Swan River Mechanics' Institute
Encyclopedia
Established in 1851, the Swan River Mechanics' Institute was the Swan River Colony
's first cultural centre and housed an extensive and well-used subscription library
and a natural history collection including botanical, zoological and mineral specimens. In 1909 it was renamed Perth Literary Institute. The institute was located on the South-West corner of Pier and Hay Streets in Perth
.
Its founding president was Surveyor-General John Septimus Roe
who held the position until his death in 1878. Roe's botanical collection which was kept at the institute won him membership of the Linnean Society of London
. The second president was Sir Luke Leake who held the position until his death in 1886.
Although ostensibly formed for the educational benefit of the working classes, the Mechanics' Institute was mostly dominated and sponsored by men of the middle class and tended to pursue mostly literary goals as well as providing a recreational facility for that group. Hay describes the activities: "the educated gentry 'improved' the workers through the medium of occasional lectures, discussion classes which emerged from literary meetings, the establishment of a reading room and a project to build a scientific museum". Institute rules prevented discussion of current political issues; in 1856 a carpenter by the name of Joseph Chester was expelled from the Institute for criticising government policies.
The Swan River Mechanics' Institute was the first such organisation in the colony. Other Mechanics' Institutes were formed in Albany in 1853, Busselton and York in 1861, Guildford (as a branch of the Swan River Mechanics' Institute) in 1862, Greenough in 1865, Northam and Toodyay in 1866, and Bunbury in 1867. Ex-convicts
were unacceptable Mechanics' Institute members and hence a number of alternative Working Men's Associations arose in the 1860s which catered for working classes.
was the first president, the treasurer was Bernard Smith, the chairman was J. Hamblin and the secretary was T. Hughes. The building's architect was W. Wolf and W. Summers was the building contractor. The land used by the Institute was vested in trustees, and it was managed by a committee appointed by its own members. Membership was by subscription, but required no qualification. To become a member it was only necessary that the applicant be a respectable member of the community.
Moves to establish a permanent museum in the city during the 1880s saw the Institute's specimen collections move to premises at the recently closed Perth Gaol
in 1892. These collections laid the foundations of what became the Western Australian Museum
.
In 1899 the old building was replaced by spacious two storey premises on the same site which included a concert hall with seating for 400 people and a lodge room with accommodation for another 200. The foundation stone for the new building was laid by the Premier
Sir John Forrest
on 20 June 1898. The premier was a former president and the president at the time was Mr. M.F.A. Canning. The West Australian
described the building:
At the time of its opening in 1899, the library contained 6,000 volumes and membership was 389. The cost of the building was ₤10,721.
Its name was changed to Perth Literary Institute in December 1909 and at about the same time its inventory showed the library to contain 564 books related to history; biography, 359; essays, 382; travel and geography, 421; general science, 275; social science, philosophy, and theology, 238; poetry and the drama, 199; serial and miscellaneous, 333; statistical and works of reference, 398; and fiction, 6,274, and a grand total of 9,443 volumes.
In 1957 the institute was taken over by the Perth City Council and become Perth City Library. Soon after the Institute's subscription library was replaced by a free lending library.
The Perth Literary Institute building was demolished sometime in the 1970s and the site now includes the Perth Law Chambers.
Swan River Colony
The Swan River Colony was a British settlement established in 1829 on the Swan River, in Western Australia. The name was a pars pro toto for Western Australia. In 1832, the colony was officially renamed Western Australia, when the colony's founding Lieutenant-Governor, Captain James Stirling,...
's first cultural centre and housed an extensive and well-used subscription library
Subscription library
A subscription library is a library that is financed by private funds either from membership fees or endowments...
and a natural history collection including botanical, zoological and mineral specimens. In 1909 it was renamed Perth Literary Institute. The institute was located on the South-West corner of Pier and Hay Streets in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
Its founding president was Surveyor-General John Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, and a Member of Western Australia's Legislative and Executive Councils for nearly 40 years.-Early life:...
who held the position until his death in 1878. Roe's botanical collection which was kept at the institute won him membership of the Linnean Society of London
Linnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is the world's premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history. It publishes a zoological journal, as well as botanical and biological journals...
. The second president was Sir Luke Leake who held the position until his death in 1886.
Although ostensibly formed for the educational benefit of the working classes, the Mechanics' Institute was mostly dominated and sponsored by men of the middle class and tended to pursue mostly literary goals as well as providing a recreational facility for that group. Hay describes the activities: "the educated gentry 'improved' the workers through the medium of occasional lectures, discussion classes which emerged from literary meetings, the establishment of a reading room and a project to build a scientific museum". Institute rules prevented discussion of current political issues; in 1856 a carpenter by the name of Joseph Chester was expelled from the Institute for criticising government policies.
The Swan River Mechanics' Institute was the first such organisation in the colony. Other Mechanics' Institutes were formed in Albany in 1853, Busselton and York in 1861, Guildford (as a branch of the Swan River Mechanics' Institute) in 1862, Greenough in 1865, Northam and Toodyay in 1866, and Bunbury in 1867. Ex-convicts
Convictism in Western Australia
The convict era of Western Australia was the period during which Western Australia was a penal colony of the British Empire. Although it received small numbers of juvenile offenders from 1842, it was not formally constituted as a penal colony until 1849. Between 1850 and 1868, 9,721 convicts were...
were unacceptable Mechanics' Institute members and hence a number of alternative Working Men's Associations arose in the 1860s which catered for working classes.
Premises
The first Swan River Mechanics' Institute building was opened on 21 January 1851. John Septimus RoeJohn Septimus Roe
John Septimus Roe was the first Surveyor-General of Western Australia. He was a renowned explorer, and a Member of Western Australia's Legislative and Executive Councils for nearly 40 years.-Early life:...
was the first president, the treasurer was Bernard Smith, the chairman was J. Hamblin and the secretary was T. Hughes. The building's architect was W. Wolf and W. Summers was the building contractor. The land used by the Institute was vested in trustees, and it was managed by a committee appointed by its own members. Membership was by subscription, but required no qualification. To become a member it was only necessary that the applicant be a respectable member of the community.
Moves to establish a permanent museum in the city during the 1880s saw the Institute's specimen collections move to premises at the recently closed Perth Gaol
Perth Gaol
The Perth Gaol was a gaol built in Perth, Western Australia between 1854 and 1856 to house convicts and other prisoners. It operated until March 1888 when the last prisoner was transferred to Fremantle Prison...
in 1892. These collections laid the foundations of what became the Western Australian Museum
Western Australian Museum
The Western Australian Museum is the state museum for Western Australia.The Western Australian Museum has seven main sites: two in Perth within the Perth Cultural Centre, two in Fremantle , and one each in Albany, Geraldton, and Kalgoorlie-Boulder...
.
In 1899 the old building was replaced by spacious two storey premises on the same site which included a concert hall with seating for 400 people and a lodge room with accommodation for another 200. The foundation stone for the new building was laid by the Premier
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
Sir John Forrest
John Forrest
Sir John Forrest GCMG was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament....
on 20 June 1898. The premier was a former president and the president at the time was Mr. M.F.A. Canning. The West Australian
The West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
described the building:
[The hall] is a magnificent apartment, 70 feet x 31 feet, with platform, dressing rooms, and so forth. This and all the rooms on the same floor facing the street have French casements opening on to the balcony which surrounds the building. The edifice is in the Italian style of architecture, and the main entrance to the institute is from Hay Street. There are six shops in the building facing the same street, and a block of offices in Pier-street for letting purposes. The room in which the lending library is to be situated is 40ft. x 25ft., and faces Pier street, and the reading room measures 40ft. x 24ft.
At the time of its opening in 1899, the library contained 6,000 volumes and membership was 389. The cost of the building was ₤10,721.
Its name was changed to Perth Literary Institute in December 1909 and at about the same time its inventory showed the library to contain 564 books related to history; biography, 359; essays, 382; travel and geography, 421; general science, 275; social science, philosophy, and theology, 238; poetry and the drama, 199; serial and miscellaneous, 333; statistical and works of reference, 398; and fiction, 6,274, and a grand total of 9,443 volumes.
In 1957 the institute was taken over by the Perth City Council and become Perth City Library. Soon after the Institute's subscription library was replaced by a free lending library.
The Perth Literary Institute building was demolished sometime in the 1970s and the site now includes the Perth Law Chambers.