Instituting The Past: The inner mechanics of the PMI Victorian History Library
Instituting The Past: The inner mechanics of the PMI Victorian History Library is a blog from the members and staff of the PMI Victorian History Library.
For the last 170 years we have been a community owned and run library specialising in the history of Victoria, Australia. The library collection is the only lending collection of its kind in Australia – with over 30,000 books for loan and over 40,000 items on site, including titles that are unavailable elsewhere.
This blog contains news about the library and research happening within it’s walls. We have everything from professional historians, to fiction writers, to architects and family historians visiting us, so this blog will always have something interesting. We also include book reviews from both our members and our staff.
We hope you enjoy Instituting The Past and if you’re interested in the library come down and say hello, our professional staff are always happy to help with any historical queries you might have.
An Exploration of Three Beautiful New Victorian Garden Books
Originally Posted 10 June 2021 I love the fact that beautiful garden books are still being written, photographed and published. As a garden book writer I know how much of your life is poured into producing a book. In the last twelve months three wonderful ‘labour’s...
History of the Prahran Mechanics’ Institute
Originally Posted 21 May 2021 With a lot of new members joining the library, I thought it was time for an introduction to the history of the PMI (or a reintroduction for some of our longer term members) and the history of the PMI is always fun to write about. I hope...
Book Review: Sentenced to Debt, Robert Forrester First Fleeter by Louise Wilson
Originally Posted 3 Feb 2021 An updated and expanded edition of this authoritative work on Robert Forrester. He was sentenced for a relatively minor crime, along with many others, to sail halfway across the world as part of the First Fleet to Australia. After...
PMI Library Creative Writing Competition
Originally Posted 28 Oct 2020 2021 Creative Writing Competition for Children aged 4 - 12 Presented by the PMI Victorian History Library in partnership with the Victorian Government. We understand that celebrating Children’s Week was a little difficult in 2020 and so...
Mulberry Hill
Originally Posted 22 Oct 2020 Mulberry Hill was remodelled in 1926 by architect Harold Desbrow-Annear for Joan and Daryl Lindsay. It is an absolutely fascinating place to visit, because it has been left exactly as it was when Joan died in 1984, down to the pieces of...