Loading Events

The Reading Room (2pm in the Library for a start @ 2.30pm – 4pm)

This volunteer run reading and discussion group meets monthly. It is anticipated that members will read the selected book prior to attendance.
If you would like to be a part of this group (free to BMI members) please complete the Expression of Interest. We welcome your feedback through this form as we progress this great new initiative. 
 
There will be no December meeting.
 
Expression of Interest to participate >

For more information go to

book cover
Past the Shallows | Favel Parrett

NOVEMBER SESSION

Past the Shallows | Favel Parrett

Brothers Joe, Harry and Miles live with their father, an abalone fisherman, on the south-east coast of Tasmania. Everyday their dad battles the unpredictable ocean to make a living. He is a hard man, a bitter drinker who harbours a devastating secret that is destroying him. 

Unlike Joe, Harry and Miles are too young to leave home and so are forced to live under the dark cloud of their father’s mood, trying to stay as invisible as possible whenever he is home. Harry, the youngest, is the most vulnerable and it seems he bears the brunt of his father’s anger…

This event is a BMI Community Art Project – Ballarat’s Oldest Cultural Institution

Rosemary’s Book of the Week

The Butterfly Woman Madeleine Cleary It’s 1863, and Melbourne is transitioning from a fledgling colony to a thriving, gold-fuelled metropolis. But behind its shiny new facade, the real Melbourne can be found in the notorious brothels of Little Lon, where rich and poor alike can revel all night. For poor Iishwoman Johanna Callaghan, a job at the glamorous Papillon brothel could be her ticket to success,but in a time when women’s lives are cheap, it also brings great danger. Meanwhile, for respectable

Read More »

City’s cinephiles set for a silver screen season | Ballarat Times

Ballarat Film Society The Ballarat Film Society is set to kick off another year of thought provoking cinema next month. Christopher O’Leary – Ballarat Times | Photo Sue Nunn, courtesy Ballarat Times. Read the full article here Page 23 Ballarat Times Sue Nunn, President, Ballarat Film Society | Photo: Edwina Williams, Ballarat Times Ballarat Film Society Films at BMI y: Our library stands on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first

Read More »

Joseph Tawadros | Solo Oud

Joseph Tawadros AM is a leading Oud virtuoso, composer and 8 time ARIA-award winner. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness Joseph’s drive to push musical boundaries – Sunday 15 February at 5pm, Minerva Space.

Read More »

BMI Monthly Calendar 2026 – On Sale

$40 – Now on sale at $20. Limited stock left This year our 2026 calendar will feature twelve illustrations from the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute heritage book collection. All funds raised will go towards supporting the BMI – a not-for-profit community-owned organisation, continuing to share knowledge through our library and associated member  services, providing a unique place to engage with history, and a vibrant hub for community events. The Calendar: If you would like to purchase the calendar we will make them available at the library for pick-up, and, we will notify you by email as

Read More »

Rosemary’s Book of the Week

The Riviera Secret  Sarah Steele Nestled into the pine-dusted coastline of the Cap d’Antibes is the dazzling white Chateau Violette. When British diplomat Lord Sinclair Castlemere, his young Jewish wife Daisy and their four-year-old son move into the chateau in the summer of 1938, their home becomes a beacon for the glamorous expat set-rife with gossip about the Windsors, and everyone in denial about the grumblings across the border in Italy and northern Europe. But as Germany tightens its grip on

Read More »

Newsletter – February 2026

Rosemary’s New Releases and Recommendations | Author Talks – Live Music – Public Talk – Film – Live Comedy – LIve Theatre | The digital version of the newsletter will be available here after 5.15pm today. The interactive PDF is available here.

Read More »