The history behind the Mechanics Institute, as featured in the Post's 2017 calendar

The iconic 1881 building, opposite Belmore Park, was designed by E.C. Manfred as an addition to the original Institute building, which had been opened in 1860.

According to Notes Towards a History of the Goulburn Mechanic’s Institute by Peter J. Hopcraft, the Mechanics Institute in Goulburn was the first and oldest institute to be established in NSW, outside of Sydney.

He notes that an inaugural meeting to set up the institute and library was held in September 1853 and from a small membership of 130 in 1854, it grew to 1088 members by 1925.

“The first activities were concerned with conducting lectures and the formation of a library. Later, classes of instruction were added and the library became the focal point of its existence. Recreational activities were also added,” Hopcraft notes. 

“The Goulburn Mechanic’s Institute managed to survive a lot longer than many others in NSW.

“It was generally financially stable throughout its 91 years of operation. The collection reached over 30,000 volumes.” 

The idea of Mechanics Institutes had evolved in Britain in the 19^th century. They were originally established for mechanics or “working men” to gain further knowledge of their specific trade.

The institutes played an important role in 19^th century Britain in providing for the educational and recreational needs of the working classes. They were the forerunners to the modern library.

In Australia, the institutes were much more popular than they had been in Britain and they lasted longer. 

“In Goulburn, the Mechanics Institute continued to operate as a library right up until the Public Libraries Act of 1946, when the Goulburn City Council took over the building,” Hopcraft notes.

“The relatively late development of public libraries in Australia led to the longevity of these institutes.”

By the early 1900s, many institutes were forced to offer recreational activities such as billiards rooms or skating rinks to survive and, in the Goulburn building, a public theatre was added in 1869 and a skating rink in 1877.

The building’s library was taken over by Goulburn City Council in 1945 and the library continued there until 1990, when it was moved into the Civic Centre.

Julian Woods was the chief librarian in the building from 1984 to 1990. He said he was glad the library moved to the Civic Centre.

“It is a beautiful old building with lots of character [but] the stairs made it daunting for older people to access the library,” he said.

But the stairs also gave him a special view: “I had the best office in town. It overlooked Belmore Park.”