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An Act to Provide for the Incorporation and Government of the Prahran Mechanics’ Institute - 27th October 1899 |
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From the mid 1880s the Institute fell into what J.H. Furneaux referred to later as “just a period of drift and decay”. J.B. Cooper referred to this period of the Institute as a “scandal in Prahran”. The Institute was barely paying its way, the building was in a state of disrepair, Committee meetings, if held at all, were not well attended, and the Secretary, George Cross, was not admitting members. During this time there was much concern expressed by the local community and much written in the Prahran Telegraph about the state of the Mechanics’ Institute and it was clear that something needed to be done. Sir Frederick T. Sargood (son of the late Frederick J. Sargood, an original trustee) assisted the Prahran Council and local residents to secure government intervention in the form of an Act of Parliament. From this time |
on until the amalgamation of local councils in 1994, the Mayor of Prahran would be the President of the Prahran Mechanics’ Institute Committee, and the remainder of the Committee would be made up of a mixture of Prahran Councillors and elected members of the local community. The two remaining former Trustees, George Rusden and James Stokes, attended the first meeting of the newly constituted Committee, which immediately took possession of the property and deeds, examined the financial records, dismissed the Secretary and advertised for a new secretary. Today the Act, the only remaining mechanics' institute act, is administered by the Minister for Local Government. (Source: Parliamentary Library, Parliament of Victoria.) |
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