Photos belonged to Ada POLSON (nee BELLION), Margaret BRIDE's mother. Margaret says: It was taken in the back yard of my grandparents house in Rouse Street, Port Melbourne; next but one to St Joseph’s Church, one of the 2 blocks of land Peter LIBBIS’ house is built on. I think this was taken about 1917 when my mother would have been about 25. I have thought perhaps it was taken to send to my uncle Albert who was serving in France at that time. . Janet Adams was a friend of my grandparents and boarded with them in the years c.1900 to her death of influenza in 1919. From the booklet "Four immigrant families and some of their descendants" by Margaret Bride Four people posing for a photograph in the backyard of the Bellion family house in Rouse Street, next but one to St Joseph’s Church. L-R (standing) Janet Adams, Ada Florence Bellion; (seated) Albert Reginald Bellion, Letty Bellion.families, margaret bride nee polson, ada polson nee bellion, albert reginald bellion, janet adams, letitia bellion nee sinclair

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. 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 percent of the reading population. The collection of books was made up of around 60 percent reference and 40 percent 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 has 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 1850’s to the late 1950’s 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 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, and to 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. As with many Mechanics' Institutes in Australia, the one which operated in Warrnambool was established and overseen for many years by key individuals associated with the development of the city itself. The WMI publication collection is historically significant because of its association with local people, places and the key historical themes in the development of Warrnambool of rural development, industry, farming, education, and community. The collection documents and illustrates the changing interests, focus and tastes of Victorians, especially those in regional cities. Generally the individual items in the collection are not particularly rare, as examples of all probably exist in other public collections in Victoria. It is primarily because there are so very few surviving Mechanics' Institute collections in Victoria, which lends this overall collection its significance. Many items in the WMI Collection have the potential to support further research, both as individual objects and through the collection in its entirety. This material is significant for its ability to assist in the interpretation of the history of the area and adds to the general understanding of the development of the township. Many components of the WMI publication collection complement and reinforce the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum Collection, the Warrnambool Art Gallery Collection, and that in the Warrnambool Historical Society, and also contribute to a clearer understanding of the original Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute collections. This will greatly enhance the appreciation of the few surviving Mechanics' Institute collections across Victoria, and also in New South Wales. The similarities and differences between the small number of collections that have survived can provide further insights into how the people of Victoria in general, and Warrnambool in particular, constructed a civic culture of adult learning to foster an informed citizenry. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute publication collection is of both local and state significance. The Bride The Story of Louise and Montrose Author: Margaret Irwin Publisher: Chatto and Windus Date: 1939Label on spine cover with typed text PAT FIC IRW Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Public Library Front loose endpaper has a sticker 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, the bride, margaret irwin

Soft cover book of 293 pages; Appendix, Sources of Images, Endnotes, Bibliography and Index, by Margaret and Graham Bride. Front cover is sky blue and features a 2.5 cm wide strip of five small photos above the cream coloured title. Organisational logos on the back; Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society, City of Port Phillip, Port of Melbournenon-fictionport melbourne, early settlers, port of melbourne, port phillip, reverend kerr johnston, seamen's mission, mission to seafarers, sandridge, bethel, church, hulk emily, pmhps, pat grainger

The Polson family Dick, Christina and four children arrived in Australia in 1854 on the ship "Dirigo" Photos belonged to Ada POLSON (nee BELLION), Margaret BRIDE's mother.Four immigrant families and some of their descendants .01 - small booklet of memoirs prepared by Margaret BRIDE of family members who had significant links to Port Melbourne. The Polson, Dick, Bellion and Sinclair families. families, margaret bride nee polson, ada polson nee bellion, thomas sinclair, elizabeth weller bellion, william j bellion, louisa bellion, letitia sinclair, mother falkenreich, ada florence bellion, lizzie sinclair

In 2005, members of the PMH&PS undertook a study of the residents of the houses in a Port Melbourne street precinct from the 1880s to 1960. The area is bounded by Evans Street, the E side of Bridge Street, S side of Williamstown Road, Farrell Street both the E & W sides plus the section of Ross Street between Farrell and Bridge and the part of Derham Street between Farrell and Bridge. The resulting map and an interactive CD won the Best Community Research, Registers & Records project at the 2007 Victorian Community History Awards. The project was launched on the railway reserve near the corner of Evans & Farrell streets. l - R - Mayor Darren RAY, David THOMPSON, Margaret BRIDE, Janet BOLITHO, Graham BRIDE.CoPP mayor and PMHPS members involved in the production at the launch of the History of a Street Precinct25/9/05 Mayor, David Thompson, Margaret Bride, Janet Bolitho, Graham Bridehistory of a street precinct, darren ray, graham bride, margaret bride, janet bolitho, david thompson

In 2005 Margaret BRIDE, Graham BRIDE and David THOMPSON, members of PMHPS, completed the History of a Street Precinct project documenting 80 years plus of the history of the area bounded by Williamstown Road and Evans, Bridge and Farrell Streets, since 1880. 
A brochure containing a map of the area and photos and information on key properties (2148.01) and an interactive CD (2148.02) containing information and photographs on 91 buildings and their occupants over time were produced. The project subsequently won the 2007 Victorian Local History Award for research and is now available on the PMHPS website.Digital copy of a colour photograph showing Liana THOMPSON, Margaret BRIDE and Cr Darren RAY, Mayor of Port Phillip at the launch of the History of a Street Precinct project on 25 Sep 2005 at the Railway Reserve opposite Evans Street.history of a street precinct, port melbourne historical & preservation society, pmhps, liana thompson, margaret bride, darren ray, councillors, mayors

In 2005 Margaret BRIDE, Graham BRIDE and David THOMPSON, members of PMHPS, completed the History of a Street Precinct project documenting 80 years plus of the history of the area bounded by Williamstown Road and Evans, Bridge and Farrell Streets, since 1880. 
A brochure containing a map of the area and photos and information on key properties (2148.01) and an interactive CD (2148.02) containing information and photographs on 91 buildings and their occupants over time were produced. The project subsequently won the 2007 Victorian Local History Award for research and is now available on the PMHPS website.Digital copy of a colour photograph showing Margaret BRIDE talking with Penny MORRISON at the launch of the History of a Street Precinct project on 25 Sep 2005 at the Railway Reserve opposite Evans Street.history of a street precinct, port melbourne historical & preservation society, pmhps, margaret bride, penny morrison

One of 14 colour photographs taken at the PMHPS Annual General Meeting (AGM) August 26, 2013; celebrating 20 years of the Society. Celebration cake made by Marilyn Allport Sue PENTLAND, Bernadene VOSS, Margaret BRIDE, Maralyn KOBELTcelebrations fetes and exhibitions, societies clubs unions and other organisations, port melbourne historical & preservation society, pmhps, sue pentland, bernadene voss, margaret bride nee polson, maralyn kobelt

One of 14 colour photographs taken at the PMHPS Annual General Meeting (AGM) August 26, 2013; celebrating 20 years of the Society. Celebration cake made by Marilyn Allport Susan Reidy, David Thompson, Margaret Bridecelebrations fetes and exhibitions, societies clubs unions and other organisations, port melbourne historical & preservation society, pmhps, susan reidy, david thompson, margaret bride

Six colour photographs at the City of Port Phillip mayoral election of Janet Bolitho on December 8 2005 at St Kilda Town Hall. .01 - PMHPS group (from left) Norah Howard, Jack Bolt, Pat Grainger, Janet Bolitho, Anne Callaghan, Graham Bride, Glen Stuart, Margaret Bride (also scanned) .02 - Janet Bolitho and David Spooks CEO, City of Port Phillip .03 - Janet Bolitho and Liana Thompson (also scanned) .04 Janet Bolitho and Graham Bride .05 - Glen Stuart and Janet Bolitho .06 - Pat grainger and Janet Bolithonorah howard nee mallet, local government - city of port phillip, celebrations fetes and exhibitions, politics, janet bolitho, pat grainger, liana thompson, graham bride, margaret bride nee polson, glen stuart, jack bolt, anne callaghan

Cooper family wedding photo of family group. The names of people in the family group are under the photo.Wedding photograph of the Cooper family consisting of 12 people and a small child, all formally dressed.Back - Ernest, Elsie, Harold, Lillian (Bride) Doris, Clement Centre - Henrietta, Margaret, Rose Winifred, Alfred and Margaret. Front - Gladys & Edward.stawell