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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 House of Doors Tan Twan Eng Willie Somerset Maugham is one of the greatest writers of the early twentieth century. But in 1921 he is beleaguered by an unhappy marriage, ill-health and business interests that have gone badly awry. He is also struggling to write. His friend Robert Hamlyn offers an escape in the Straits Settlements of Penang, where Robert’s steely wife Lesley learns to see Willie as he is – a man who has no choice but to

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Rosemary’s Book of the Week

Lost and Found Liz Byrski Rose Walters has never taken a leap of faith quite like this one.She is flying home to England for the first time in decades to search for her first love. But what she finds there is far from what she expected.When Rose turns up at her door, Dora Stutchbury is not sure she’s willing to take over the coals of the past – especially those she has taken care to let lie for so long.

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Rosemary’s Book of the Week

The Last Love Song Lucinda Riley When Sorcha O’Donovan encounters struggling musician Con Daly – the strikingly handsome outcaste in their small coastal village in Ireland’s West Cork – her days will never be the same.Con strikes gold with rock band The Fishermen in London, but their lives change beyond recognition as the dark side of fame rears its head and secrets from the past threaten to destroy everything he has worked for Twenty years later, The fishermen agree to

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Rosemary’s Book of the Week

The Endless Sky Di Morrissey Top-rating TV presenter Nicole and her savvy producer and friend Stacie suddenly find themselves under the rule of a new boss… he’s arrogant.,patronising and out to prove he’s in charge. Their challenge? To create a hit show revealing the hidden heart of outback Australia – a place few from the towns and cities have visited and even fewer people understand. What begins as a career-defining adventure quickly spirals into something far more dangerous and unexpected. In a

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BMI Monthly Calendar 2026

$40 – limited stock 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 soon as these are available. They

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