Mechanics' Institutes of Australia

Mechanics' Institutes were a Victorian institution which spread to the corners of the English speaking world, including Australian colonies where they were set up in virtually every colony. The world's first Mechanics' Institute was established in Edinburgh, Scotland, in October 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh.[1][2]

In Australia, the first Mechanics' Institute was established in Hobart in 1827, followed by the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts[3] in 1833, Newcastle School of Arts in 1835, then the Melbourne Mechanics' Institute established in 1839 (renamed the Melbourne Athenaeum in 1873). From the 1850s, Mechanics' Institutes quickly spread throughout Victoria wherever a hall, library or school was needed. Over 1200 Mechanics' Institutes were built in Victoria but just over 500 remain today, and only six still operate their lending library services.[4]

Listing

New South Wales
Sydney School of Arts, 1869

(See also Mechanics Institutes of Australia).

Street view of the Cronulla Arts Theatre, Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia.

South Australia
Mitcham Village Institute

Tasmania
Sorrento Institute

Victoria
Melbourne Athenaeum

Still operating as libraries

Only a few mechanics' institutes still operate as libraries: list derived from the Mechanics' Institute of Victoria, Inc.'s Library Directory 2018.[13]

Others
  • Binalong, Victoria Mechanics Institute
  • Brunswick, Victoria Mechanics Institute
  • Ballan Mechanics Institute 1860[15]
  • Berwick Mechanics’ Institute and Free Library, 1862
  • Briagolong Mechanics’ Institute, 1874
  • Bunyip Mechanics’ Institute 1905
  • Glengarry Mechanics’ Institute,1886
  • Geelong Mechanics Institute
  • Wiiliamstown Mechanics Institute
  • Burke and Wills Institute, Fryertown Victoria[16]
  • Long Gully Mechanics Institute,
  • Longwarry Mechanics’ Institute and Free Library, 1886
  • Malmsbury Mechanics’ Institute, 1862
  • Meeniyan Mechanics’ Institute, 1892
  • Melbourne mechanics institute[17] now part of the Victorian state library
  • Rosedale Mechanics’ Institute, 1863
  • Stratford Mechanics’ Institute., 1866
  • Toongabbie Mechanics’ Institute, 1883
Lilydale Mechanics Institute

Queensland

Western Australia

Schools of Arts

New South Wales
Epping School of Arts

Queensland

Notable schools of arts in Queensland include:

References
  1. Kelly, Thomas (November 1952). "The Origin of Mechanics' Institutes". British Journal of Educational Studies. Society for Educational Studies. 1 (1): 17–27. doi:10.2307/3119430. JSTOR 3119430.
  2. "What is a Mechanics' Institute?". Prahran Mechanics' Institute. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  3. "SMSA (Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts)". SMSA.
  4. Lowden, Bronwyn (2010). Mechanics' Institutes, Schools of Arts, Athenaeums, etc.: An Australian Checklist – 3rd Edition. Donvale, Australia: Lowden Publishing Co. pp. 64–111. ISBN 978-1-920753-16-0.
  5. http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/sydney_mechanics_school_of_arts Dictionary of Sydney
  6. Oldest and Largest in Australia
  7. Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate, 3 June 1922 p 8.
  8. Roger Morris, 'Sydney suburban Schools of Arts: From and for the community' in Schools of Arts and Mechanics' Institutes: From and for the community – Proceedings of a National Conference, University of Technology, Sydney, 2002, p 79
  9. Catherine Freyne, The School of Arts movement(Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, 2010).
  10. The Grenfell Record and Lachlan District Advertiser Saturday 19 July 1902 page 2.
  11. The Libraries of Schools of Arts and Mechanics’ Institutes: Time Capsules of Australian Book Collections..
  12. Hunter River General (NewsPaper) 16 July 1870 p2.
  13. Library Directory 2018. Windsor, Vic.: Mechanics' Institute of Victoria. 2018. p. 33.
  14. These Walls Speak Volumes: A history of Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria by Pam Baragwanath and Ken James ISBN 9780992308780
  15. Mechanics’ Institutes March 29, 2017 | historicalragbag .
  16. A History of Mechanics' Institute Libraries.
  17. Chris Healy, From the Ruins of Colonialism: History as Social Memory (CUP, 1997) page 204.
  18. Bathurst School of Arts Act 1858.
  19. Berry School of Arts.
  20. "BOURKE MECHANICS' INSTITUTE". Western Herald. XXX (1644). New South Wales, Australia. 18 July 1903. p. 2. Retrieved 7 May 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. Burrawang School of Arts.
  22. Fairfield School of Arts Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine.
  23. 5 Eliza Street Archived 2015-03-22 at the Wayback Machine recycled
  24. Peakhurst School of Arts.
  25. Rooty Hill Archived 2013-12-27 at the Wayback Machine at Blacktown City Council webpage.
  26. St Albans School of Art Hall.
  27. wentworth falls school of arts Archived 2015-02-02 at Archive.today.
  28. Wentworth Falls School of Arts.
  29. School of Arts Hall, Wilberforce.
  30. Windsor School of Arts.
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