31/03/2023 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm A relaxed session of writing poetry as personal catharsis. Let your feelings flow onto the page with a series of writing prompts and the gift of time to write, with the option to share your poetic works out loud in a safe, facilitated space. Confirmation This FREE event is being run by Ballarat Libraries Get…
03/04/2023 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm $10 About Bill Swampy Marsh: The Australian Outback can be harsh, but it's the kind of place where you either learn to laugh off your troubles or fold under the pressure. Bill 'Swampy' Marsh has a deep affection and respect for people living in the Australian Bush, and he's spent more than twenty years travelling to…
13/04/2023 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm France, 2021, 116 min. Directed by Claire Denis Scorching Love Triangle Drama Celebrated veteran film director, Claire Denis developed and shot this film during different stages of Covid-19 lockdowns in France (as is reflected in some of the outdoor scenes). Juliette Binoche and Vincent Lindon play an apparently happy couple whose relationship is unsettled when…
14/04/2023 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Dr Frank Hurley OAM is well-known and highly respected in the Ballarat community, nowhere more so than in BMI circles has written a memoir titled Look Back on Languor: The memoir of a hurkle-durkle Australian male. The book will be launched at the BMI, in the Humffray Room, at 5.00 - 6.30 p.m. on Friday…
15/04/2023 @ 9:00 am - 16/04/2023 @ 2:00 pm Book Sale We will be hosting a book sale in the Library on both Saturday & Sunday from 9am-2pm each day. The books on sale have been donated to the BMI by members and the Ballarat community to assist in raising funds for Ballarat’s Oldest Cultural Institution. Prices range from $1 to $10 | Some…
16/04/2023 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm Come along and experience our Maker Market & Book Sale before winter sets in: Calling for stallholders | Expression of interest > Free entry View our stallholders from previous events. Stallholders Book Sale We will be hosting a book sale in the Library. These books have been donated to the BMI by members and the…
28/04/2023 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm $10 The Woman Who Knew Too Little by Olivia Wearne A Routine Infidelity by Elizabeth Coleman THE similarities keep coming for two local authors who discovered they recently published their latest works a couple of days apart from each other. Now Elizabeth Coleman and Olivia Wearne have become fast friends following the release of their second novels.…
30/04/2023 @ 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm $40 – $45 Grab a mate, grab a date... grab a ticket to the Roadshow! Australia’s biggest and best comedy festival is hitting the road for a huge 25th year! Featuring the best and brightest of the 2023 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, we’re bringing the funny to you! Get ready for a stellar line-up with Roadshow favourites alongside the…
01/05/2023 @ 10:30 am - 2:30 pm Digitisation workshop Capturing high-quality images of your catalogue records serve as a digital preservation copy of our collections while also allowing for increased public access and decreased physical handling. This workshop will provide you with an opportunity to work one-on-one to learn the basics of museum photography such as camera settings and operations, lighting, and image…
02/05/2023 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am The Reading Room This volunteer run reading and discussion group meets monthly, the last Monday of the month, in the Heritage Reading Room (subject to availability) . Members will select books to be discussed which will include fiction, non-fiction, poetry and short stories. If you would like to be a part of this group (free…
03/05/2023 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm $8 Twilight Talks is back on again. We have a great line-up of talks: Music and Entertainment History Ailsa DuBois Ailsa chose Ballarat as her home over 18 years ago. She holds two Masters degrees: Journalism (UTS) and Writing & Literature (Deakin), among other qualifications. She is Vice-President of the community-based ‘Ballarat Arts Alive’. Steve Rattle,…
10/05/2023 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm $8. Twilight Talks is back on again. We have a great line-up of talks: Military History - How do we remember? Peter Dowling Local member of the Ballarat WAGS (Wireless Airgunners School). Motivated to find out more of his father’s and uncle’s experiences in WWII, Peter Dowling has been a member and now President of the…
Trivia Night Fundraiser
26 August Doors open 6.45pm | Tickets also available at the door
$25 per person | $20 BMI members
Minerva's Secrets Night Tours
Tue 19 May with special visit to Lantern Vaults
Tour 1 at 7pm – Tour 2 at 9pm.
Calling for Pre-loved books
These donation assist in our Library Fundraising Activities
We can take delivery during regular Library operating hours. See website footer.
Coming in November…
Stella Day Out, Ballarat, Rachael Johns & Margaret Hickey
Spring Season, History Talks:
Ballarat's Henry Lawson - The Dragon's Den - Gold! Gold! Gold!
Wed 3, 17 & 24 September, 5.30pm.
Bubbly on arrival featuring quality items from our Vintage Shop
Pre-Sale $60 from 6 Aug to 9 Aug - $65 thereafter
The Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute 2026 Calendar
Featuring illustrations from our Heritage Book Collection $40
Your gift will be tax-deductible this financial year if you make it before June 30.
Like many organisations the BMI faces significant funding challenges.
