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Tours occur weekly at 2pm during the Australian Heritage Festival

A colourful history of the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute and it’s people.

By appointment only, (to organise a volunteer guide we require 24hrs notice).

Group Tours: Group tours can also be accommodated on other days, to do so contact: katrina@ballaratmi.org.au

Over the past 150 years of the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute has, at times taken pride of place among the grand buildings of Ballarat, attracting to its membership the cream of the citizens of the city.  At other times it has been hidden behind shopfronts and other businesses, out of sight and out of mind for all but a handful of people who continued to patronise the Library and participate in the occasional meetings or other activities. 

In the early years, as the dreams of the founding fathers gradually came to fruition, the walls of the Institute rang with the voices of people attending soirees, bazaars and balls, and were hushed in the presence of lectures some of whom were august and important and were visiting Ballarat to experience the vibrancy of goldrush Victoria for themselves. These events, particularly those of an entertaining rather than uplifting nature which the lady members were mostly responsible for, brought in much needed funds that helped the Institute Committee complete the building and meet it financial commitments.

As Ballarat threw off its frontier goldmining image and began to see itself as a modern sophisticated city, the population clambered for social refinement, rather than lectures on mining and engineering, so the Mechanics’ Institute was obliged to provide new opportunities for its members, Art, design, drawing and language classes were introduced and lectures took on a more general, if somewhat moralistic, tone with temperance being a popular topoc of many lectures. And so the institue continues to evolve and find revelance today… These are their stories.

Text taken from the Introduction from Under Minerva’s Gaze: 150 years at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institue. Editors, Jill Blee & Phil Roberts

The Britannia Theatre, 1920 | Image from the BMI archive
New library, the Batten Room
Heritage Reading Room
Humffray Room
Minerva Space
Talking point: BMI’s Paula Nicholson, Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison and BMI Venue Manager Sam McColl under just some of the candle-smoke graffiti in the Basement | Photo courtesy, Ballarat Times, photographer Edwina Williams

The research material for your tour has been drawn from – Under Minerva’s Gaze: 150 years at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute (edited by Jill Blee and Phil Roberts).

This reference material is available for purchase at the Library or can be purchased via our Shop.

This event is part of the Australian Heritage Festival

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BMI Fundraiser

Featuring:
The Hideaways,
The Harmonies &
Surf Shadows. 

2 course dinner & lots
of dancing