Cultural institutions in Australia
Encyclopedia
From 1827
, mechanics' institutes
, literary institutes, athenaeums and schools of arts played an important role in the life of early Australian communities. Among their roles was the provision of libraries and reading rooms, but as community institutions they also provided lectures and adult education.
The 'School of Arts
' movement began in Britain in the beginning of the nineteenth century. The first School of Arts opened in Edinburgh
, Scotland
in 1821, with others in Glasgow
and London
in 1823. The first Mechanics' Institute
was established in Glasgow
in 1821.
The first such institution in Australia
was the Van Diemen's Land Mechanics' Institute, Hobart
, which opened in 1827. By 1900
there were 1000 Mechanics' Institutes in Australia with memberships of between 100 and 200 people. Most of these institutes did not have large libraries, usually having less than 1,000 books. Their role in a country town was more a general focus for the community's cultural activities, not just that of a library. As well as membership subscriptions, the institutes were supported by colonial governments and sometimes by local government, usually by land grants and cash assistance. The institution generally had a purpose built building in the town. Many of these buildings are no longer home to those institutions but are used for other purposes.
The first mechanics' institute was founded at Melbourne
in 1839
. The institute at Portland
was founded in 1843
and Geelong's
institute in 1846
. Institutes were established at Maldon
, Beechworth
, Kyneton
, and Sandhurst (later known as Bendigo)
in 1854
, Castlemaine
and Eldorado
in 1855
and at Ballarat
and Creswick
in 1859
. The increasing numbers of mechanics' institutes in Victoria
seems to have been a consequence of the expansion of settlement, in particular associated with the gold rushes, rather than from meeting any specific cultural, educational or recreational need. The Victorian government between 1860 and 1895 spent around £220,000 on grants. The increase in the number of institutes founded after 1860, especially in the country areas, was a direct result of the grants which were made available. The conditions attached to the grant, for the purchase of books and for public access, was influential in making the library the main activity of the institutes and achieved the aim of allowing many Victorians in the late 19th century to enjoy access to a reasonable library service.
In 1912
, a New South Wales
committee was set up to examine whether the £10,000 subsidy paid annually by the government to Schools of Art
s and similar institutions was money well spent. The committee determined it was not well spent and recommended phasing out or reducing the subsidy in metropolitan areas and municipalities and that local authorities take over schools of arts. There were not enough books, especially non-fiction
, and services were limited under the current arrangements. However, lobbying saw the recommendations not implemented. Subsidies continued up the time of the 1930s depression
.
Very few of these cultural institutions have survived to this day, their roles having been assumed by government organizations such as public libraries
and TAFE. They have however left behind many historical buildings in cities and towns throughout Australia
, some of which have been converted into community halls. For instance, over 1,200 Mechanics' Institutes were built in Victoria but just over 500 remain today, and only six still operate their lending library services.
1827 in Australia
See also:1826 in Australia,other events of 1827,1828 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.- Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales- Lieutenant-General Ralph Darling...
, mechanics' institutes
Mechanics' Institutes
Historically, Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide adult education, particularly in technical subjects, to working men...
, literary institutes, athenaeums and schools of arts played an important role in the life of early Australian communities. Among their roles was the provision of libraries and reading rooms, but as community institutions they also provided lectures and adult education.
The 'School of Arts
Art school
Art school is a general term for any educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. The term applies to institutions with elementary, secondary, post-secondary or undergraduate, or graduate or...
' movement began in Britain in the beginning of the nineteenth century. The first School of Arts opened in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1821, with others in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1823. The first Mechanics' Institute
Mechanics' Institutes
Historically, Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide adult education, particularly in technical subjects, to working men...
was established in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 1821.
The first such institution in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
was the Van Diemen's Land Mechanics' Institute, Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, which opened in 1827. By 1900
1900 in Australia
See also: 1899 in Australia, other events in 1900, 1901 in Australia, Timeline of Australian history.-Incumbents:*Monarch — Queen VictoriaNote: Australia was not yet federated as of 1900, therefore no prime minister existed....
there were 1000 Mechanics' Institutes in Australia with memberships of between 100 and 200 people. Most of these institutes did not have large libraries, usually having less than 1,000 books. Their role in a country town was more a general focus for the community's cultural activities, not just that of a library. As well as membership subscriptions, the institutes were supported by colonial governments and sometimes by local government, usually by land grants and cash assistance. The institution generally had a purpose built building in the town. Many of these buildings are no longer home to those institutions but are used for other purposes.
The first mechanics' institute was founded at Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1839
1839 in Australia
See also:1838 in Australia,other events of 1839,1840 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Events:*3 January - John Hutt becomes Governor of Western Australia*15 January - The first US consul, J. H. Williams, takes residence in Sydney...
. The institute at Portland
Portland, Victoria
The city of Portland is the oldest European settlement in what is now the state of Victoria, Australia. It is the main urban centre of the Shire of Glenelg. It is located on Portland Bay.-History:...
was founded in 1843
1843 in Australia
See also:1842 in Australia,other events of 1843,1844 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.- Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales - Sir George Gipps*Governor of South Australia - Sir George Grey...
and Geelong's
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
institute in 1846
1846 in Australia
See also:1845 in Australia,other events of 1846,1847 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.- Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales — Sir George Gipps...
. Institutes were established at Maldon
Maldon, Victoria
Maldon is a town in Victoria, Australia, in the Shire of Mount Alexander local government area. It has been designated "Australia's first notable town" and is celebrated for its 19th-century appearance, maintained since gold-rush days...
, Beechworth
Beechworth, Victoria
Beechworth is a well-preserved historical town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s...
, Kyneton
Kyneton, Victoria
Kyneton is a town on the Calder Highway in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria, Australia. The Calder Freeway bypasses Kyneton to the north and east. The town was named after the English village of Kineton, Warwickshire. The town has three main streets: Mollison Street, Piper Street and High Street...
, and Sandhurst (later known as Bendigo)
Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
in 1854
1854 in Australia
See also:1853 in Australia,other events of 1854,1855 in Australia, and theTimeline of Australian history.- Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales - Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy...
, Castlemaine
Castlemaine, Victoria
Castlemaine is a city in Victoria, Australia, in the Goldfields region of Victoria about 120 kilometres northwest by road from Melbourne, and about 40 kilometres from the major provincial centre of Bendigo. It is the administrative and economic centre of the Shire of Mount Alexander. The...
and Eldorado
Eldorado, Victoria
Eldorado, or El Dorado, is a small town in the north-east of Victoria, Australia. At the 2006 census, Eldorado had a population of 287.-History:...
in 1855
1855 in Australia
See also:1854 in Australia,other events of 1855,1856 in Australia, and theTimeline of Australian history.- Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales — Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy...
and at Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
and Creswick
Creswick, Victoria
Creswick is a town in west-central Victoria, Australia. It is located 18 kilometres north of Ballarat and 129 km northwest of Melbourne, in Shire of Hepburn. It is 430 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census, Creswick had a population of 2,485...
in 1859
1859 in Australia
See also:1858 in Australia,other events of 1859,1860 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.- Governors:Governors of the Australian colonies:*Governor of New South Wales — Sir William Denison*Governor of Queensland — Sir George Bowen...
. The increasing numbers of mechanics' institutes in Victoria
Victoria, Newport
Victoria is both an electoral district and community of the city of Newport.The ward is bounded by the River Usk to the west and south, Newport Bridge, Clarence Place, Church Road and Christchurch Road to the north, Victoria Avenue, Wharf Road , a section of the Great Western Main Line as far as ...
seems to have been a consequence of the expansion of settlement, in particular associated with the gold rushes, rather than from meeting any specific cultural, educational or recreational need. The Victorian government between 1860 and 1895 spent around £220,000 on grants. The increase in the number of institutes founded after 1860, especially in the country areas, was a direct result of the grants which were made available. The conditions attached to the grant, for the purchase of books and for public access, was influential in making the library the main activity of the institutes and achieved the aim of allowing many Victorians in the late 19th century to enjoy access to a reasonable library service.
In 1912
1912 in Australia
See also:1911 in Australia,other events of 1912,1913 in Australia and theTimeline of Australian history.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King George V*Governor-General – The Right Hon...
, a New South Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
committee was set up to examine whether the £10,000 subsidy paid annually by the government to Schools of Art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
s and similar institutions was money well spent. The committee determined it was not well spent and recommended phasing out or reducing the subsidy in metropolitan areas and municipalities and that local authorities take over schools of arts. There were not enough books, especially non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
, and services were limited under the current arrangements. However, lobbying saw the recommendations not implemented. Subsidies continued up the time of the 1930s depression
Great Depression in Australia
Australia suffered badly during the period of the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. As in other nations, Australia suffered years of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging incomes, and...
.
Very few of these cultural institutions have survived to this day, their roles having been assumed by government organizations such as public libraries
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
and TAFE. They have however left behind many historical buildings in cities and towns throughout Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, some of which have been converted into community halls. For instance, over 1,200 Mechanics' Institutes were built in Victoria but just over 500 remain today, and only six still operate their lending library services.