Buninyong" inside back cover.)Red card, on back, "Moorabool Falls (Crossed out "Lal Lal Falls") in Illustrated History of Buninyongmoorabool falls

This 1901 history of the Boer War is written from the British perspective and the writing is so emotionally-charged that it reads like a story from a Boys Only Annual. The owner was James Fidler, presumably the eldest son of Thomas and Fanny Fidler who arrived in Melbourne in 1849. They lived on a property called Grange in Panmure with the homestead called Maida Hill. Thomas Fidler owned butchers’ shops in Warrnambool and Panmure. James Fidler was born in 1850 and died in 1929. This book is of interest because it was owned by James Fidler whose family was a prominent one in Warrnambool and Panmure in the 19th century. The book is also useful for researching the Boer War, a conflict in which many Warrnambool and district men took an active part. This is a hard cover book of 1554 pages. There are several pages at the end listing other books published by Cassell and Company. There are 127 chapters and an index. There are many black and white illustrations and several full-page colour plates. The inscriptions are handwritten in black ink. ‘James Fidler Panmure’ ‘James Fidler’ boer war, history of warrnambool, fidler family of panmure.

Hard cover book with dust cover. Hard cover - cardboard with Navy Blue buckram cover. Gold print on spine. Dust cover - paper, red and black print on front, spine, front and back flaps. Illustrated, front cover photograph in colour of a ship dockside. Back cover - photograph in colour of a portion of a ship in a seascape of water, sand and trees in background. 191 pages, cut, plain, white paper. Illustrated in black and white and colour photographs, maps and technical illustrations. Front end paper - handwritten greeting.Front endpaper - blue pen - handwritten, "TO DAD/ FROM VALERIE & IAN - FATHERS DAY 1981". books, navy cruisers

Hard cover - black with gold and red lettering. Gold title on spine 480 pages - Illustrated Index at rear of book.books-history, military, illustrations

Photographic record of the World War I years & theatres of war. Maps of various battles are also included. An introduction to the book was written by John Keegan.Brown, buckram hard cover with title in gold lettering on spine. Brown dust cover with illustrations front & back. Title in brown & white on front & spine of dust cover. 256 pages with cut edges. Contains black & white illustrations. Brown end papers.books-military-history, illustrations

Hard Back with dust coverAuthor Derek Wood Publisher Jane’s Publishing Company Ltd London 1980 ISBN 0 7106 0049 6