Rosemary’s Book of the Week | Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty
Big Little Truths Liane Moriarty Parenting teens is not for the faint of heart but Madeline, Jane and Celeste have been through worse. It’s been ...
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The Royal South Street Society | CountPro Showcase 2026
CountPro Showcase 2026 Featuring outstanding performances from the 2026 RSSS Ballarat Eisteddfod SEason Royal South Street Society Get Tix – Her Majesty’s Royal South Street ...
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Rosemary’s Book of the Week | When Sullivan Met Lola by Monica McInerney
When Sullivan Met Lola Monica McInerney Don’t miss Monica who will be talking about her new book at BMI on 5 October at 6pm The ...
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Fringe Encore Ballarat
Fringe Encore Ballarat Fringe Encore: Ballarat Every great show deserves an encore. A week after the 2026 Festival wraps, Fringe Encore: Ballarat brings the adventurous ...
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Rosemary’s Book of the Week | Tell Me Something True by Michael Robotham
Tell Me Something True Michael Robotham Don’t miss Michael who will be talking about his new book at BMI on 1 October at 6pm The ...
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A Message from the Chair | BMI Board of Directors | October 2026
A Busy October I wonder whether you will all agree when you make your way through the pages of this newsletter that October is shaping ...
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Award for BMI Event Technical Crew Member – Chee Wei Tay
Wonderful news from Singapore | Ballarat-based Creative Director and composer Chee Wei Tay received major Singapore music honour. Chee Wei Tay is part of the ...
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Rosemary’s Book of the Week | Styled by Sally Mackinnon
Styled Sally Mackinnon Don’t miss Sally who will be talking about her new book at BMI on 29 September at 6pm Personal stylist Sally Mackinnon, ...
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BMI AGM 2026 – Monday 28 September, 5pm
The Institute’s 2026 Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday, 28 September at 5pm | Humffray Room. All members of the Institute are invited ...
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Minerva’s Secrets, Night Tours | Are on again, don’t miss out.
Minerva’s Secrets Night Tours are back. Two tours, 7pm and 9pm. Step back in time with these atmospheric Victorian-era performers, lanterns in hand and ready ...
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Twilight Talks 2026
Twilight Talks for 2026.Thank you to Community Bank Buninyong for supporting this popular community event. Twilight Talks Events (as they confirm) View more on these ...
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Lantern Vaults – Prize Winner
Lantern Vaults Prize Winner has been drawn The raffle draw for Amanda Western’s work that brought you Lantern Vaults to the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute during ...
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ABC Radio interview with BMI Heritage Collection Curator Ellen Becker
From the Heritage Collection Curator – Interview with ABC Radio Sydney | Nightlife – Tuesday 23 Dec 2025 at 10pm The Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute, or ...
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Update from Liam Mudge, Venue Manager | Stage Ready
Stage Ready The BMI has received funding to launch Stage Ready — a new non-formal technical-theatre training program for regional creatives. The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute (BMI) ...
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The Guardian | The Rural Newtork – I joined the oldest and most overlooked library in my town – and it feels like being part of a secret club – Dellaram Vreeland
The Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute has had a reading room for 165 years but today it has just 530 members – and tens of thousands of ...
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School tour of the BMI – October 2025
On 9 October the BMI hosted students from: Lucas Primary School - Lal Lal Primary - Delecombe Primary - Buninyong Primary, and, Mt Egerton Primary
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Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute – Life Time Membership, Heritage Collection Volunteer, Marion Blythman
Marion Blythman Marion has been working on the BMI Heritage Collection for about 18 years! She loves working with her current volunteer team, Dani ...
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CDS Victoria, Collection Deposit Scheme | Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute
The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute is now registered as a charity for donations. We are raising funds to purchase new display shelves to improve access, usability, ...
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Ballarat Chess Club | Reinactment of the 1925 Chess Tournament
The re-creation of the 1925 chess tournament between Ballarat and Geelong, August 10. Members of the Ballarat Chess Club and BMI Patron Dr Phil Roberts ...
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Rex’s Snippets | The Basement… The Truth
Why are there windows in the basement? This is an updated account on the original article written by heritage architect, consultant and good friend of ...
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Rex’s Snippets | Cornish Pumping Engines
A Treatise On the 20th. June 1868, the secretary of the BMI, Mr. Batten, wrote to Mr. W.F.Fowler in London, the following… “Only one vol. ...
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Gift & Unveiling Function | From John Mildren OAM & Mildren Family
John Mildren OAM was the Federal Member for Ballarat 1980-1990. Prior to his election to Federal Parliament, he had been from 1970 a Senior Lecturer ...
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BMI Fundraising Events 2026
We have some important fundraising events coming up in Spring and we would love you to participate as either an attendee or sponsor. The funds ...
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Rex’s Snippets | Visiting the BMI? | Where are you?
Newspaper Reading Room | Victoria League Room (ground floor) Lending Library | Batten Room Stand in the entry to the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute and straight ...
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BMI Notables | Contribution by Neil Leckie | Dr James Robert Pound, Benefactor
James Robert Pound was born to Mr James Henry and Mrs Selina Maude (nee Walton) Pound at their home Lyndon in Riversdale Road Auburn, Victoria ...
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Rex’s Snippets | The BMI The Early Days
This is a open file of the minutes of the Institute from the inaugural meeting in 1859 to the annual meeting in 1863. It shows ...
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From the Curator | MacRobertson’s Steam Confectionery Works
Did you enjoy an Old Gold, Freddo Frog or Cherry Ripe chocolate over Easter? These much-loved chocolates were first manufactured by MacRobertson’s Steam Confectionery Works. ...
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From the Curator | Messer & Opie
Old friends William ‘Bill’ Messer and Francis ‘Frank’ Opie first opened their tailors on Bridge Street in 1935. The two had first known each other ...
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From the Curator | The Ballarat Courier
This month we are featuring the old Ballarat Courier building on Sturt Street. The Courier was established by Robert Clark and Edward J. Bateman in ...
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Would you like to help in delivering BMI services
A call for expressions of interest for:1) Anyone with the RSA certificate (or anyone willing to undertake the ‘Responsible Service of Alcohol’ certificate) to volunteer ...
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Significance Assessment of the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute Collection
The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute has been selected to receive a Community Heritage Grant to the value of $5,500 (excluding GST) for the Significance Assessment of ...
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