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The Mechanics' Institutes Cinema History No. 79

By Catherine Milward-Bason (Secreta!)' - Prahran Note:. The "date established" recorded in this article re-
Mechanics' Institute and the Mechanics' l11stitutes of fers to date that the Mechanics' Institute committee was
Victoria) formed, not the date that institllte building was erected.
This was usually a few years lata

The Mechanics' Lnstitute movement originated in Brir- Apollo Bay
ai n, 1800, as a part of a wider self-improvement trend for
skilled workers (or "mechanics" as they were called) and
later tl1e middle classes, clerks, shopkeepers etc. The
movement quickly spread throughout the British colo-
nies including Australia.

In Australia, Mechanics' Institutes (also called Ath-
enaeum, Lyceum, Literary Institutes, Schools of Arts,
and Memorial Halls but listed as Mechanics' Institutes
where they received government funding) provided lhe
first community meeting places. They were the forerun-
net~~ of public libraries, technical and adult education,
and many country and suburban theatres.

As the century progressed, rigid emphasis on "mental
and moral improvement" supplied by lectures. libraries.
and museums gave way to community needs for "rational
recreation" such as concerts, balls, penny readings and The Apollo Bay and Free Librcu·y was established in 1885
plays,and later for general recreation including euchre, as the Kambruk Hall.
billiards, wireless shows, and films. Many country and
some suburban and metropolitan mechanics· institutes The original building erected in 1887 with a library and
continue to provide "rational" and general recreation in post oftice at one end, was a weatherboard construction
their local communities. Today there are around 500 me- on blue stone stumps and its pine lining boards were
chanics' institutes are still operating in Victoria as pub- painted with murals of Venetian canals and gondolas.
lic halls. libraries, cinemas, etc .. On display was an honour board, a machine gun souve-
nir, and photos of early pioneers.
The following eight mechanics' institutes are listed on
the Inventory of Mechanics' Institutes in Victoria, 1998 In 1926, the I ibrary was moved and the hall enlarged.
compiled by the Depm1ment of Natural Resources and The hall was reopened with a presentation of "The Ten
the Enviwnment (DNRE) as currently operating a cin- Commandments". It continued to be known as a mechan-
ema or theatre. There are great many more institutes that ics' institute in order to qualify for government building
ran films and plays for their local communities than ap- grants.
pear in this incerim survey.
The library closed in 1935, apparently as a result of"Talk-
A more comprehensive database is being compiled by the ing Pictures" loading a meeting and voting out the old
Oftice of Local Govemment (OLG). The directory wiiJ conunittee. Valuable books were sent to the dump.
be launched at the international Mechanics' Lnstitutes
Bicentennial Conference in November 2000. The Apollo Bay Historical Society is now writing a his-
tory of the mechanics' institute.
The OLG, under which public libraries and mechanics'
institutes on municipally owned land cu·e administered,
is also currently undertaking a brief survey of mechan- Ballarat
ics' institute librm·ies in Victoria.
The Ballarat Mechanics' Institute was established in 1855.
lt would be interesting and useful ( particularly for those Tn 1859 it occupied a small wooden cottage on Main Road.
concerned with conserving our heritage) to see similar between Humffray and Bm·kly Streets. where classes and
survey being undertake11 for mechanics' institutes oper- lectures were conducted. The reading room was in the
ating as cinemas and theatres. Ballarat Fire station.

The Institute's second and current building on Sturt Street
was built in two stages. The first part built in 1860. con-

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