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. Slaves of the Samurai Author: W S Kent Hughes An Australian Odyssey, which gives an account of the Life and Thoughts of a slave of the Samurai, during his three years and seven months as a Prissioner of War in the hands of the Japanese. Publisher: Geoffery Cumberlege, Oxford University Press Date: 1946Label on spine cover with typed text R.H. 821-914 HUG Pastedown front endpaper has sticker from Warrnambool Public Library with the date 1st Jan, 1947 warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, shipwrecked-artefact, great ocean road, book, warrnambool library, warrnambool mechanics’ institute, mechanics’ institute library, victorian library board, warrnambool books and records, warrnambool children’s library, warrnambool public library, slaves of the samurai, slaves of the samurai, w s kent hughes

Centred on present day Eltham Lower Park bounded by Brougham Street to north, Yarra River and Fitzsimons Lane Bridge to south, Main Road at Kent Hughes Road to east and Bolton Street to west. Historic Aerial Imagery Source: Landata.vic.gov.au Aerial Photo Details: Project No :486 Project : MELBOURNE (1963) PROJECT Run : 7 Frame : 232 Date : 04/1963 Film Type : B/W Camera : RC8 Flying Height : 5100 Scale : 9600 Film Number : 1805 GDA2020 : 37°44'03"S, 145°08'33"E MGA2020 : 336329, 5822040 (55) Melways : 21 H10 (ed. 42)aerial photo, neil webster collection, 1963-04, bolton steet, brougham steet, eltham, eltham lower park, fitzsimons lane bridge, kent hughes road, melway 21h10, yarra river

Centred on present day Dalton Street at Mount Pleasant Road, Eltham bounded by Arthur Street to north, Yarra River and Kent Hughes Road to south, Eucalyptus Road to east and Susan Street to west. Historic Aerial Imagery Source: Landata.vic.gov.au Aerial Photo Details: Project No :985 Project : MELBOURNE 1972 Run : 28 Frame : 208 Date : 04/1972 Film Type : B/W Camera : RC10 Flying Height : 5700 Scale : 9600 Film Number : 2635 GDA2020 : 37°43'29"S, 145°08'54"E MGA2020 : 336816, 5823118 (55) Melways : 21 J8 (ed. 42)aerial photo, neil webster collection, 1972-04, eltham, arthur street, dalton street, eucalyptus road, kent hughes road, melway 21j8, mount pleasant road, susan street, yarra river

Centred over Mount Pleasant Road and Kent Hughes Road, Eltham Historic Aerial Imagery Source: Landata.vic.gov.au Aerial Photo Details: Project No :1931 Project : MALDON PRISON Run : 20 Frame : 3137 Date : 11/1931 Film Type : B/W Camera : F8 Flying Height : 11000 Scale : 18860 Film Number : 60 GDA2020 : 37°43'37"S, 145°09'26"E MGA2020 : 337606, 5822892 (55) Melways : 22 A8 (ed. 42) aerial photo, eltham, neil webster collection, kent hughes road, mount pleasant road

Photo donated by Margaret Clarke, daughter of Stanley D.Livermore who enlisted in 1915. Roll of Honor used to hang in Mechanics Institute Hall which was on the site now occupied by the Scout Hall, Canterbury Road, Vermont.|Ron Clarke took it home when old hall was pulled down. It was just about falling to pieces but Ron wired it up and photographed it. Has not been located sinceBlack and white photo of Roll of Honor for Vermont Volunteers 1918 War.|PLEASE NOTE - The names on the board are divided into years as follows :-| 1914 -|Bowan to Holbery 1915 - Riley to|Livermore 1916 - Anderson to|White 1917 - Caplin to Mauwar memorial vermont, clarke, margaret, vermont mechanics institute, world war 1914-1918, bowan, w.j, cookesley, w., holberry, r., holbery, riley, j., anderson, a., bromley, ron., bruford, h.r., carter, f.a., w.h., christie, dawe, p.a., embling, s., fankhauser, c.a.a., geal, albert, husband, c.t.m., hall, charles samuel, jay, w.a., j.w., livermore, c.r., s.d., d.c., f.m., beard, boyle, r.g., chafer, j.h.e., collins, a.m., cooke, g., gee, graham, macwhiney, r.c., g.a., harris, p., hughes, kent, l., lloyd, d., mckinley, mcleod, n.l., mock, t., morgan, plumridge, h.e., pye, william r., scammell, c.h., uren, leonard., wallace, c.h.a., white, f.i., caplin, a.a., course, e., dibben, h., matheson, c.e., mau, l.j.