Prahran Mechanics' Institute
(1854-present)
place and Mechanics' Institute
Aged 170
Wikidata WikipediaPMI Victorian History Library Inc. (Formerly Prahran Mechanics' Institute) is a community-owned subscription library situated at 39 St Edmonds Road, Prahran, Victoria, Australia. The library focuses on collecting resources about every locality in Victoria and every aspect of the history of the state. The library was previously situated in High Street, Prahran from 1915 to 2014 and Chapel Street, Prahran from 1854 to 1915. It is one of the oldest surviving Mechanics' Institutes in Victoria and one of only six still operating as a lending library. It was the only mechanics' institute in Victoria still governed by its own Act of Parliament. But in 2022 it incorporated as the PMI Victorian History Library Inc. under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act (2012). The Institute spawned the Prahran Technical School, which went on to be one of Australia's leading art schools.
DbPedia
Commemorated on 3 plaques
MIV Historical Plaques Program #0011
Prahran Mechanics' Institute (est. 1854) Formed Prahran Technical School of this site in 1915. The Mechanics' Institute movement began in British urban industrial centres in the early 1800s. A "mechanic" was a person applying skills and technology. During the 19th century, most towns in Victoria established a Mechanics' Institute or Athenaeum with a library and meeting hall. Common objects were the "spread of useful knowledge" and provision for "rational recreation" in the community. This plaque, No. 11 in the MIV series, was unveiled on 8 October 2005 to mark the 90th anniversary of the opening ceremony of this building.
140 High Street, Prahran, Victoria, Australia where it sited
Prahran Mechanics' Institute. The Institute was founded in 1854 for "the mental and moral improvement and the rational amusement" of its members. The Institute moved to High Street in 1915 in order to expand their School of Design, which later developed as the Prahran Technical School.
140 High Street, Prahran, Victoria, Australia where it sited
Prahran Mechanics' Institute is registered by the Heritage Council of Victoria. This Institute was established in Chapel Street in 1854 to provide education for working class men. This Federation Free Classical style building, designed by Ernest Horatio Willis, was built in 1915 to accommodate the Institute's expansion. Victorian Heritage Register Number H0400
140 High Street, Prahran, Victoria, Australia where it sited