The Ballarat School of Mines was established in 1870, the first of its kind in Australasia. It later became a part of the University of Ballarat , then Federation University Australia.A roll of microfilm containing digitised images of each page of the first four Ballarat School of Mines Minute Books. 26 October 1870 ... The originl intention of the founders of the School - as per resolution of the Mining Bord was to hold the School at the Mechanics Institite Ballaarat and to have special rooms in that building set apart for this purpose. The reasons for this was that the Mechanics Institute had already rooms which could be used for these purposes and the pupils had easy access to the Libary and Museum belonging to that instituions, but after more mature consideration it was deemed advisabke to establish an indpependent institution and obtain a seperate buidling for the School. His Honor J.W. Rogers suggested that an effort should be made to obtain from the Government a lease of teh Old Court House at a pepper corn rent. The building at that time being out of repait and not used by the Government ...ballarat school of mines, minute books, annual report, microfilm, former ballarat circuit court, redmond barry, james flude, mining laboratory, james bickett, william stawell, judge rogers, constitution, mining board of ballarat, duncan gillies, william mclennan, ballarat mechanics' institute, judge warrington rogers, pepper corn rent, harrie wood, professor mccoy, james mcculloch, john alexander macpherson, williammclellan, master, arithmatic, mensuration, surveying, drawing, book-keeping, algebra, euclid, mining, chemistry, somerville learmonth, somerville livingstone learmonth, robert lewis, j.m. bickett, walter cotchett, usher, john cumming, philip russell, andrew anderson, a.h. king, william robertson, band of hope and albion consols, robert gibbs'james mcdowall, r.w. newman, jphn edward bakman, thomas gray, borough council of clunes, h.r. caselli, henry richards caselli, borough council of ballarat west, f.c. downes, l.s. christie, j.d. wanliss, francis summers, thomas whitelaw, h.b. de la poer wall, library donations, roderick murchison, robert brough smyth, museum donation, j.e. crocker, p.c. fitzpatrick, opening address, j.f. usher, edwin trenery, c.s. reeves, t.d. wanliss, john edward bathman, architect, robert davidson