06/08/2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.78 TBA Get Tickets The Occupation A Woman's Voice Chloe Adams Alli Sinclair 'Assured, deft, sophisticated, Chloe Adams is the real deal' - Emily Bitto A sweeping romantic adventure based on true events of the women's liberation movement The Occupation | Chloe Adams In the autumn of 1949, two women convene in the parlour of an…
20/08/2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.78 Humffray Room Get Tickets The White Crow Michael Robotham She upholds the law. Her family breaks it. 'A twisty-turny, second-guessing great read with a killer ending' - Herald Sun for 'When You Are Mine' Michael Robotham Beloved character Police Constable Philomena McCarthy, from When You Are Mine, returns in a heart stopping thriller from the…
23/08/2025 @ 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm Heritage Reading Room The FoolLaura J. Fitzwilson After his parents and brother are assassinated, Leo is forced to become king of the smallest country on a continent that looks an awful lot like Australia. He faces a kingdom on the brink of bankruptcy and a mistimed sneeze away from being drawn into a war; a…
01/09/2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.78 Humffray Room Get Tickets High RiseGabriel Bergmoser 'An expertly executed shot of adrenaline' - Laura McCluskey'Grabs you by the throat and hurls you striaght into the action - Brutally good fun' - Michael Trant Bestselling author Gabriel Bergmoser returns with his most electrifying novel yet, High Rise – an adrenaline charged, heart-stopping, action-packed masterpiece that…
18/09/2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.78 Humffray Room Get Tickets The Florentine QuiltChrissie Bellbrae ‘Breath-taking settings, strong female characters, mystery, intrigue and romance ... The Florentine Quilt has it all, and will keep you up turning the pages long after your usual bedtime.’ - Pamela Cook, author, writing coach and podcaster. 'Three women connected in time to a medieval quilt and an ancient…
25/09/2025 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm $11.78 Humffray Room Get Tickets Boney Creek: A ThrillerPaula Gleeson 'Smart, twisty...thriller, you won't want to miss...' - Sarah Pekkanen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of House of Glass When several small-town locals die under mysterious circumstances, an aspiring journalist is determined to prove the connection between them, only to discover the dangerous secrets they…
01/10/2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.78 Humffray Room Get Tickets One NightRozzi Bazzani One Night - Two Bodies - Three Crimes When Detective Sergeant Bec Harpin answers a call for help from her friend, barrister Carolyn Moorhouse, she suddenly finds herself on the wrong side of an investigation that threatens to derail her career. Not only does Bec have to decide how…
21/10/2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm $11.78 Humffray Room Get Tickets Winds of Change J Mary Masters Book 5 in the Belleville Family Series As a shocking betrayal unravels, a child's future hangs in the balance. Cracks appear within the Belleville family. Against this background, a new house will rise from the ashes but not bbefore the old house gives up its…
31/10/2025 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm $27.50 Meet at the BMI entrance Get Tickets Explore tales of the weird and supernatural – the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute at night. Looking for a unique way to explore Ballarat’s rich history and culture? Look no further than the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute’s Night Tours! This beautiful heritage building dates back to the 1860s and boasts a…
31/10/2025 @ 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm $27.50 Meet at the BMI entrance Get Tickets Explore tales of the weird and supernatural – the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute at night. Looking for a unique way to explore Ballarat’s rich history and culture? Look no further than the Ballaarat Mechanics Institute’s Night Tours! This beautiful heritage building dates back to the 1860s and boasts a…
05/11/2025 @ 6:00 pm - 6:45 pm Free Minerva Space Get Tickets Stella Day Out is a free one-day literary festival that celebrates and promotes the outstanding contributions of women and non-binary writers to Australian literature. The Swift Dark Tide by Katia Ariel In conversation Join Katia Ariel for an intimate conversation about her 2024 Stella shortlisted debut The Swift Dark Tide and her second novel Ferryman:…
05/11/2025 @ 7:15 pm - 8:00 pm Free Minerva Space Get Tickets Stella Day Out is a free one-day literary festival that celebrates and promotes the outstanding contributions of women and non-binary writers to Australian literature. Cactus Pear for my Beloved: A Family Story from Gaza by Samah Sabawi In conversation 2025 Stella shortlisted author Samah Sabawi is joined by Fatima Measham to…
Minerva's Secrets Night Tours
Tue 19 May with special visit to Lantern Vaults
Tour 1 at 7pm – Tour 2 at 9pm.
Linen & Lace Exhbition
Includes Devonshire Tea | $20
Sat & Sun 22, 23 Oct
10am-4pm
Remembrance Day:
A Surgeon Commander & A Leading Cook - Recent War Memoribilia
Wed 29 Oct & 5 Nov, 5.30pm.
Coming soon…
Rozzi Bazzani. Stella Day Out: Katia Ariel & Samah Sabawi, Rachael Johns
Coming soon…
Dianne Dempsey, Chrissie Bellbrae, Paula Gleeson, Rozzi Bazzani.
Coming in November…
Stella Day Out, Ballarat, Rachael Johns & Margaret Hickey
Australian Heritage Festival
Minerva's Secrets
25 April – Tour 1 at 7.30pm – fully booked
Tour 2 at 9.30pm – still tickets.
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 | $60
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.
2 course dinner & lots
of dancing
