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By Royce Harris

Schools of Arts, Mechanics’ Institutes and have been called the Mechanics' Institute, a
Literary Institutes were an integral part of the term that I became familiar with after moving
early fabric of Australia society. Nearly every to Victoria nearly 50 years ago. I became much
country town had its Mechanics’ Institute and more aware of Mechanics' Institutes when I
many still exist under different names started volunteering at the CATHS archive,
reflecting their continuing role as centres of which is located in the Prahran Mechanics'
community activity. Institute (PMI).

The term “Mechanics’ Institute”, belongs to During my research of movie venues for the
an earlier time – the early 1800s. In the United CATHS archive, the librarian at the PMI
Kingdom the word “mechanic” was a more referred me to what was then the definitive
general term meaning a tradesman, craftsman, book on Mechanics' Institutes, If The Walls
or working man. An institute is a place of Could Speak, written by Pam Baragwanath in
learning, so broadly speaking a mechanics’ 2000.
institute was a place of learning for working
class people. At that time I was going through the annual
listings in Film Weekly to ensure that all
They were the first adult education schools, venues were recorded on the CATHS
libraries and public halls in Australia, database. I was puzzled by an entry for the In her book, Pam included a listing of 67
sometimes called “poor man’s universities” Melbourne bayside suburb of Altona, which Mechanics’ Institutes that were used as
or “workingman’s colleges”. named the venue as "Mechanics". I was trying venues for screening movies. She was in the
to find the actual location of that building, as course of writing a revised edition of the book,
In the early days of the “pictures”, it was quite local histories of Altona made no reference to in conjunction with prominent local historian
common for the local picture show to be held a Mechanics' Institute. I was referred to Pam Ken James, and asked whether CATHS could
at an “Institute”. Baragwanath, who had no knowledge of such provide an updated list, as she was sure that
a building. (I have since ascertained that there would be other venues she had not
grew up in a small country town in South Altona did not have a Mechanics’ Institute named. I then spent about eight months
IAustralia, where the local picture show was and the exhibitor probably used that name for searching local history books, Film Weekly
always at the “Institute”. In Victoria it would his touring picture show.) listings, and many other sources which

The imposing Murtoa (Vic.) Mechanics Hall

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