A number of colour photographs showing Kings Road, Marysville after the 2009 'Black Saturday' bushfire.bushfire, black saturday, marysville, kings road

Pattison Collection 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. WARRNAMBOOL PUBLIC LIBRARY The Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute (WMI) was formed by a voluntary community group in 1863, within six years of Warrnambool’s beginnings, and its Reading Room opened in 1854. The WMI operated until 1963, at which time it was one of the oldest Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria. Mechanics’ Institutes offered important services to the public including libraries, reading rooms and places to display and store collections of all sorts such as curiosities and local historical relics. In 1886 a Museum and Fine Arts Gallery were added to the WMI and by the beginning of the 20th century, there was also a billiards room and a School of Art. By this time all Mechanics’ Institutes in country Victoria had museums attached. Over the years the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute Library was also known as the Warrnambool Public Library the Warrnambool Library and the Free Library. Early funding from the government was for the “Free Library”. The inscription in a book “Science of Man” was for the “Warrnambool Public Library”, donated by Joseph Archibald in 1899. Another inscription in the book “Catalogue of Plants Under Cultivation in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens 1 & 2, 1883” was presented to the “Warrnambool Library” and signed by the author W.R. Guilfoyle. In 1903 the Warrnambool Public Library decided to add a Juvenile Department to library and stock it with hundreds of books suitable for youth. In 1905 the Public Library committee decided to update the collection of books and added 100 new novels plus arrangements for the latest novels to be included as soon as they were available in Victoria. In July 1911 the Warrnambool Council took over the management of the Public Library, Art Gallery, Museum and Mechanics’ Institute and planned to double the size of the then-current building. In 1953, when Mr R. Pattison was Public Librarian, the Warrnambool Public Library’s senior section 10,000 of the 13,000 books were fiction. The children’s section offered an additional 3,400 books. The library had the equivalent of one book per head of population and served around 33 per cent of the reading population. The collection of books was made up of around 60 per cent reference and 40 per cent fiction. The library was lending 400 books per day. In 1963 the Warrnambool City Council allocated the site of the Mechanics’ Institute building, which included the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery, for the new Municipal Offices and the Collections were dispersed until 1971. The Warrnambool Library took over the Mechanics’ Institute Library’s holdings on behalf of the Warrnambool City Council. Since the closure of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute the exact location and composition of the original WMI books and items have become unclear. Other materials have been added to the collection, including items from Terang MI, Warrnambool Court House and Customs House. Many of the books have been identified as the Pattison Collection, named after the Librarian who catalogued and numbered the books during his time as Warrnambool Public Librarian in the time before the Mechanics’ Institute closed. It seems that when Warrnambool became part of the Corangamite Regional Library some of the books and materials went to its head office in Colac and then back to Warrnambool where they were stored at the Art Gallery for quite some time. Some then went to the Warrnambool Historical Society, some stayed at the Art Gallery and some were moved to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. The various stamps and labels on the books held at Flagstaff Hill show the variety of the collection’s distribution and origin. The books in the collection at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village date from the 1850s to the late 1950s and include rare and valuable volumes. Many of the books are part of the “Pattison Collection” after the Warrnambool’s Public Librarian, Mr R. Pattison. 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. The Shop on The Kings Road Author: B Ifor Evans ((Benjamin) Ifor Evans, Baron Evans of Hungershall) Publisher: Hodder Stoughton Date: 1946 The label on spine with typed text PAT FIC EVA Pastedown front endpaper has a sticker from Warrnambool Public Library Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Warrnambool Public Library Inside front loose endpaper has a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, warrnambool, 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, the shop on the kings road, b ifor evans, baron evans of hungershall, benjamin ifor evans

A colour photograph of a house taken in Kings Road in Marysville in Victoria.A colour photograph of a house taken in Kings Road in Marysville in Victoria. This house, along with most of Marysville's buildings, was destroyed in the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.kings road, marysville, victoria, photograph, 2009 black saturday bushfires

The Eltham Horse Trail: Research and Warrandyte to Kinglake: Survey of proposed route, December 1992: (1) Research to Kangaroo GroundColour photographeltham horse trail (1992 survey), kangaroo ground, dawson road, kings road

The Eltham Horse Trail: Research and Warrandyte to Kinglake: Survey of proposed route, December 1992: (3) Kangaroo Ground to KinglakeColour photographeltham horse trail (1992 survey), kangaroo ground, kings road

The Eltham Horse Trail: Research and Warrandyte to Kinglake: Survey of proposed route, December 1992: (3) Kangaroo Ground to KinglakeColour photographeltham horse trail (1992 survey), glenvern road, kings road, panton hill

A colour photographs showing regrowth on Eucalypts from Kings Road, Marysville. The trees werw to a hot burn during the 2009 'Black Saturday' bushfire. A newly constructed house is in the foreground.bushfire, black saturday, marysville, kings road

A number of colour photographs showing regrowth on Eucalypts from Kings Road, Marysville. The trees had been subject to a hot burn during the 2009 'Black Saturday' bushfire. A newly constructed house is in the foreground.bushfire, black saturday, marysville, kings road

Collection of photographs of current and former service stations in the Kings Park area.5873.01 - Kings Road 157 Kings Park - U-Go Service Station.JPG 5873.02 - Kings Road 157 Kings Park - U-Go Service Station.JPG 5873.03 - Kings Road 1 Kings Park - 7 - 11 Service Station.JPGservice station, albion

An information flyer on acqua studios accommodation in Marysville.An information flyer on acqua studios accommodation in Marysville.acqua studios, marysville, victoria, australia, information flyer, accommodation

An information brochure regarding Beauty Spot Lodge in Marysville. This lodge, along with the majority of the buildings in Marysville, was destroyed in the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.An information brochure regarding Beauty Spot Lodge in Marysville.marysville, victoria, australia, information brochure, accommodation, beauty spot lodge, 2009 black saturday bushfires

An information brochure regarding Fernbrook Cottage in Marysville.An information brochure regarding Fernbrook Cottage in Marysville.marysville, victoria, australia, fernbrook cottage, accommodation, information flyer

An advertising brochure for Hillcrest House Bed & Breakfast in Marysville.An advertising brochure for Hillcrest House Bed & Breakfast in Marysville.marysville, victoria, australia, hillcrest house bed & breakfast, accommodation, advertising brochure

A black and white postcard of the pool at Mt. Kitchener House in Marysville that was produced by the Rose Stereograph Company as a souvenir of Marysville.A black and white postcard of the pool at Mt. Kitchener House in Marysville that was produced by the Rose Stereograph Company as a souvenir of Marysville.THE ROSE SERIES P. 959/ COPYRIGHT POST CARD The "Rose" Series/ De Luxe A Real Photograph/ Produced in Australia Published by the Rose Stereograph Co.,/ Armadale, Victoria.marysville, victoria, australia, mt kitchener house, accommodation, rose series, rose stereograph company, postcard, souvenir, p. 959

A sepia postcard of Mt. Kitchener House in Marysville that was produced by the Rose Stereograph Company as a souvenir of Marysville.A sepia postcard of Mt. Kitchener House in Marysville that was produced by the Rose Stereograph Company as a souvenir of Marysville.THE ROSE SERIES P. 4926/ COPYRIGHT POST CARD The "Rose" Series/ De Luxe A Real Photograph/ Produced in Australia Published by the Rose Stereograph Co.,/ Armadale, Victoria.marysville, victoria, australia, mt kitchener house, accommodation, rose series, rose stereograph company, postcard, souvenir, p. 4926

A sepia postcard of the log cabin batchelor's quarters at Mt. Kitchener House in Marysville that was produced by the Rose Stereograph Company as a souvenir of Marysville.A sepia postcard of the log cabin batchelor's quarters at Mt. Kitchener House in Marysville that was produced by the Rose Stereograph Company as a souvenir of Marysville.THE ROSE SERIES P. 4950/ COPYRIGHT POST CARD REAL PHOTO/ THE "ROSE" SERIES DE LUXE PRODUCED IN AUSTRALIA PUBLISHED BY "THE ROSE STEREOGRAPHS"/ Armadale, Victoria.marysville, victoria, australia, mt kitchener house, accommodation, rose series, rose stereograph company, postcard, souvenir, p. 4950

A black and white postcard of Mt. Kitchener House in Marysville that was produced by the Valentine Publishing Co Pty. Ltd. as a souvenir of Marysville.A black and white postcard of Mt. Kitchener House in Marysville that was produced by the Valentine Publishing Co Pty. Ltd. as a souvenir of Marysville.V.5. VALENTINE'S/ POST CARD/ A GENUINE PHOTOGRAPHmarysville, victoria, australia, mt kitchener house, accommodation, the valentine publishing co pty. ltd., v.5., souvenir, postcard

A colour postcard of Mt. Kitchener House in Marysville that was produced by The Valentine Publishing Co Pty. Ltd. as a souvenir of Marysville.A colour postcard of Mt. Kitchener House in Marysville that was produced by The Valentine Publishing Co Pty. Ltd. as a souvenir of Marysville.V.11. Valentine's/ POST CARD SENDING YOU GREETINGS/ FOR ADDRESS ONLY PRINTED IN BRITAIN Published by The Valentine Publishing Co., Sydney and Melbourne. THIS IS A REAL PHOTOGRAPHmarysville, victoria, australia, mt kitchener house, accommodation, the valentine publishing co pty. ltd., souvenir, postcard, v.11

A colour postcard of Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was produced by Nucolorvue Productions as a souvenir of Marysville.A colour postcard of Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was produced by Nucolorvue Productions as a souvenir of Marysville.POST CARD NUCOLORVUE PRODUCTIONS, ELWOOD, VICTORIAmarysville, victoria, australia, mount kitchener house, mt. kitchener house, accommodation, nucolorvue productions, postcard, souvenir

A black and white postcard of Kitchener House in Marysville.A black and white postcard of Kitchener House in Marysville.marysville, victoria, australia, kitchener house, mount kitchener house, mt. kitchener house, accommodation, postcard, souvenir

A black and white photograph of Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was taken in 1933.A black and white photograph of Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was taken in 1933.marysville, victoria, australia, mount kitchener house, mt. kitchener house, kitchener house, accommodation, photograph

A black and white photograph of Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was taken in 1933.A black and white photograph of Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was taken in 1933.marysville, victoria, australia, mount kitchener house, mt. kitchener house, kitchener house, accommodation, photograph

A black and white photograph of the bachelor's quarters log cabin at Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was taken in 1933.A black and white photograph of the bachelor's quarters log cabin at Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was taken in 1933.marysville, victoria, australia, mount kitchener house, mt. kitchener house, kitchener house, accommodation, photograph

A black and white photograph of Mount Kitchener House in Marysville.A black and white photograph of Mount Kitchener House in Marysville.Mt Kitchener House/ Marysvillemarysville, victoria, australia, mount kitchener house, mt. kitchener house, kitchener house, accommodation, photograph

A black and white photograph of the log cabin at Mount Kitchener House that housed Marshall and Lorna Hull. Marshall Hull was the son of the owners and operators of Mount Kitchener House in Marysville.A black and white photograph of the log cabin at Mount Kitchener House that housed Marshall and Lorna Hull. Marshall Hull was the son of the owners and operators of Mount Kitchener House in Marysville.marysville, victoria, australia, mount kitchener house, mt. kitchener house, kitchener house, accommodation, photograph, marshall hull, lorna hull

A digital copy of a black and white photograph of the entrance gates to Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was taken in 1930.A digital copy of a black and white photograph of the entrance gates to Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was taken in 1930.marysville, victoria, australia, mount kitchener house, mt. kitchener house, kitchener house, accommodation, photograph, phyllis bryceson

A digital copy of a black and white photograph of Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was taken in 1930.A digital copy of a black and white photograph of Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was taken in 1930.marysville, victoria, australia, mount kitchener house, mt. kitchener house, kitchener house, accommodation, photograph, phyllis bryceson

A digital copy of a black and white photograph of three young women standing at the entrance gates to Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was taken in 1930.A digital copy of a black and white photograph of three young women standing at the entrance gates to Mount Kitchener House in Marysville that was taken in 1930.marysville, victoria, australia, mount kitchener house, mt. kitchener house, kitchener house, accommodation, photograph, phyllis bryceson

A digital copy of a black and white photograph of an unknown group of guests from Geelong standing on the verandah at Mount Kitchener House in Marysville in 1930.A digital copy of a black and white photograph of an unknown group of guests from Geelong standing on the verandah at Mount Kitchener House in Marysville in 1930.marysville, victoria, australia, mount kitchener house, mt. kitchener house, kitchener house, accommodation, photograph, phyllis bryceson