History

Life Members

Eight honorary life memberships have been awarded since the library’s establishment. They were bestowed either for significant contributions in maintaining a library service during the time when many Mechanics’ Institutes were closing their doors (see ‘The Post-War years of Struggle’ on this website), or for the initiatives and dedication that saw the library flourish once more (see ‘Renewal’). Life members past and present are:

Louis Tobin – The first person to be awarded life membership, Louis was Librarian for over 20 years before resigning in 1978 due to ill-health. During that time she also served as Secretary-Treasurer. She was awarded life membership in 1979.
Beryl Evans – A member for more than 20 years, Beryl was Secretary and Treasurer from 1975−1985, having previously served as Vice President. She was awarded life membership to the library in 1985.
Edward (Ted) Webb – President, 1975−1985, having held the position of Vice President in 1974, and serving as a general committee member for a number of years after. External politics and social changes during his time as President put in jeopardy the running of the Maldon Athenaeum as an independent lending library. Ted succeeded in continuing to provide a community-run service. He was awarded life membership in 2002.
Phyllis Alexander – President, 1985−1998, and continuing as an active member of the library until 2008. Her time as President saw a period of gentle expansion for the library – membership increased, opening hours were extended, and the number of books increased to the extent that the library itself expanded into a second room. Phyllis was awarded life membership in 2002.
Margaret Dunne – Margaret was Secretary for more than six years before relinquishing the position in 1998 but continuing to play an active role in the library until late 2005. She was awarded life membership in 2003 for her many years of dedicated service to the library.
Joy Leneaux-Gale – President 1998−2021, having been Vice President and Librarian for two previous years previously. Joy’s presidency was notable for its many initiatives, including the gaining of Registered Charity status for the library; enhancing the library’s profile through publicity and innovative fund-raising events; the introduction of a computerised borrowing system; and the establishment of the Children’s Library. Joy also organised and contributed financially to the construction of a third room at the library. She was awarded life membership in 2013.
Winsome Stickland – Treasurer 2003−2021, having previously served as Secretary from 1999 to 2001. Winsome made a substantial financial contribution to the building of the third room to house the library’s expanding collection of books. Winsome was awarded life membership in 2018.
Lesley Rolland-Jones – Vice President 2005−2018. Lesley was awarded life membership in 2018 for her exceptional organisational skills, especially in the reorganisation of the entire book collection when the third room was built; and for fund-raising for the library – including book sales which she often held in her own garden.

Joy Leneaux-Gale & Lynda Achren
on behalf of the Maldon Athenaeum Library,
2024

References

Library minutes held in the Maldon Athenaeum Archive Collection. For use within the library only.

Tarrangower Times, Sept 9, 1982, page 2.

Minutes of General Meeting 22^nd November 1979

Life membership certificate has been presented to Mrs Tobin. Mr Webb, the President, accompanied with Mesdames W. Row, L Walton and B. Evans, presented Mrs Louis Tobin with the Life Membership Certificate at the Maldon Hospital on Monday November 19^th 1979. It had been printed by Tarrangower Times, and framed in a most attractive frame. Flowers and sweets were given to Mrs Tobin as well. It was a very happy occasion.

Extract from the library minutes recording the presentation of the first ever life membership.

Tarrangower Times September 9 1982

Beryl Evans, a member for over 22 years and secretary for many of them, is an inspiration to us all to give the support we do to the association. Beryl is well into her 80s and still doing an excellent job as secretary.

Library president Ted Web’s words of praise for life member Beryl Evans during an interview on 3CCC FM. The radio interview was reported in the Tarrangower Times newspaper.

Annual Report 1997−1998: February 27^th

With much pleasure, I present this report.

We are fortunate to have a small but very active committee manning the opening of the library each Friday 2pm−4pm and Saturday morning 9.30−10.30am to our subscribers and the public. Quite often visitors to Maldon will wander in and we invite them to look around our library. Although we were obliged to raise our fees from $2 to $5 per annum, we have had an increase of subscribers. …

I wish the incoming office bearers a happy and successful year.

Phyllis Alexander

Part of Phyllis Alexander’s final report to members when stepping down after 13 years as President. Since then, library opening hours have increased from twice a week to four times a week. The number of members keeping the library open have increased from ‘a small but very active committee’ to a team of over 20 volunteers. In the 25 years or so since Phyllis’s report, subscriptions have risen to $30 a year, reflecting rising costs. Visitors to Maldon still call in, often commenting in the visitor book on the library’s historic charm and wide selection of books. In 2023 a visitor from Queensland wrote: ‘The “smell” of a great library. History is precious!’