Next year a series of events in Tasmania and Melbourne will celebrate 200 years since the founding of the first Mechanics’ Institute in Australia. The Van Diemen’s Land Mechanics’ Institution was launched on 23 March 1827 in Hobart Town. It became the Hobart Mechanics’ Institute with the aim of providing education for workers but struggled to attract members of the working class. Around Australia Institutes that focused more on cultural and social activities and on providing a library were much more successful – some lasting for more than 150 years.
A series of events will be held over the March 19-21 weekend in Hobart and a brochure-guided tour of the Mechanics’ Institutes buildings around the state will be available.
Some 2,000 Institutes were established throughout Australia, the vast majority instigated by their local communities. To reflect on the rich history of our Institutes other celebrations will be held in Victoria. A conference with the theme Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future will be held at the Melbourne Athenaeum on March 13. The next day attendees an take a day’s bus tour of regional and Melbourne Institutes
For the call for papers and other details about the celebrations contact the Bicentenary Committee at mechanicsinaus@gmail.com .
In South Australia the State Library has taken on institutessa.com as an electronic document with the title Institutes of South Australia. It is also available as an electronic file through Trove.