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…

January reading – More> 

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

A Message from the Chair | BMI Board of Directors | June 2026

25/05/2026 No Comments

May unfolded as another vibrant and exciting month for the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute with new activities and visitors weaving throughout an already busy regular schedule. From the Board’s perspective, it was a month that truly demonstrated both the strength of our cultural identity and the challenges that accompany our growing momentum. I hope many of you were able to join us for Ballarat Heritage Festival weekend, we were delighted to be open during this period, including the Sunday, to showcase

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Young person wearing blue cap reading book outdoors

Executive Manager Update – June 2026

25/05/2026 No Comments

Executive Manager Update – Nev Ivey | Author Talks Most of you know Rosemary as calmly going about her business, recommending good reads, understanding your reading habits knowing what you’ve read and what you like, accommodate you when you want a series by a certain writer. The truth is like an effortlessly gliding duck, her legs are going like the clappers, not only making sure subs are paid, chasing up overdue books, sourcing new reads, welcoming visitors but also speaking

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Stage Ready Industry Workshops – Liam Mudge, Venue Manager

25/05/2026 No Comments

Stage Ready -Industry Workshops. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute recently delivered the first practical workshop for Stage Ready, our new live production and events training initiative focused on creating practical pathways into the industry for regional participants. Held in the Minerva Ballroom, the workshop introduced participants to staging, lighting, audio, venue operations and live production workflows within a working venue environment. Industry mentors and BMI staff led practical demonstrations and discussions drawn from their own experience working across live events, technical production

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The Second Wife by Ali Lowe BMI Library Book of the Week

Rosemary’s Book of the Week

25/05/2026 No Comments

The Second Wife Ali Lowe The Fairchild family have it all. But as Sydney Harbour Bridge starts to disappear in the rear-view window of the luxury liner, so too does any pretence that this is a happy family. Unbeknownst to his children, CEO and patriarch Irving had planned to use the cruise to reveal his long-awaited succession plans. As glasses clink and elaborate dinners are served to the most notorious of Sydney’s elite, it will soon become all too clear

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Cannon graphic novel cover art by Lee Lai

Stella Prize 2026 : Winner Lee Lai

24/05/2026 No Comments

Stella Prize Announcing the 2026 Stella Prize Winner “This is a thoughtful, deliberative work, and one of the best graphic novels I have read this year.” Sydney Morning Herald / The Age “A meditative graphic novel laced with horror and humour Lai’s drawings come alive in these sequences, which crescendo to a red-hot climax, with bursts of fury standing starkly on the page.” The Guardian “The book feels lifelike precisely because of its depiction of the characters’ unsatisfying, difficult choices.

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