This book was part of a large group of books referred to as the Pattison Collection, which belonged to the Warrnambool Public Library, part of the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute. About RALPH ERIC PATTISON and the ‘PATTISON COLLECTION’ The ‘Pattison Collection’ is a collection of books and records that was originally owned by the Warrnambool Mechanics’ Institute, 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 WMI was led to ask the City Council to take it over in 1911 due to lack of financial support. In 1935 Ralph Pattison was appointed as City Librarian to establish and organise the Warrnambool Public Library as it was then called. 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 when Pattison accepted the 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 areas 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 from 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 NEW WARRNAMBOOL LIBRARY 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 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. WARRNAMBOOL MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE Warrnambool's Mechanics' Institute (or Institution as it was sometimes called) was one of the earliest in Victoria. On 17th October 1853, a meeting was held where it was resolved to request the Lieutenant Governor of the Colony to grant land for the erection of a Mechanics' Institutes building. A committee was formed at the meeting and Richard Osburne chaired the first meeting of this committee. The land on the North West corner of Banyan and Merri Streets was granted but there were no funds to erect the building. The Formal Rights of the Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute's encompassed its aims and these were officially adopted in1859; "This Institution has for its object the diffusion of literary, scientific, and other useful knowledge amongst its members, excluding all controversial subjects, religious or political. These objects are sought to be obtained by means of a circulating library, a reading room, the establishment of classes, debates, and the occasional delivery of lectures on natural and experimental philosophy, mechanics, astronomy, chemistry, natural history, literature, and the useful and ornamental arts, particularly those which have a more immediate reference to the colony." The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute opened its first reading room in November 1884 in the National School building at the corner of Banyan and Timor Streets. The Institute was funded by member subscription, payable on a quarterly, half-yearly or yearly basis. Samuel Hannaford, the Manager of the Warrnambool Bank of Australasia, was the first Honorary Secretary of the Mechanics' Institutes, and an early President and Vice-President. He also gave several of the early lectures in the Reading Room. Another early Secretary, Librarian and lecturer was Marmaduke Fisher, the teacher at the National School. Lecture topics included The Poets and Poetry of Ireland', 'The Birth and Development of the Earth', 'The Vertebrae - with Remarks on the pleasures resulting from the study of Natural History' and 'Architecture'. In 1856 the Reading Room was moved to James Hider's shop in Timor Street, and by 1864 it was located in the bookshop of Davies and Read. In the 1860's the Mechanics' Institute struggled as membership waned but in 1866, after a series of fundraising efforts, the committee was able to purchase land in Liebig Street, on a site then called Market Square, between the weighbridge and the fire station. A Mechanics' Institute building was opened at this site in August 1871. The following year four more rooms were added to the main Reading Room and in 1873 the Artisan School of Design was incorporated into the Institute. The same year Joseph Archibald established a Museum; however, it deteriorated when he was transferred to Bendigo in 1877. In 1880, with Archibald's return to Warrnambool, the Museum was re-established, and in 1885 a new building was built at the back of the Institute to accommodate the re-created School of Design, the Art Gallery and the Museum. In 1887 the Museum section was moved to the former courthouse in Timor Street (for some time the walls of the building formed part of the TAFE cafeteria but all is now demolished)). In 1911 the Museum was transferred back to the original building and the management of the Mechanics' Institute was handed over to the Warrnambool City Council. The Museum and Art Gallery became one and housed many fine works of art, and the Library continued to grow. The building was well patronised, with records showing that at the beginning of the 20th century there were between 500 and 800 visitors. During World War One the monthly figures were in the thousands, with 3,400 people visiting in January 1915. The Museum was a much-loved Institution in Warrnambool until the contents of the Museum and Art Gallery were removed to make room for the Warrnambool City Council Engineers' Department. The contents were stored but many of the items were scattered or lost. When the original building was demolished the site became occupied by the Civic Centre, which included the new City Library. (The library was temporarily located in the old Palais building in Koroit Street.) In the process of reorganisation the Collection was distributed amongst the community groups: -The new City Library took some of the historical books and some important documents, historic photographs and newspapers. -The Art Gallery kept the 19th Century art collection and some of the artefacts from the museum. -The Historical Society has some items -The State Museum has some items -Some items were destroyed -Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village has old newspapers, Government Gazettes, most of the Mechanics' Institute Library, ledgers and documents connected to the Mechanics' Institute Library, some framed and unframed artworks and some photographs. The Warrnambool Mechanics' Institute Library book collection is deemed to be of great importance because it is one of the few collections in an almost intact state, and many of the books are now very rare and of great value. 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 Works of The Rev George Herbert Author: William Jerdan Publisher: George Routledge and Co Date: 1853 Edition: with remarks on his writing and a sketch of his life by William JerdanThe label on spine cover with typed text R.H.821 HER Pastedown front endpaper has a sticker from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute and Free Library Front loose endpaper has a sticker from Corangamite Regional Library Service Front loose endpaper has a stamp from Corangamite Regional Library Service Flyleaf has two stamps from Warrnambool Mechanics Institute flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, 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, the works of the rev george herbert, william jerdan, george herbert

Newspaper supplement titled Bendigo's Century Volume Five: 1940 - 1949. Each year has heading of Who's Who, Weather, Sport and Business. Front page is titled Bendigo's Century and has a photo of a group of soldiers in uniform and with rifles. They were district servicemen on leave in 1944. Each year has heading of Who's Who, Weather, Sport and Business. First years are 1940 - 1949 titled Bendigo as it was. It has two photos of women wading through the 1949 Pall Mall flood waters and one of Miners in the crib room of the Central Deborah Mine. They are Jackie Lewis, Bob Johnson, W Landy, Ryga Yates and Les Johnson. 1940 - Army moves in to racecourse, 1941 - Devastating fire at pottery, 1942 - Forces expand, 1943 - Nation's eyes on Bendigo, 1944 - News dawns of D-day landing, 1945 - City cheers the end of the war, 1946 - Celebrations begin in city, 1947 - Gallery gets top paintings, 1948 - Water plan looks good and 1949 - Flood takes a toll on city.bendigo, history, long gully history group, the long gully history group - bendigo's century - volume five: 1940 - 1949, bendigo advertiser, central deborah mine, jackie lewis, bob johnson, w landy, ryga yates, les johnson, central nell gwynne, department of defence, bendigo jockey club, 8th division, robert menzies, deborah mine, bendigo decentralisation vigilance committee, cr w h taylor, bendigo war funds organisation, the easter fair society, bendigo agricultural show committee, mr e g ham, mr j v fairbairn, cr a staples, the bendigo chamber of commerce, richard hartley smith abbott, captain harley abbott, bendigo art gallery, bill woodfull, bendigo high school, north deborah mine, boardwalk, toni riley pharmacy, windermere hotel, cr g a pethard, coliban system, north deborah mine, bendigo pottery, bendigo trades hall council, private lawrence burstall, major-general g j rankin mhr, andrew dunstan, ordnance factory, royal australian navy, hmas bendigo, sec offices, muioof, ymca, georger addlem, fred addlem, cr a j anderson, pauline buvhan thompson, leslie thompson, edward joseph leonski, bendigo football league, mr j dedman, william stephens, forest street methodist church, pte charles phillips, pte w e durward, pte t foley, william john stephens, central nell gwynne, air chief marshall sir arthur tedder, cr taylor, united nations, flying officer, r bruce tuff, flight lieutenant owens, royal air force, commonwealth war workers housing trust scheme, mr s mckinnon, bendigo decentralised vigilance committee, ravenswood estate, john lienhop mlc, margaret (peggy) brennan, strathfieldsaye shire council, school of mines, bendigo base hospital, william george ashman, ashman's tailors, bendigo jockey club, victorian football association, bendigo east swimming pool, deborah anticline, specimen hill methodist church, north deborah, adolf hitler, benito mussolini, australian 7th division, cr galvin, bendigo war funds organisation, hmas bendigo, lt-commander jackson, bendigo football league, central deborah mine, victoria day, cr truscott, bendigo gaol, lansellstowe, awas barracks, bendigo citizens committee, john cain snr, ordnance factory, bendigo agricultural society, the duke of gloucester, duchess of gloucester, bendigo tennis association, north deborah, gillies famous pies, aids & appliance shop, mrs georgina scott, dr j a neptune scott, alfred sisley, corot, daubigney, louis sonnenberg, gas employees' union, john lienhop, soldier settlement commission, burnewang estate, king george vi, princess elizabeth, lt philip mountbatten, mr e j w herbert, ansett airways, reg ansett, most rev, dr john mccarthy, dr bernard stewart, michael giudice, bendigo united breweries, bendigo lyric photo plays, bendigo sun newspaper, shamrock hotel, west bendigo progress association, alan mcdonald, south bendigo football club, albert collier, j t webbo, mervyn tresize, state rivers and water supply commission, eppalock reservoir, public works committee, bendigo rotary club, john edgar, bendigo base hospital, albert dunstan, benevolent home, magetti's wine hall, wallace reef wine hall, magetti family, albert magetti, lance galvin, bradford cotton spinnings (victoria) pty otd, arthur syer, stanley crossman, albert arthur dunstan, rev dr henry backhaus, city family hotel, lyric theatre, bank of australasia, city club hotelcolonial mutual building, r matchett & co, lansellstowe, leonard lansell, bendigo bas hospital, australian women's army service, mr hollway, kenworth (aust) ltd, foggitt jones's bacon factory, gordon sayers, sandhurst trustees, dr john drowley, alexander hislop, royal mint, north deborah mine, ironbark south mining company, central nell gwynne company, new chum syncline