History
The First Minute Book: 1863 to 1889
The first 26 years of committee meetings since the library began in 1863 were recorded in a single volume, which we call the First Minute Book. This historically significant document is now safely housed in the Manuscripts Collection of the State Library Victoria, but on more than one occasion its existence was threatened either by fire, forgetfulness or neglect.
In February 1934, the First Minute Book survived when fire destroyed the library’s original wooden building. It probably owes its survival to having been rescued from a previous blaze six months earlier when, according to The Age newspaper, ‘a large number of books were saved by the efforts of citizens’. But some books may have remained in the hands and homes of rescuers even after the post-fire reopening of the Athenaeum. In 1945 the First Minute Book was returned to the library after it was found in the house of a recently deceased local resident.
It then appears to have then been put on a shelf or in a cupboard and forgotten about because, almost twenty years later, Alf Edhouse wrote in a letter (dated 30 March 1963) that he had found it ‘amongst some old papers in the reading room’. Edhouse, who was Athenaeum president at the time, considered this ‘a stroke of luck’ because he was intending to ‘compile a brief but accurate outline of the activities of the institution over the past century’. Sadly that history was not completed as he died the following year. But the letter was sent to Albert Williams, who pasted it into a scrapbook entitled ‘Picturesque Maldon’, which he then presented to the library as a ‘record of interest for future generations’.
Fast forward another 25 years to the lead up to the Bicentennial when the Athenaeum committee of the time responded to a call to register ‘invaluable items [which] could be lost forever if their existence is not known’. As a result, the Maldon & District Post reported that the original Athenaeum Minute Book had been recorded in the Bicentennial National Register.
Its historical value thus confirmed, in 2005 the library committee discussed the minute book’s restoration and preservation, recognising that it not only had historical value for Maldon but was also a record of the development of the Mechanics’ Institutes Movement on the Victorian goldfields.
Not surprisingly after 90 years, the binding of the book was showing signs of wear, so advice was sought from the University of Melbourne Conservation Service and then SB Libris in Bendigo took on the restoration work. The marble-patterned front and back cover papers for the book were actually reproduced in England and then sent back to the restorer. The restoration was made possible by a grant from the Department of Victorian Communities.
Questions then arose. Should the Athenaeum Library keep the First Minute Book or was it too valuable? Where would it best be kept to maintain its condition?
Another nine years passed. In 2014, John Pollard, a Maldon resident, retired professional photographer and Fellow of the London Photographic Society, offered to make a facsimile. In order to handle the delicate pages and binding as little as possible, rather than scanning the pages, he photographed each one individually.
The State Library Victoria was then offered the original minute book. In July 2015 the President (Joy Leneaux-Gale), the Secretary (Elizabeth Pollard) and the Treasurer (Winsome Strickland) travelled to Melbourne to officially hand it over. The book was accepted by Dr. Kevin Molloy, Manager of the Manuscripts Collection. He expressed delight with its historical significance and preservation and stated that there was nothing like it in the State collection.
Joy Leneaux-Gale 2024
References
(All books are available at the library. Find them in our catalogue.)
Library minutes held in the Maldon Athenaeum Archive Collection. For use within the library only.
Maldon Athenaeum Library (compiler) (1863−1889) The First Minute Book: 26th January 1863 to 9th January 1889. Facsimile held in the Maldon Athenaeum Archive Collection. For use within the library only.
Newspapers held in the Maldon Athenaeum Archive Collection. For use within the library only:
The Tarrangower Times, January 30, 1945.
The Maldon & District Post, February 10, 1988.
Williams, Albert (1965) Picturesque Maldon. Manuscript held in the Maldon Athenaeum Archive Collection. For use within the library only.
Online sources
National Library of Australia Digitised Newspapers − trove.nla.gov.au
The Age (Melbourne) August 2, 1933, p.13.
The Weekly Times (Melbourne) February 24, 1934, p.8.
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Original hand-written minutes. The photo was probably taken by John Pollard when he was making a facsimile of the original minute book.
Extract from ‘The Weekly Times’ (24 February 1934) reporting on the fire that destroyed the Maldon Athenaeum Library’s original wooden building. Workmen had only just begun rebuilding after a less severe fire in July 1933.
Source: National Library of Australia Digitised Newspapers − https://trove.nla.gov.au/
1988 Newspaper article. In November 1988, the Maldon & District News carried this article about registering historically significant items on the Bicentennial National Register. The original Athenaeum minute book had been registered as had documents from the hospital. Such documents, the article explains, were useful to researchers.
Presenting the original minute book. In July 2015, three Athenaeum committee members delivered the original minute book to the State Library Victoria. From left to right: Winsome Strickland, Kevin Molloy, (Manager of SLV Manuscript Collection), Elizabeth Pollard & Joy Leneaux-Gale.