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Twilight Talks: Focus on Ballarat – Henry Lawson in Ballarat revisited

April 15 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm $9 – $13 Humffray Room Get Tickets Henry Lawson in Ballarat – Revisited Speaker: Hedley Thomson ‘Last November Hedley Thomson provided an entertaining and informative presentation about Henry Lawson’s 1887 visit to Ballarat to explore the Eureka Rebellion sites. This year he will return to this topic, detailing the impact of that visit and the events of Eureka…

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Twilight Talks: Focus on Ballarat – Nostalgic memories of Stawell & Ballarat – 1950s and 1960s

April 29 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm $9 – $13 Humffray Room Get Tickets Dickie Larsen’s Pumpkin & Other Stories Speaker: Geoff Carr, author Spike is a young boy in 1950s Australia, surrounded by sprawling landscapesand a menagerie of animals. Together with his friends Leany and Riddy, they do what all young boys in the bush do: make their own fun. From chooks in outhouses,

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 5, Recent Years | Ballarat Arts Foundation: 25 Years Old, Presented by Paula Nicholson

26/11/2025 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm $9.73 – $13.83 Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Ballarat Arts Foundation: 25 Years Old The Ballarat Arts Foundation (BAF) has been supporting the emerging artists of Ballarat for 25 years. The Foundation is completely community funded and supports artists from any genre, with an alumni group numbering over 500 artists who have

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 5, Recent Years | Ballarat’s Her Majesty’s Reinvention, Presented by Richard Nicholson

19/11/2025 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm $9.73 – $13.83 Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Her Majesty’s Renovation This talk will examine the recent renovation of Her Majesty’s Theatre and explore the challenges, rewards and outcomes for the community that accompany transformational change to a treasured Heritage Building in the heart of the City of Ballarat. Speaker: Richard Nicholson

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 4, Remembrance Day | Recent War Memorabilia – from WW2 to Afghanistan, Presented by David Wright.

05/11/2025 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm $9.73 – $13.83 Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Recent War Memorabilia – from WW2 to Afghanistan. Left to right – Australian Service Medal – Afghanistan Medal – International Force East Timor Medal – Australian Service Medal for Korea – Iraq Medal – Vietnam Medal.On ANZAC, Vietnam Veterans and Remembrance Days each year

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 4, Remembrance Day | A Surgeon Commander & A Leading Cook – Ballarat Connections to HMAS Sydney 2 in 1941

29/10/2025 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm $9.73 – $13.83 Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets A Surgeon Commander & A Leading Cook – Ballarat Connections to HMAS Sydney 2 in 1941 HMAS Sydney 2 Crew, 1934 It is nearly 84 years this November that the mighty pride of the Royal Australian Navy was lost together with 645 crew in

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 3, Spring Season | Gold! Gold! Bendigo – Ballarat

24/09/2025 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm $9.73 – $13.83 Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Gold! Gold! A comparison between the Ballarat & Bendigo Goldfields. An overview of the production of gold and its implications from the goldrush era of the 1850s up until today in both the Ballarat and Bendigo regions. Historian Dr Phil Roberts will provide a

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 3, Spring Season | Into the Dragon’s Den, The Chinese community in Bendigo

17/09/2025 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm $9.73 – $13.83 Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Saving Dragons: The Life and Times of Russell Goldfield (Louey Yeung Man) Jack by Dianne Dempsey Russell Jack, the visionary founder of the internationally renowned Golden Dragon Museum, spent his life breaking barriers and preserving the history of the Chinese Australian community. Growing up

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Twilight Talks 2025, Season 3, Spring Season | Ballarat’s Henry Lawson, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson

03/09/2025 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm $9.73 – $13.83 Bar open at 5pm $9.73 – $13.83 Humffray Room Get tickets Ballarat’s Henry Lawson, Unknown facts presented by Hedley Thomson The young Henry visited Ballarat, specifically to ‘bone up’ on the happenings at Eureka on Sunday 3rd December 1854; he proceeded to write numerous poems and prose pieces about the ‘battle’ and – more so

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Fundraiser for Ballarat RSL & BMI

$33 per person

Minerva's Secrets Night Tours

Tue 19 May with special visit to Lantern Vaults

Tour 1 at 7pm – Tour 2 at 9pm. 

BMI Fundraising Events book donation promotional image

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.

Spring Season, History Talks:

Ballarat's Henry Lawson - The Dragon's Den - Gold! Gold! Gold!

Wed 3, 17 & 24 September, 5.30pm. 

Christmas Holiday Closures | Library

Monday 23 December – Sunday 5 January

Vintage Fashion Parade

Bubbly on arrival featuring quality items from our Vintage Shop

Sunday 6 September at 2pm - Cost $65

The Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute 2026 Calendar

Featuring illustrations from our Heritage Book Collection $40

Tax Deductible 

Your gift will be tax-deductible this financial year if you make it before June 30.

We need
your help.

2024 End of Financial Year Appeal 

Or alternatively go to our Donations web page.

Our Challenge

Like many organisations the BMI faces significant funding challenges. 

We thank you for your support.