Prahran Mechanics' Institute

We hold regular events at the library throughout the year. Subscribe to our newsletter, or keep an eye on this page to see what’s coming up at the PMI in 2008.

Winter Book Club 2008

The Winter Book Club will once again be held at the library from 10am-12pm on the first Saturdays of the winter months. This year the following books will be up for discussion:
Sat 7 Jun - The Madonnas of Leningrad / Debra Dean (2006)
Sat 5 Jul - Carpentaria / Alexis Wright (2006)
Sat 2 Aug - Luncheon of the Boating Party / Susan Vreeland (2007)
Participation is FREE, and it is a fun and relaxing winter activity for those who love to read and talk about fiction. Morning tea provided. All welcome. Sart reading now! Phone 9510 3393 or email library@pmi.net.au to reserve your place.

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Previously in 2008

On 2 April Mr Don Hauser presented a fascinating illustrated lecture, based on his 2006 book Printers of the Streets and Lanes of Melbourne. The book outlines the contribution of the graphic arts and printing industry to the growth and cultural fabric of early Melbourne society.

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2007 events

	On 14 Mar Dr Max Lay, an international authority on roads, presented an illustrated lecture, based on his 2003 book Melbourne Miles, showing us the early history of Melbourne, and of our particular part of Melbourne, through the story of the development of the main thoroughfares.
	On 27 June Dr Judith Buckrich presented the Laurie McCalman Lecture on her book Design for Living: a History of ‘Prahran Tech’. The annual Laurie McCalman Lecture is a joint presentation of the Prahran Mechanics' Institute and the Prahran Historical & Arts Society.

	Over May and June the PMI Library hosted ‘Mechanics and Proud of It’, a travelling exhibition created by the Mechanics’ Institutes of Victoria. The exhibition incorporated thematic stories related to the history of each of twenty mechanics’ institutes in Victoria.
	In 2007 our Winter Book Club met at the library on the first Saturdays of the winter months. Books for discussion in 2007 were: The Secret River / Kate Grenville, The Kite Runner / Kahled Hosseini and The Book Thief / Marcus Zusak.
	During July and August the PMI hosted On the Run: Daring Convict Escapes, a colourful travelling exhibition created by the State Library of NSW, and sponsored in Victoria by the Department for Victorian Communities.
	National Family History Week Seminar: Family History for Beginners: ‘Organising and Caring for your Family History Documents’ presented by Alison Boundy and ‘Family History and Computers’ presented by Christine Worthington. This seminar was very well attended and full of useful tips for budding family historians. Paula Gorton was the winner of our door prize (a family history software package from National Family History Week sponsors Hereditree) and Geoff Durham won the second prize of a PMI library membership voucher.
	In September and October the PMI hosted a City of Stonnington travelling exhibition which was created by the Stonnington Local History Service to celebrate 150 Years of Municipal History in Prahran and Malvern, the City of Stonnington.

	The 2007 History Essay Competition prize winners are as follows: First Prize = $200 - Robert Milner (Elwood College) Second Prize = $100 voucher from Borders® - Morgan Mansell (Presbyterian Ladies’ College) Honourable mention certificates were awarded to: Kelly Pethick (Blackburn High School) Sophie McDonald (Mount Waverley Secondary College) Lovisa Brown (Elwood College) All other entrants received a certificate of participation. Thank you to all schools, teachers and students who contributed to the competition in 2007 and special thanks to Borders® for sponsorship of the competition.
	The annual Historic Picture Show was held on 15 November, and Peter Wofenden (Vice-President of CATHS) gave us a glimpse of another era. This year Peter showcased a selection of silent films from the 1920s which were typical of those available from photographic libraries such as those run by Kodak - the equivalent of the video/dvd shop of today. All in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
	In December the annualAlan Shinkfield awards were presented by committee members to Grade Six students at primary schools in the Stonnington area. Each student received $100 cash, a certificate and a copy of the PMI history Pioneer and Hardy Survivor. Armadale Primary School: Clara Murphy Malvern Primary School: Meg Harris South Yarra Primary School: Georgia Parker Stonnington Primary School: Vinko Maric Toorak Primary School: Amrita Shah Victorian College for the Deaf: William Mills For further details and a list of all past recipients of the award look at our information sheet.

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2006 events

	In March we were joined by Andrew Brown-May, who told us the story behind the Encyclopedia of Melbourne, which he co-edited with Shurlee Swain. During April PMI hosted the travelling exhibition 'Nothing on a Plate: Women's Journey Towards Equity in Victoria', which was created in 2001 by the Union of Australian Women.
	On 25 May, during National Library & Information Week, the new PMI website was launched by Mr Tony Lupton, MP (Member for Prahran). The website was designed free-of-charge by the team at Taskforce (Working Edge) Community Agency, which offers web training for unemployed people.
	On 14 June Dr Clare Wright spoke to the members about her book Beyond the ladies lounge: Australia's female publicans. The illustrated lecture gave us an insight into early colonial life of Victioria from the ground up to the legislature, by examination of the working lives of women in Victoria in the context of economic and cultural factors and social attitudes.
	July was Book Club month. Three meetings were held on Saturday mornings to talk about Of a Boy by Sonia Hartnett, Zorro by Isabella Allende and The Master by Colm Toibin. The Book Club continues to be a relaxing and enjoyable winter activity.
	On 24 August Kristin Otto conducted the annual Laurie McCalman Lecture. Kristin is the author of Yarra: a Diverting History of Melbourne's Murky River. The Laurie McCalman lecture is a joint presentation of the PMI and the Prahran Historical & Arts Society.
	On November 15, Peter Wolfenden, Vice President of CATHS, took us on an entertaining and informative journey through time via a series of historic short films relating to transport and telecommunications. The evening was jointly presented by the PMI and the Cinema and Theatre Historical Society (CATHS).
	Our 2006 History Essay Competition prize recipients were: First Prize = $200 - Felix Lofgren (Elwood College) Second Prize = $100 voucher from Borders® - Jassinta Chinniah (MacRobertson Girls' High School) Honourable mention certificates were awarded to: Sofia Kailis (Melbourne Girls High School) Gabriella Bornstein (Methodist Ladies College) Caleb Lim (Elwood College) All other entrants received a certificate of participation. Thank you to all schools, teachers and students who contributed to the competition in 2006 and special thanks to Borders® for sponsorship of the competition.
	In December our Alan Shinkfield awards were presented by committee members to Grade Six students at primary schools in the Stonnington area. Each student received $100 cash, a certificate and a copy of the PMI history Pioneer and Hardy Survivor. Armadale Primary School: Ruby Vadiveloo Malvern Primary School: Emily Phillips, Cameron MacFarlane ($50 ea.) South Yarra Primary School: Helen Whitehead Stonnington Primary School: Zoe Lorenzin Toorak Primary School: Tram Tran Victorian College for the Deaf: Ebony Sanford For further details and a list of all past recipients of the award look at our information sheet.