Mechanics' institutes Mechanics' institutes, also known as mechanics' institutions, sometimes simply known as institutes, and also called schools of arts (especially in the Australian colonies), were educational establishments originally formed to provide adult ed ...

were a

Victorian-era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed th ...

institution set up primarily to provide adult education, particularly in technical subjects, to working-class men, which spread to the corners of the English-speaking world, including the

Australian colonies The states and territories are the national subdivisions and second level of government of Australia. The states are partially sovereignty, sovereign, administrative divisions that are autonomous administrative division, self-governing polity, ...

, where they were set up in virtually every colony. In some places, notably throughout the colonies of Queensland and

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, they were often known as schools of arts. Most institutes incorporated a library, and many of the old institutes evolved into public lending libraries, while others were converted for other uses or demolished to make way for modern buildings. This article includes a list of many past mechanics' institutes / schools of arts.

Background

The foundations of the movement which created mechanics' institutes were in lectures given by George Birkbeck (1776–1841). His fourth annual lecture attracted a crowd of 500, and became an annual occurrence after his departure for London in 1804, leading to the eventual formation on 16 October 1821 of the first

mechanics' institute Mechanics' institutes, also known as mechanics' institutions, sometimes simply known as institutes, and also called schools of arts (especially in the Australian colonies), were educational establishments originally formed to provide adult edu ...

in Edinburgh, the Edinburgh School of Arts (later

Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University () is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and was subsequently granted university status by roya ...

). Its first lecture was on

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

, and within a month it was subscribed to by 452 men who each paid a quarterly subscription fee. This new model of technical educational institution gave classes for working men, and included libraries as well as apparatus to be used for experiments and technical education, and by 1900 there were over 9,000 mechanics institutes around the world. Mechanics' Institutes were sometimes called schools of arts in the Australian colonies, especially Queensland. The purpose of forming such institutes was to improve the education of working men, and to instruct them in various trades. They were also part of a wider 19th-century movement promoting popular education in Britain, at which time co-operative societies, working men's colleges and the university extension movement were established. The call for popular education in turn can be contextualised within the broader liberal,

laissez-faire ''Laissez-faire'' ( , from , ) is a type of economic system in which transactions between private groups of people are free from any form of economic interventionism (such as subsidies or regulations). As a system of thought, ''laissez-faire'' ...

, non-interventionist philosophy which dominated British social, economic and political ideologies in the 19th century. In this environment, mechanics' institutes flourished as a means by which working men might improve their lot, either through self-education using the reading rooms in the institutes, or by participating in instructional classes organised and funded by institute members. Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
licence. In Australia, mechanics' institutes were often run by the middle classes. The provision of reading rooms, museums, lectures and classes were still important, but the Australian institutions were also more likely to include a social programme in their calendar of events. The first mechanics' institute in the Australian colonies was established in

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

in 1827, followed by the

Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts The Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts (SMSA) is the longest running School of Arts (also known as a " Mechanics' Institute") and the oldest continuous lending library in Australia. Founded in 1833, the school counted many of the colony's educat ...

in 1833,

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...

School of Arts in 1835, then the

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Mechanics' Institute established in 1839 (renamed the

Melbourne Athenaeum The Athenaeum or Melbourne Athenaeum at 188 Collins Street is an art and cultural hub in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1839, it is the city's oldest cultural institution. Its building on Collin ...

in 1873). From the 1850s, mechanics' institutes quickly spread throughout Victoria wherever a hall, library or school was needed. Over 1200 mechanics' institutes were built in Victoria but just over 500 remain today, and only six still operated their lending library services as of 2010.

21st century revival

Across the world, there is a move to sustain and revive mechanics' institutes and related institutions such as athenaeums and schools of art, as

subscription libraries A subscription library (also membership library or independent library) is a library that is financed by private funds either from membership fees or endowments. Unlike a public library, access is often restricted to members, but access rights ca ...

, sometimes incorporating or expanding their earlier functions. There have been several worldwide conferences between 2004 and 2021, known as the Mechanics' Worldwide Conference, of representatives of, or people who have an interest in, mechanics' institutes. In the state of Victoria, a group of Mechanics' Institute representatives met in April 1998 at the institute in Kilmore to exchange information and ideas about the future of their organisations, at a conference entitled ''Mechanics' Institutes: The Way Forward''. From this arose an association, the Mechanics' Institutes of Victoria, whose aim it is for mechanics' institutes to again play an important social and cultural role in their communities, as they did in the past. Mackay School of Arts

By state

New South Wales

The

, established in 1833, is the oldest school of arts in continuous operation, and largest in Australia Other institutes in New South Wales include: * Albury Mechanics' Institute,

Albury Albury (; ) is a major regional city that is located in the Murray River, Murray region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the twin city of Albury–Wodonga, Albury-Wodonga and is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of ...

* Arncliffe School of Arts hall/Council Hall * Balmain Workingmen's Institute closed
Bathurst School of Arts
* Batlow Literary Institute *

Berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...

School of Arts * Binalong Mechanics' Institute *

Blacktown Blacktown is a suburb in New South Wales, Australia, west of the Sydney central business district. It is one of the most multicultural places within Sydney, Greater Sydney. History Before the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, the area of ...

School of Arts, established as the Blacktown Mutual Improvement Association (1905) * Bourke School of Arts * Braidwood Literary InstituteThe Libraries of Schools of Arts and Mechanics’ Institutes: Time Capsules of Australian Book Collections.
* Burrawang School of Arts * Buxton, New South Wales * Carlingford Mechanics' Institute * Carlton School of Arts * Cathcart Literary Institute * Clarencetown School of Arts * Mechanic Institute Hall, Cookamidgera * Cronulla School of Arts * Epping School of Arts,

Epping, New South Wales Epping is a suburb of Sydney, in the Australian States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, north-west of the Sydney central business district in the Local government in Australia, local government area of the City of Parramat ...

* Fairfield School of Arts *

Glebe A glebe (, also known as church furlong, rectory manor or parson's close(s)) is an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest. The land may be owned by the church, or its profits may be reserved to the church. ...

School of Arts * Glen Oaks School of Arts * Goulburn Mechanics' Institute (1853–1946) * Grafton School of Arts Library * Granville School of Arts, now a

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

* Grenfell Mechanics' Institute, Grenfell *

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The nam ...

Soldiers' Memorial School of Arts * Gundagai Literary Institute,

Gundagai Gundagai is a town in New South Wales, Australia. Although a small town, Gundagai is a popular topic for writers and has become a representative icon of a typical Australian country town. Located along the Murrumbidgee River and Muniong, Honeys ...

* Howlong Mechanics' Institute * Kogarah School of Arts (1886) * Lawson Mechanics' Institute * Leichhardt School of Arts hall Hall * Moruya Mechanics' Institute * Nelligen Mechanics' Institute, Nelligen * Newtown School of art * Oatley School of Arts (1905), Oatley * Peakhurst School of Arts, Peakhurst * Penrith School of Arts *

Queanbeyan Queanbeyan ( ) is a city in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia, located adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory in the Southern Tablelands region. Located on the Queanbeyan River, the city is the council seat of the Queanbeyan-Pale ...

School of Arts * Richmond School of Arts * Rockdale School of Arts * Rollands Plains School of Arts Hall. * Rooty Hill School of Arts (1903) *

Rozelle Rozelle is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 4 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Inner West Council. Location Rozelle s ...

Mechanics' Institute *

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

School of Arts hall * Scone School of Arts,

Scone A scone ( or ) is a traditional British and Irish baked good, popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is usually made of either wheat flour or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often ...

Seaham Seaham ( ) is a seaside town in County Durham (district), County Durham, England. Located on the Durham Coast, Seaham is situated south of Sunderland and east of Durham, England, Durham. The town grew from the late 19th century onwards as ...

School of Arts * Singleton Mechanics' Institute * Sunny Corner School of Arts, Sunny *

Tenterfield School of Arts The Tenterfield School of Arts is a heritage-listed former school of arts and now museum, theatre, cinema, community centre and library located at Manners Street, Tenterfield in the Tenterfield Shire local government area of New South Wales ...

* Trundle School of Arts (1914-1923) * Wagga Wagga School of Arts * Wentworth Falls School of Arts * Wilberforce * Windsor School of Arts, Bridge Street, Thompson Square * Wingello Mechanics' Institute * Yass Mechanics' Institute, Yass

Queensland

* Baree School of Arts *

Brisbane School of Arts Brisbane School of Arts is a heritage-listed mechanics' institutes, school of arts at 166 Ann Street, Brisbane, Ann Street, Brisbane City, Queensland, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1865 to 1985. It ...

Bundaberg School of Arts Bundaberg School of Arts is a heritage-listed former mechanics' institutes in Australia, school of arts and now community centre at 184 Bourbong Street, Bundaberg Central, Bundaberg, Queensland, Bundaberg, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australi ...

Cairns School of Arts Cairns School of Arts is a heritage-listed former school of arts and now the Cairns Museum at 93–105 Lake Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Tunbridge, Tunbridge & Lynch and built from 1907 ...

(now the Cairns Museum) * Coorparoo School of Arts * Eumundi School of Arts (now the Eumundi and District Historical Association) * Gympie School of Arts (now the Gympie Regional Gallery) * Herberton School of Arts * Old Ipswich Town Hall * Irvinebank School of Arts Hall * Mackay School of Arts * Maryborough School of Arts * Mungungo School of Arts * Numinbah Valley School of Arts * Ravenswood School of Arts *

Rockhampton School of Arts Rockhampton School of Arts is a heritage-listed former school of arts at 230 Bolsover Street, Rockhampton City, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by William (Walter) Cherry built in 1894 by Walter Adam ...

Townsville School of Arts Townsville School of Arts is a heritage-listed former Mechanics' institutes of Australia, school of arts and now community cultural centre at Stanley Street, Townsville City, Queensland, Townsville CBD, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia ...

* Woody Point Memorial Hall * Yangan School of Arts

South Australia

There were two iterations of the Adelaide Mechanics' Institute in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

. The first was based on the traditional working-men's educational model (founded 1838; merged with Adelaide Literary and Scientific Association and Mechanics' Institute in 1839, folded 1844). The second was led by schoolteacher W.A. Cawthorne, founded in 1847,PDF
/ref> This organisation merged with the South Australian Library in 1848, creating the Mechanics' Institute and South Australian Library. and was the forerunner of the

State Library of South Australia The State Library of South Australia, or SLSA, formerly known as the Public Library of South Australia, located on North Terrace, Adelaide, is the official library of the Australian state of South Australia. It is the largest public research li ...

, the

South Australian Museum The South Australian Museum is a natural history museum and research institution in Adelaide, South Australia, founded in 1856 and owned by the Government of South Australia. It occupies a complex of buildings on North Terrace in the cultur ...

, and the

Art Gallery of South Australia The Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), established as the National Gallery of South Australia in 1881, is located in Adelaide. It is the most significant visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of ...

. Between 1847 and 1856, thirteen further institutes came into existence: * Hindmarsh *

North Adelaide North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct (Australia), precinct and suburb of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands. Laid out in a grid plan in three section ...

Stepney Stepney is an area in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. Stepney is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name was applied to ...

/ Norwood * Glen Osmond * Gawler * Gawler * Mount Barker * Clarendon * Willunga * Woodside * Port Adelaide Institute *

Port Lincoln Port Lincoln is a city on the Lower Eyre Peninsula in the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of South Australia. Known as Galinyala by the traditional owners, the Barngarla people, it is situated on the shore of Boston Bay, ...

* Port Elliot The

South Australian Institute The State Library of South Australia, or SLSA, formerly known as the Public Library of South Australia, located on North Terrace, Adelaide, is the official library of the Australian state of South Australia. It is the largest public research li ...

, incorporated under the '' South Australian Institute Act'' of 1856, became the support and lead organisation for the 350 institutes in South Australia. In 1975, the

state government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonom ...

phased out funding for the institutes, replacing them with free school-community libraries, while local public libraries were supported by local governments. The Institutes Association ceased to exist in 1988; however, most of the old institute buildings remain, many as

heritage-listed This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and human-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In ma ...

buildings. Later mechanics' institutes in South Australia included: *

Balaklava Balaklava ( Ukrainian and , , ) is a settlement on the Crimean Peninsula and part of the city of Sevastopol. It is an administrative center of Balaklavsky District that used to be part of the Crimean Oblast before it was transferred to Sevast ...

Institute * Beachport Institute *

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; ; ), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the Escaut river. A sub-pref ...

Institute * Cobdogla Institute * Coonalpyn Institute * Curramulka Institute * Dawson Institute *

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

Institute * Edithburgh Institute * Farrell Flat Institute * Freeling Institute * Hamley Bridge Institute * Karoonda * Kensington and Norwood Institute *

Macclesfield Macclesfield () is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East, Cheshire, England. It is sited on the River Bollin and the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its east; the town lies south of Ma ...

Institute *

Mannum Mannum is a historic town on the west bank of the Murray River in South Australia, east of Adelaide. Mannum is the seat of the Mid Murray Council, and is situated in the state electoral district of Hammond and the federal Division of Barker. ...

Institute * Mintaro Institute * Mitcham Village Institute *

Morgan Morgan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment'', also called ''Morgan!'', a 1966 comedy film * ''Morgan'' (2012 film), an American drama * ''Morgan'' (2016 film), an American science fiction thriller * ...

Institute *

Mount Gambier Mount Gambier is the second most populated city in South Australia, with a population of 25,591 as of the 2021 census. The city is located on the slopes of Mount Gambier (volcano), Mount Gambier, a volcano in the south east of the state, about ...

Institute *

Owen Owen may refer to: People and fictional characters * Owen (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Places United States * Owen, Missouri, a ghost town * Owen, Wisconsin * Owen County, Indiana ...

Institute * Pinnaroo Institute * Port Vincent Institute * Ramco Institute *

Saddleworth Saddleworth is a civil parishes in England, civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. It comprises several villages and Hamlet (place), hamlets as well as suburbs of Oldham on the Saddleworth Moor, west ...

Institute * Stansbury Memorial Institute * Terowie Institute * Waikerie Institute * Wasleys Institute

Tasmania

*The earliest and most prominent institute ïn

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

was Van Diemen's Land Mechanics' Institution, also known as Hobart Town Mechanics' Institute,

(1827–1871), co-founded by

George Augustus Robinson George Augustus Robinson (22 March 1791 – 18 October 1866) was an English born builder and self-trained preacher who was employed by the British colonial authorities to conciliate the Indigenous Australians of Van Diemen's Land and the Po ...

. The institute had a shaky start, but after the

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

minister John Lillie became president in 1839, his lectures became very popular, described as "the high-water mark of learning publicly disseminated in the colony". However, it was not attended by working-class men, as the institute had gained a reputation for elitism and

paternalism Paternalism is action that limits a person's or group's liberty or autonomy against their will and is intended to promote their own good. It has been defended in a variety of contexts as a means of protecting individuals from significant harm, s ...

. After going bankrupt, it folded in 1871. *Launceston Mechanics' Institute, Launceston, co-founded in 1842 by

Congregational Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christianity, Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice Congregationalist polity, congregational ...

minister, journalist and historian John West and designed by eminent New Zealand-born architect W. H. Clayton, was a very successful institute. When it was demolished in 1971, its books were given to the public library. Others included: * Don Mechanics' Institute,

Don, Tasmania Don (sometimes known as the Don) is a small village, located just outside Devonport Tasmania, situated on the Don River. It is home to the Don River Railway and the Don Village Market. Don also has a Presbyterian church. The local Don Hall wa ...

* Ellesmere Mechanics' Institute, Ellesmere (later Scottsdale) * Emu Bay Mechanics' Institute,

Burnie Burnie ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#North, pirinilaplu/palawa kani: ''Pataway'') is a port city located on the North West Tasmania, north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is the fourth largest city on the island, located approximately north ...

* Franklin Mechanics' Institute, Franklin * Huon Mechanics' Institute * Port Esperance Mechanics' Institute, Port Esperance * Queenstown Mechanics' Institute, Queenstown * Ringarooma Mechanics' Institute,

Ringarooma Ringarooma is a small town in north-eastern Tasmania. It is located just east of the Ringarooma River and is about south-west from Derby and east-northeast from Launceston. The area around Ringarooma is known for dairy farming and timber har ...

* Waratah Mechanics' Institute,

Waratah Australia’s famous waratah (genus ''Telopea'') is an Australian-endemic genus of five species of large shrubs or small trees, native to the southeastern parts of Australia (New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, and Tasmania). The be ...

* West Hobart Mechanics' Institute,

West Hobart West Hobart is an inner-city suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is in the hills immediately west of the city centre, and shares the postcode 7000 with that district. History The area was first settled as a farming district, hosting poult ...

(), still standing as of 2011 There were other similar institutions, although not called mechanics' institutes, but with similar aims, at Bellerive, Campbell Town, Devon, Glenora, Green Ponds, Hamilton-on-Forth, Lefroy, Oatlands, Sorell, Stanley and Wynyard; and the Tasmanian Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (Launceston, 1831), the Tasmanian Society for the Acquisition of Useful Knowledge (Hobart Town, 1845), and the Mechanics' School of Arts (Hobart Town, 1850) were also focused on providing similar educational functions. Most of the institutes in Tasmania became social and cultural centres for the middle classes, including women. Over time, musical performances and various entertainments, such as penny readings took precedence over lectures, and their original educational aims were forgotten. Many of the buildings have however survived, now used as

community centre A community centre, community center, or community hall is a public location where members of a community gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may be open for the whole community or for a sp ...

s or libraries.

Victoria

Many mechanics' institutes, athenaeums, schools of arts and related institutions are well documented by the Mechanics' Institutes of Victoria, Inc., whose members range from the well-resourced

to the tiny Moonambel Mechanics' Institute in Moonambel. Past and present institutes in Victoria include: * Alexandra School of Arts,

Alexandra, Victoria Alexandra is a town in north-east Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, 130 kilometres north-east of the State Capital, Melbourne. It is located at the junction of the Goulburn Valley Highway (B340) and Maroondah Highway (B360), in the Sh ...

* Amphitheatre Mechanics' Institute,

Amphitheatre An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...

* Ballan Mechanics' Institute, 1860 * Ballarat Mechanics Institute * Berwick Mechanics Institute and Free Library (1862) * Bonnie Doon Community Centre * Briagolong Mechanics' Institute, Briagolong, 1874 *

Brunswick, Victoria Brunswick is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's Melbourne city centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Merri-bek Local government areas of Victoria, local go ...

Mechanics Institute * Bunyip Mechanics' Institute, 1905 * Footscray Mechanics' Institute, Footscray * Burke and Wills Institute, Fryerstown * Glengarry Mechanics' Institute, 1886 * Horsham, Mechanics Institute *

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...

Mechanics Institute * Kilmore Mechanics' Institute and Free Library * Kyneton Mechanics Institute * Lancefield Mechanics' Institute and Free Library * Little River Mechanics' Institute,

Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...

* Long Gully Mechanics Institute * Longwarry Mechanics' Institute and Free Library, 1886 * Maffra Mechanics' Institute * Maldon Athenaeum Library * Malmsbury Mechanics' Institute, 1862 * Meeniyan Mechanics' Institute, 1892 * Melbourne Athenaeum Library * Melbourne Mechanics Institute now part of the

State Library of Victoria State Library Victoria (SLV) is the state library of Victoria, Australia. Located in Melbourne, it was established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, making it Australia's oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in th ...

Prahran Mechanics' Institute PMI Victorian History Library Inc. (Formerly Prahran Mechanics' Institute) is a community-owned subscription library situated at 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, Victoria, Prahran, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The library focuses on co ...

, the only Mechanics' Institute in Victoria which has its own Act of Parliament for its incorporation. * Port Fairy Library and Lecture Hall,

Port Fairy Port Fairy (historically known as Belfast) is a town in south-western Victoria, Australia. It lies on the Princes Highway in the Shire of Moyne, west of Warrnambool and west of Melbourne, at the point where the Moyne River enters the Souther ...

, 1860 * Rosedale Mechanics' Institute, 1863 * Rushworth Mechanics Institute * Stanley Athenaeum and Public Room * Stratford Mechanics' Institute, 1866 * Talbot Community Library & Arts Centre * Wiiliamstown Mechanics Institute
Tallarook Mechanics Institute
* Trafalgar Mechanics' Institute and Free Library,

Trafalgar Trafalgar most often refers to: * The Battle of Trafalgar (1805), fought near Cape Trafalgar, Spain * Trafalgar Square, a public space and tourist attraction in London, England Trafalgar may also refer to: Places * Cape Trafalgar, a headland in ...

, 1889 * Toongabbie Mechanics' Institute, 1883 * Upper Maffra Mechanics Institute * Charlton, Mechanics Institute * Drysdale Free Library * Elmhurst Mechanics Institute *

Echuca Echuca ( ) is a town on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River in Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. The border town of Moama is adjacent on the northern side of the Murray River in New South Wales. Echuca is the administrative cen ...

Mechanics' Institute, Victoria * Great Western Mechanics Institute * Healesville Mechanics Institute * Leongatha Mechanics Institute * Lilydale Mechanics Institute * Mornington Mechanics Institute * Morongla Creek Mechanics Institute Hall * Institute * Macarthur, Victoria Mechanisc Institute Hall * Nagambie Mechanics Institute * Riddells Creek Mechanics Institute * Narre Warren Mechanics Institute (1891) *

* Purlewaugh Mechanics' Institute * Purnim Mechanics' Institute, Purnim * Mechanics' Institute, Sorrento * Romsey Mechanics Institute *

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

School of Arts *

Soldiers Memorial School of Arts * Cronulla School of Arts * Carlton School of Arts hall * Sunny Corner School of Arts. * Cookamidgera Mechanics Institute. * Warrandyte Mechnanics' Institute,

Warrandyte Warrandyte ( ) is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, 24 km north-east of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Manningham Local government areas of Victoria, ...

* Wambat Mechanics Institute * Winiam, Shire of Lowan Mechanics Institute Library * Woodend Mechanics Institute * Yandoit Mechanics Institute

Western Australia

The Swan River Mechanics' Institute, situated in

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, was the first such organisation formed in the colony on 21 January 1851, followed by the

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...

Mechanics Institute on 8 August 1851. Other mechanics' institutes include: * Albany (1853) * Bunbury (1867) *

Busselton Busselton is a city in the South West (Western Australia), South West region of the States and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia approximately south-west of Perth. Busselton has a long history as a popular holiday destin ...

(1861) * Greenough (1865) * Guildford Mechanics' Institute,

, a suburb of

(1862) * Katanning Mechanics' Institute, Katanning * Northam (1866) * South Perth Mechanics' Institute, now Old Mill Theatre, South Perth, 1899 * Toodyay (1866) *

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

in 1861

References

{{coord missing, Australia Libraries in Australia Adult education in Australia