History

The idea of a children’s library at the Athenaeum was first raised at a meeting of the Athenaeum committee held in October 1954. However, after a lengthy discussion it was moved ‘that the committee could not take any action regarding the installation of a children’s library at the Athenaeum’ although no reasons were recorded.

The children of Maldon had to wait another fifty years before the idea became a reality when two significant events brought it into being. Firstly, the mobile library provided by the Bendigo Regional Library stopped coming to Maldon in 2002, leaving the younger members of our community without access to a library in their home town. Concerned about this state of affairs, the committee began buying suitable books and making space on shelves. Then, towards the end of 2003 the solicitors, McDonald, Scott and Waters, informed the committee that they would not be renewing their lease on the small front room of the Athenaeum that they had rented since 1983. This gave the committee the opportunity to turn the room into a designated space for a children’s book collection.

A Children’s Library sub-committee, coordinated by Winsome Strickland, quickly swung into action with fund-raising to refurbish the room and buy new books being a high priority. An event entitled “An Evening with Robyn Bowles”, was held in at the Maldon Hotel in January 2004, when Bowles, describing herself as an ‘author, private detective, mother, social activist and public speaker’ talked about her books and how she came to be a writer of true crime.

The committee also received very generous grants from the Bendigo Community Bank, the Department of Victorian Communities, and the Rusden-Stoneman Foundation. With these grants, refurbishment and promotion began in earnest. Library volunteers pitched in to paint the room and the bookcases. A special picture book display unit was built; cushions were donated and re-coveredLocal artist and library member Sally Roadknight painted a mural of Australian animals reading books. Castlemaine library donated old shelving they no longer used. The Athenaeum purchased books and many more were donated by the local community. Local proprietor Steve Nobel from the hardware shop made a small seat to fit under the window.

Promotion of the Children’s Library began in earnest: a display was set up over Easter to show how the children’s library would look when completed; the Athenaeum took part in the 2004 Maldon Easter Fair parade, with library members dressed as storybook characters such as the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. The characters were led by two children riding donkeys and carrying placards, one with the words ‘Don’t be a donkey, join the Athenaeum Library’. The following July, during the Maldon in Winter Festival, the library held story-reading sessions for children.

The Children’s Library was officially opened by the Hon. Bob Cameron, State Member for Bendigo West, on 26^th October 2004. Soon after, Maldon Primary School began regularly bringing Grades, 1, 2 and Prep students for story telling sessions and book borrowing, as did the Maldon Pre-school, who also arranged to have bulk loans of picture story books on a monthly basis.

The Children’s Library was off to a flying start with children of all ages becoming members in the first few months. By the end of the year, it was reported in the minutes that the library now had 60 children from 39 families borrowing books. However, later library minutes record that the numbers of ‘senior’ children using the library had declined since the beginning of 2007 but the number of ‘juniors’ were increasing. As a result, it was decided to concentrate on picture story books and younger readers.

By 2008, the library was holding well-attended monthly story reading sessions on Saturday mornings. Mainly read by an enthusiastic and skilful volunteer, Christine Canazi, these sessions were well attended for a number of years. As is often the case in volunteer organisations, when Christine could no longer continue the sessions in 2015, they wound down, although occasional ad hoc story readings continued for a few more years until they ceased completely when the COVID pandemic hit. Lockdowns exacerbated the situation, and the number of junior members fell.

Post pandemic, the Children’s Library has been one of the Committee’s priority areas. Under the guidance of volunteer Fiona Farley, and with the help of a grant from the Mount Alexander Shire Council in 2023, new children’s books have been purchased and the room revitalised. Increased publicity and community engagement has seen the number of children accessing the library on the rise again. The committee is hopeful that story-telling sessions and other activities for children will soon become a feature of the library again.

Joy Leneaux-Gale and Lynda Achren
on behalf of the Maldon Athenaeum Library,
2025

References

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

Newspaper articles held in the Maldon Athenaeum Archive Collection. For use within the library only:

Midland Express, December 16, 2003.

The Tarrangower Times, August 8, 2012.

The Tarrangower Times, December 7, 2012.