This new publication, These Walls Speak Volumes: a history of Mechanics' Institutes in Victoria, by Pam Baragwanath and Ken James is a comprehensive inventory of Institutes throughout Victoria. It was a monumental undertaking and is the culmination of many years' work. I was interested to compare my findings with theirs on the local Mechanics' Institutes, and I found that they had identified an early Institute which I had failed to locate, but of which I had some hints. This was the Flemington Institute, which initially met in the first Flemington National School at the southern end of Mt Alexander Rd, though the location of the library is less clear. Once I had the time frame spelt out in These Walls Speak Volumes, references to the Flemington Institute were readily located in Trove. I have now been able to prepare an update for my article on the Early Libraries of Essendon and Flemington. Follow the link for the new section - scroll down a little to find it. This earlier library predated the next attempt by twenty years.
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