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Mechanics' Institutes of V Ictoria Inc I Newsletter Vol. 1 1 No. 4 Autumn 2001 Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 4 Autumn 2001 ···- MIV ANNUAL MEETING TheThe AnnualAnnual MeetingMIV ofof thethe Mechanics·Mechanics· ANNUAL MEETING Institutesinstitutes of Victoria was heidheld atat thethe MelbourneMelbourne AthenaeumAthenaeum onon Saturday.Saturday, 1212 MayMay 2001.2001. Itlt waswas aa happyhappy occasionoccasion withwith thethe satis­satis­ factionfaction ofof much achieved inin thethe previ­previ­ • ousous year:year: the publicationpublication ofof PamPam Baragwanath’Baragwanarh' ss landmarklandmark workwork onon Vic­Vic­ toria’storia· s Mechanics’Mechanics· institutes.Institutes, and thethe organising�rganising andand running of the FirstFirst :\a­Na­ tionaltional ConferenceConference ofof Mechanics·Mechanics’ insti­Insti­ tutestutes whichwhich producedproduced anan impressiveimpressive setset ofof Proceedings Proceedings.. ThenThen therethere waswas thethe MlV’MlV' ss rolerole inin thethe launchlaunch ofof the DepanmentDepartment ofof lnfrasuuc­Infrastruc­ ture’sture' s l\�hanicsMechanics’! InstitutesInstitutes Comm Comm u­ unit)· nity PartnershipsPartnerships ProgramProgram whichwhich sawsaw aa numbernumber ofof Victori.aVictoria’s· s .\tisMIs shareshare overover $80,000:580.000 in grams.grants which werewere thethe firstfirst grantsgrants toto severalseveral Mls Mls since since the the A pensive Past President Dr Frank Hurley was re-elected for a 1970s. A pensive Pas: Pres1denr Dr frank Huriey was re-eieoea tor a fur­ 1970s. furtherther lerm term to lead to lead tne the MIV MIV ,mo intothe newthe newMiHenmum. Millennium. TheThe planningplanning and designing ofof thethe trav­trav­ elling exhibition Remember the .Me­ elling exhibition Remember the Me­ The happy groupgroup re-electedre­elected DrDr FrankFrank HurleyHurley toto thethe chanics? has occupied Pam Barag­ chanics’? has occupied Pam Barag­ chair.chair, with JohnJohn MurphyMurphy asas Vice-PresidentVice­President, CatCatherineherine wanath, Catherine Miiward-Bason. wanath, Catherine Miiward­Bason, Milward-BasonMilward­Bason isis SecSecretary/Treasurer.retary/Treasurer. TheThe Commit­Commit­ Alan Tonkin and Jim Lowden in con­ Alan Tonkin and Jim Lowden in con­ tee comcomprises:prises: PamPam BarBaragwanath,agwanath. Graham Graham Dudley Dud­ siderable effon. but it is DO\\ nearing siderable effort, but it is now nearing ley(ex-officio). (ex-officio), Paul PaulPermezel, Permezel, Don Don Tasgan. Taggart, OA.1vl. OAM, completion. lt' s really been all go completion. It’ s really been all go. Alan Alan Tonkin.Tonkin, DrDr Alex Tyrell andand Leila Leila WinchcombeWinchcombe. '- InsideInside this issue: . ·, Book Short-Listed inin Awards ProceedingsProceedings forfor Soi Sale e 2 If!f thethe WallsWails Could SpeakSpeak hashas MIV'sMIV’s aims ofof ‘protecting,'protecting, 2nd2nd NationalNotional Conier Conference ence beenbec.n shon-lis-Ledshort­listed inin th,� the Vicu:­ Vic­ bbuildings-1ilding.; anda.nG collectionscoiiection:: torianrian CommunityCommunity HistoryHistory of Mechanics·Mechanics’ Institutesinstitutes WhoWho waswas George George Birkbeck? Birkbeck? 3 Awards.Awards. TheseThese Awards areare in Victoria'.Victoria’. TravellingTravelling ExhibitionExhibition ReadyReady sponsoredsponsored byby the Royal His­His­ toricaltorical Society ofof VicwriaVictoria ConfusionContusion on on Athenoeums Athenaeums 4 andand InformationInformation Victoria.Victoria. ThankyouThankyou allall... ... AuthorAutho r Pam BaragwanathBaragwanath waswas onon hand in Queen'sQueen’s HallHall NewNew Members 5 ParliamentParliament HouseHouse on 28on Aprii 28 DirectoriesDirectories Aprilfor the for announcement the announcement to re­ toceive re ceive The CenificateThe Certificateof Com- of MelbourneMeibourne AthenueumAthenaeum’s s 6 Commendationmendation which which readsreads WelcomeWeicome ‘Commended· Commended-Best­Best Print­Print ­ Publication.’Publication: AroundArounri the the lnstiiuTesInstitutes 7 TheThe bookbook was published withwith aa CentenaryCentenary ofof FederationFederation NewsNews Roundup 10I 0 GrantGrant andand Pam hashas donareddonat­ edail allproceeds proceeds to to funherfurther thethe NorthernNonhern Terrnory Territory Mis MIs 11ll Mechanics’ Institutes of Victoria Inc. Victoria Institutes of Mechanics’ Page 2 MECHANICS’ INSTITUTES OF VICTORIA INC. First National Conference Proceedings Second National Conference Available Sydney, 2002 AFTER FLOATING the idea at the Mel- bourne Conference that the Second National Schools of Arts/Mechanics’ Institutes Confer­ ence may be held in Sydney in 2002, the idea now has ‘legs’. “This...Conference is held MIV Secretary Catherine Milward­Bason vis­ two hundred years after ited Sydney in May and spoke with the Syd­ ney Mechanics’ School of Arts’ Carole O’Brien George Birkbeck gave and Dr Roger Morris of the Sydney University his first free lectures to of Technology and the Conference is now fait accompli. working men in Glasgow, and event that is now taken as the beginning of the Mechanics’ Institute movement.” Rediscovering Mechanics’ Institutes ­ The Pro­ Dr Frank Hurley ceedings of the First National Conference held at the Melbourne Athenaeum on 17­18 Novem­ (MIV President) ber 2000 are still available. The Conference was sponsored by the Depart­ ment of Infrastructure ­ State Government of Victoria. The Papers fall under a range of headers: Re­ discovering the past; ‘Those Fountains of MIV ambassador at large, Catherine Milward-Bason ecstatic after her return from Sydney with the good news Knowledge’ ­ MIs and Education; ‘Mental and Moral Improvement and Rational Rec­ reation’; ‘More than a Place of Amusement’ Further it looks like a NSW umbrella group will - Some Local Institutes Considered; and Our be up and running in the not too distant future. Future. If you’re a NSW School of Arts/Mechanics’/ ‘British Origins of Mechanics’ Institutes’ by Dr Athenaeum or whatever contact the number be­ Alex Tyrell of LaTrobe University, Melbourne low and have your organisation put on the mai­ heads the list. This was followed by ‘A Pioneer­ ling list. ing Mechanics’ Institute: Foundation of the Ed­ It is all very exciting given that the Tenter­ inburgh School of Arts’, by Professor Patrick field event is yet to happen to commemorate O’Farrell, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh the launch of the Federation movement in 1889 who jetted into Melbourne the day before the by Sir Henry Parkes. Tenterfield School of Arts Conference. have received a substantial grant to restore the Professor Philip Candy, of Ballarat University, building and it now looking pristine for the ‘big’ a long­time Mechanics’ researcher and editor event. of with John Laurent of Pioneering Culture fol­ So if you’ve got a paper underway, the NSW lowed with his ‘Australian Mechanics’ Insti­ Conference is a likely launch pad, and it will tutes’. also be a place for serious discussion on a whole Victorian, Sydney and Adelaide Mls were cov­ range of mutual issues ered in the next segment. The emphasis is likely to focus on education, Dr Michael Talbot, State Library of South with themes of science and the progress of the Australia had us ‘Dancing by Moonlight and amateur service provider to the professional. All Sorts of Fun: An Illustrated Celebration of In the meantime there has been interest from South Australia’s Mechanics’ Institutes.’ We the Boston Athenaeum for a 2004 International are still searching for Book No. 7297, Class F Conference. Watch this space! from Port Adelaide MI, but with several ‘listed’ In the meantime you may like to register your pages it was not for the prudish. interest with the Sydney Mechanics’ School of In fact The Papers are a very good read for the Arts at Level 2, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW Special Price of $10. 2000 Telephone: (02) 9266 0766 or E-mail on [email protected] VOLUME 1, ISSUE 4 Page 3 Who was George Birkbeck? Second National Conference Sydney, 2002 GEORGE BIRKBECK An article in the Mechanics’ Magazine which was born at Settle, York­ suggested that an Institute be established in shire, England on 10 Janu­ London, spurred him into action. He lent 3700 ary 1776/ The son of Wil­ pounds for the building of a lecture room, was liam, a local merchant and elected President of the London Mechanics’ banker, he studied medicine Institute and delivered the first lecture there on at London and Edinburgh 24 February 1824. He became a trustee along “This is the time for where he gained his MD in with his friend Lord Brougham. 1799. the universal The Institute initially met with fluctuating suc­ Dr George Birkbeck At Edinburgh Uni­ cess but ‘neither the ridicule of its enemies, nor (1776-1841) diffusion of the versity he was a the quarrels of its promoters sufficed to prevent friend of Henry, later Lord Brougham. its eventual establishment’. blessings of (It was Brougham that coined the phrase Birkbeck continued to remain actively inter­ ‘Knowledge is Power’ ) knowledge.” ested in the London Institute wruch eventually Shortly after graduating he was appointed to the Dr George Birkbeck professorship of natural philosophy at the Ander­ became known as the Birkbeck Institution. sonian University. However he was also a member of the first He became aware that artisans did not have access Council of London University in 1827. He to advanced information on scientific sub jects, took a prominent part in the abolition of tax on and in 1800 he established a series of lectures newspapers (1835-36) and agitated for the re- where working men were admitted on payment of form of
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