Useful Knowledge - - MARK YOUR CALENDAR Comingjune Events OCTOBER 1 Home Is Where the Hall Is! 19-26 History Week - Start Planning Your Registrations Open
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BUMPER EDITION The Magazine of the Mechanics’ Institutes Of Victoria Inc. UsefulNo. 34 – Autumn/WinterKnowledge 2014 PO Box 1080, Windsor VIC 3181 Australia ISSN 1835-5242 Reg No. A0038156G ABN 60 337 355 989 Price: Five Dollars $5 WE'RE LISTENING KILMORE REGIONAL FORUM Proudly supported by Wallan & District Community Bank® Branch ‘A smorgasbord of information!’ was an apt known, would have been well pleased with the description of the Kilmore Regional Halls Forum outcome of 22 March. conducted on Saturday, 22 March. Proceedings started with preliminary Another observant comment was that ‘It was introductions by Kilmore’s President Wilma good to see the active involvement of youth [on Hammond and the Mechanics’ Institutes of the day].’ One of our speakers was effervescent Victoria’s President Robert Kingston. Mitchell Michelle Ryan, an active Shire’s Deputy Mayor member of the Picola Cr Rhonda Sanderson Mechanics’ Institute Committee, a member Forum. of State Executive of officially opened the the ‘new’ progressive speaker panel most Victorian Young Farmers certainlyThe fifteen-strongdid not Inc., and their ‘fantastic’ disappoint. The ‘add newsletter editor. ons’ of: the Victorian Videoing the day was State Orchestra and Olivia King from the the impending ANZAC Kilmore International Centenary also rated School who gave up a Bob day of paid work to volunteer. The other was McIntosh gave us a fascinating look into the our Bronwyn Lowden who ably ran the all- history of orchestra musicwell. in In Victoria the first and the important data projector for the day. possibility of Institutes, in collaboration with The day was co-hosted with the Kilmore other community organisations, bringing Mechanics’ Institute who generously helped the Victorian State Orchestra to your rural community. There is also the potential to raise what will be hoped series of Regional Forums some money. towith bring the informationstaging of the on day.all aspects It was ofthe Institute first of Then Dr David Holloway instanced three management and interest. ‘typical’ Anzacs that were in his family’s The Forum was conducted in the John Taylor genealogy and how we might look at assembling Room, named for John Taylor one of Kilmore’s the World War I district Roll Call descendants for visionaries, and a longtime Kilmore Mechanics’ 2015. Over the next few issues we will be running It was the Kilmore Institute that had saved the summaries of the various Papers presented on formerInstitute Kilmore member, Civic office-bearer Centre from and becoming trustee. a the day and an overview of the Workshop. gaming venue back in 1995, and today instead Most welcome cash support for the day came it is the community library, open seven days from the Wallan and District Community Bank a week. ‘Uncle John’, as he was affectionately Branch of the Bendigo Bank. 2 BUMPER EDITION Useful Knowledge - - MARK YOUR CALENDAR ComingJUNE Events OCTOBER 1 Home is Where the Hall is! 19-26 History Week - Start planning your registrations open. Sign up your events event now! now! homeiswherethehallis.com 26 CJ Dennis Poetry Festival, CJ Dennis 14-15 Acheron Mechanics' Institute - Gala and Hall, Toolangi, with a Special Reading by Acheron History Project Book Launch. Ted Egan, Patron of the CJ Dennis Society. MIV Plaque Unveiling. Tel: (03) 5772 Contact: Jan Williams (03) 5962 9282 1442. TBC American Membership Libraries Meeting 20-22 UK Association of Independent Libraries – Athenaeum of Philadephia Meeting, Gladstone's Library, Hawarden, NOVEMBER Wales. 1-30 month - 27-29 Robert Burns Scottish Festival, Home is Where the Hall is Camperdown Mechanics’ Institute, Make something happen in your Hall this Derrinallum Mechanics’ Institute and month and start planning now. Scotts Creek Hall. Inquiries: (03) 5593 18-19 11th Australian Library History Forum, 7100 Sydney. AUGUST FUNDING FOR A SECOND EDITION OF IF THE 1 Useful Knowledge No. 35 submission WALLS COULD SPEAK: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF deadline. THE MECHANICS' INSTITUTES OF VICTORIA 9 MIV Meeting - Footscray Mechanics' ANNOUNCED. Institute, 209 Nicholson Street, Historians Pam Baragwanath and Ken James Footscray, 10am. have been awarded two grants to complete 16 Taggerty Rocks, Taggerty Mechanics’ a second edition of If the Walls Could Speak: Institute, Taggerty-Thornton Road, A social history of the Mechanics' Institutes of Taggerty. Mostly Rock n’ Roll. 7pm- Victoria. They successfully applied for a $15,000 Midnight. Good Supper. Tickets $30. grant from the Public Record Office Victoria Inquiries: (03) 5774 7201. Local History Grants Program while a further $15,000 was awarded by the in 16-17 Hall Centenary and Book Launch, RE Ross Trust April. The second edition will be relaunched Dunrobin Public Hall. Contact: Judi Rees as and will include a (03) 5581 1187 The Walls Speak Volumes further 400 carefully researched entries taking 17 Wareek Hall Centenary. Tel: Wes Jolley the total number of entries to approximately 850. (03) 5462 2225. This comprehensive publication, documenting SEPTEMBER the remarkable resilience of the Mechanic’s Institute movement in Victoria, will be launched 12-14 ‘Banjo’ Patterson Bush Poets Festival at a special event marking the 175th birthday - NSW Bush Poetry Championship, of The Melbourne Athenaeum Incorporated in Binnalong Mechanics’ Institute. Contact: November 2015. [email protected] WANTED: Notice of your forthcoming events. Email: [email protected] MIV President: Robert Kingston Archives Scanning Project; Plaques; Travelling [email protected] Exhibition: Judith Dwyer [email protected] Vice-President: Contacts Dr Donald Barker Research: Pam Baragwanath [email protected] [email protected] Secretary: Judith Dwyer [email protected] Magazine/Website: Bron Lowden Treasurer: Judy Owen [email protected] [email protected] MIRC/E-News [email protected] MIV Magazine No. 34 – Autumn/Winter 2014 3 Letter From The President Welcome to the latest edition of Useful Knowledge Bronwyn Lowden effort. , the first issued under my watch. Congratulations to Also I would like, ourto thank Editor, Peter and Pereyraall our regular, our outgoing and occasional President, contributors for his commitment for another and magnificent hard work during the past three years. On behalf of the Committee I wish him well in his studies and look forward to his continuing participation in the MIV’s activities. Building on the Past, Open to the Future inevitable institutional decline has given way to one of excitement as an uncertain but fascinating future beckons.Much has The changed Prahran in the Mechanics' fifteen years Institute since Theand Mechanics'its unique Victorian Institutes Local of Victoria History was Library formed. will A sense soon beof taking up residence in their new building, Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute, following a major restoration, has resumed its place at the centre of Ballarat’s literary and cultural life. Rural communities are rediscovering neglected halls, harnessing the power of the internet and bringing them back to life. Elsewhere throughout Victoria much loved Institutes continue to survive despite the odds. Despite these successes there is still much to do. Long suffering trustees and put upon volunteers worry about the future of historic collections and buildings in their care. The need to master the Internet and modern technology can prove daunting. Just keeping the doors open raises the never ending issues of building maintenance, public liability, insurance, O, H & S, emergency response and fundraising. So what role does the MIV, an organisation that offers membership to both Institutes and individuals, play in all of this? As a free association of organisations descended from or with a strong association with Victoria’s original Mechanics' Institutes, MIV neither directs nor interferes in the affairs of our Member Institutes. What we seek to provide for them is a forum for addressing common issues and looking towards the future. MIV’s Historical Plaques and Scanning projects have proven popular. Many Member Institutes now proudly display their provenance on an MIV Plaque and have their vulnerable paper records safely stored Forum held in conjunction with the Kilmore Mechanics' Institute, was a great success and highlights what canand beavailable achieved. in digital form, especially important in fire prone rural communities. The recent Regional For our Individual Members MIV provides an avenue to engage in the broader Mechanics' Institute scene, meet and socialise with kindred spirits and play a role in forging our future. Individual Members often have an involvement with one or more of our Member Institutes although it is not mandatory. If you are passionate about libraries, historic buildings, maintaining community halls or the spirit and events that dwell within, local history, theatre or arts and crafts, or would just like your own subscription to Useful Knowledge I look forward to welcoming you as an Individual Member of the Mechanics' Institutes of Victoria. In the meantime I hope you enjoy (and pass on) this edition of Useful Knowledge along with the special feature highlighting the important role Mechanics' Institutes played in the early days of cinema in Australia. Jaffas anyone. Robert Kingston President. 4 BUMPER EDITION Useful Knowledge - In my short time in the Editor’s chair I have NEW MEMBERS Editorialhad the opportunity to really see Mechanics’ Welcome to our new members: Institutes in action. It has been a real ‘mind Seaview Mechanics' blowing’ experience as I have enjoyed sharing so Institute Janet O'Hehir many varied stories with you. • Gary Moorfield • W.J.W. (Bill) Robert Kingston on being passed the Jean Buist Presidential baton by Peter Pereyra remarked • McAuley Merton History • that he believed that MIV should have many • Wandong Public more members and from my position I can but Group • Hall heartily agree. Peter Jones • Besides being the last remaining public building in many Victorian and interstate towns YOUR• OWN LITTLE SPOT ON THE WORLD today, Institutes have played a pivotal historic WIDE WEB community role and still do.