History

No doubt, the first president, Frank Courtin, and his committee of eight men hoped for a smooth run after their election on March 10 1863. Perhaps they were congratulating themselves on being the ones to finally establish a mechanics’ institute in Maldon, when for seven years other men had tried and failed. Now the urgent need was to move out of the temporary accommodation provided by committee member John Hornsby. But as it turned out, it took another eight years before the institution found a suitable home.

The first setback came immediately with the death of the Honorary Secretary, M.P. Phillips, just one week after he was elected. It seems that no one was prepared to take on his role in a voluntary capacity, so Johnathan Moon was appointed on a salary of 10/- (ten shillings) per month, having already been appointed Collector of Subscriptions on a commission as well as Honorary Librarian. Maldon historian Brian Rhule describes Moon as ‘a dreamer with a passion for drama, intellectual pursuits and hot-air balloons’. The dreamer, it seems, was in need of an income.

That settled, the men of the committee directed Secretary Moon to pursue a donation of books from the parliamentarian, John Pascoe Fawkner, who was a strong supporter of mechanics’ institutes. The committee also hosted an inaugural discussion for members, and explored two possibilities for permanent accommodation. The options were either moving into the existing, but unoccupied, Treasury building on Camp Reserve (now the sports ground), or being granted some Crown Land on Post Office Reserve (the triangle of land bordered by Main St, Francis Street and a private residence) and then building from scratch.

In July, committee meeting minutes record that their application to the Lands and Survey Department for a portion of land on Post Office Reserve had been successful.

A flurry of activity ensued:

• A ‘Grand Concert’ was held at the Masonic Hall to raise money for the building fund. £34/10/6 (thirty four pounds, ten shillings and sixpence) was raised over two performances.
• A special meeting of the Athenaeum’s 60 members (all men) was held to decide what kind of building to erect.
• Committee member and builder, Mr Hornsby, offered to prepare plans.
• Tenders for the building were called and five received. Hornsby was selected with the lowest bid of £49.
• Twelve shares of £1 each were proposed in order to raise the building fund to the required £49. The shares were redeemable by lot out of the first surplus funds.

It is not recorded exactly when the building on Post Office Reserve was finished but by May 1864, Hornsby and Co had been paid in full and the shares repaid.

The committee then seems to have run out of steam with the minutes for both 1864 and 1865 showing that most meetings were spent deciding which periodical and newspapers to order each month, and accepting new members, each boosting the funds with their quarterly subscription fee of 2/6 (two shillings and six pence).

No discussions, lectures or other activities were held in those two years. The Tarrangower Times published a damning article in October 1865 suggesting the problem was the size of the building itself. The writer derisively described it as being ‘of sentry-box proportions’ and unsuitable for classes and discussions. He bemoaned that ‘a gradual collapse’ was going on. Oh dear!

Things started looking up in 1866 after a call to action by a member, Mr Hicks, who urged fellow members to ‘make a strenuous effort’ and put on a ‘series of amusing and instructive entertainments’ over the winter months. He called for volunteers to assist. The call to action was a success with the Tarrangower Times of October 9 describing the ‘entertainment committee’ of the Athenaeum organising a series of events featuring acts such as the Welsh choir, singers, pianists and ‘some ladies’.

By this time, there was talk of the Post and Telegraph Office (also on Post Office Reserve) moving to larger accommodation. Following a lengthy discussion about how best to use the recently-raised funds, the Athenaeum committee decided that ‘it would be better to defer improvements to the present reading room’ and instead wait ‘until the intention of Government was known respecting the proposed new Post and Telegraph Office’.

A subcommittee of members formed in May 1867 to correspond with the Government through the Athenaeum’s honorary member Mr Ramsay MLA, about the progress of plans, and the possibility of the Athenaeum moving into the old Post and Telegraph Office once it was vacated. The correspondence dragged on.

An unwelcome, and possibly anxiety-making letter arrived in May 1869 telling the committee to remove the Athenaeum because it was ‘interfering’ with the intended new Post Office. By August the panic was over − ‘telegraphic correspondence’ informed them that the Athenaeum could, after all, remain where it was. President Courtin had more good news for the committee, having received a ‘distinct promise’ that the old Post Office building would be handed over to the Athenaeum for a nominal sum.  Eureka!

Unfortunately, it was not so straightforward. Two years later, the Board of Land and Works told the committee that the Government had no power to dispose of Public Property except by auction, lease or tender. When the Department valued the old Post Office at £60, John Hornsby went personally to Melbourne to negotiate. With the assistance of local MP Mr Williams, Hornsby succeeded in obtaining the building for £25, which was fortunate as there was only £21/3/2 in the bank!

It had taken five years of letter writing and negotiations to arrive at this point. During those years, the committee had begun building a stock of books in anticipation of the move. Until this time, the Athenaeum was essentially a reading room of newspapers and periodicals. Now, with larger premises, it could expand to become a library. Moreover, a range of donors had also presented the Athenaeum with collections of minerals thus enabling the committee to form the ‘nucleus of a museum’.

Consequently, when the reservation of land was officially proclaimed in the Government Gazette of 18 Aug 1871, it was the newly renamed ‘Athenaeum and Mining Museum’ that moved into the old Post and Telegraph Office. This wooden building remained its home for over 50 years until it was destroyed by fire in 1934. The current brick building that replaced it still stands on the Crown Land reserved for the Athenaeum in 1871.  

Lynda Achren
on behalf on the Maldon Athenaeum Library
2024

References:

(All books are available at the library. Find them in our catalogue.)

Baragwanath, Pam (2000) If the walls could speak: a social history of the Mechanics’ Institutes of Victoria. Publishing Solutions, Richmond.

Kane, Tony (2019) Maldon: our stories – the early years. Maldon Museum and Archives Association, Maldon.

Maldon Athenaeum Library (compiler) (1863−1889) The First Minute Book: 26^th January 1863 to 9^th January 1889. Facsimile held in the Maldon Athenaeum Archive Collection. For use within the library only.

Rhule, Brian (2019) Maldon: A new history 1853−1928. Exploring History Australia, Bendigo.

Newspapers

National Library of Australia Digitised Newspapers − trove.nla.gov.au

Tarrangower Times and Maldon District Advertiser, October 27, 1865, page 2.

Tarrangower Times and Maldon District Advertiser, October 9, 1866, page 2.