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sisting of a reading room and library, lecture haJJ. and of-
fice was designed by Charles Boykeu.

rt was set well back on the reserve. The front section,
designed by J.H. Jones. was erected nine years later and
was given a grand facade of the "Glorious Goldrush'' kind
described by historian A.Wesson.

In 1928. the Theatre Royal, designed by W.P.Knight to
replace the 1875 wooden hall, was opened. The entrance
to the theatre is in Bath Street. The Shire Council used
some of the rooms from 1953-67 until its offices were
built at the rear of the Institute. A library was built in
1988 as pan of a civic centre.

I! Use of the theatre diminished for some time but the Coun-
cil has since refurbished the interior and the theatre is
now used for films. concerts, and community functions.
The 1920's exterior has not been altered.

F reeburgh

The Sturt Cinema uses the original upstairs hall. Up un-
til the late 1920s, the hall was called the mechanics' in-
stitute.

When moving pictures came to Ballarat the hall was
leased to Britannia Pictures. They opened the Britannia
cinema which became The Odeon, The Vegas, and now
The Lyric.

The Institute continues to operate a subscription library The Freeburgh Public Hall and Library was established
and recently received a granr from the National Library in 1879. The original weatherboard hall was built on
of Australia to survey its extensive nineteenth century Crown land in 1879. It proved to be too small and a new
collection which has been recognised as being of national hall designed by P. Peterson of Free burgh was constructed
significance. alongside it in 1905. Over the years the hall has been
called "public hall", "libary hall", and "Athenaeum hall''
Camperdown and used for a variety of purposes. It was used as a part
time cinema until recently.
The Camperdown Mechanics' Institute and Free Library
was established in 1865. lt opened its reading room and
Jjbrary in 1870. Lilydale

A hall, designed by Alexander Hamilton was erected in The Lilydale Mechanics' Institute and Free Library was
1875. ln 1890, the hall was enlarged and a brick building established in 1882. It originally operated a library and
erected (with the help of a Government grant) in front of reading room from a shop in Main Street. After a bitter
the hall to serve as museum and free library. battle with Council over ownership and right of appoint-

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