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Who was Florence Bartleman?

by | Jan 21, 2026 | Blog, Collections, News

Florence Bartleman and family

….and why do we have a lecture named after her?

Florence Bartleman was the first female librarian at the PMI Library, and, arguably, our first professional librarian. She only appears briefly in our minute books, where the Library Sub-Committee recorded a meeting on 27 November 1907. The minutes note, “Resolved that Miss Bartlemann of Middle Brighton be appointed at a weekly salary of £1 – appointment from Monday Dec 2nd 1907.” Her position was Assistant Librarian.

Florence is an important part of our history because she was not only the first woman employed by the PMI Library, but also the first person hired as a professional librarian. She the first of our professional staff who have become the foundation of the library, preserving our history and sharing our stories with new generations.

Florence Bartleman and sisters

Florence Bartleman and sisters

At the time Florence was hired, “librarian” was only just becoming recognised as a formal profession. In the early 1900s, there were almost no recognised library courses in Australia. The Public Library of New South Wales began training its own staff in 1898 and opened the course to others in 1900, but it was not a permanent program and there was no accrediting body. Formal courses did not begin until the 1930s.

This did not mean librarians had no training at all. Some studied overseas, while others learned through experience, as Florence did. Her father was the local bank manager in Stawell, and her first job was as the librarian at the Stawell Mechanics’ Institute. When her family moved to Middle Brighton, Florence used her experience from Stawell to apply for the position of Assistant Librarian with the Prahran Mechanics’ Institute.

When Florence joined the PMI Library, she worked under the leadership of John Henry Furneaux. His title was Secretary Librarian, a position that had existed since the library began in 1854. However, most of Furneaux’s attention was focused on transforming the organisation rather than managing the book collection. He had been appointed after a difficult time for the library, overseeing the demolition and rebuilding of the Chapel Street building and starting the art classes that would eventually lead to the founding of Prahran Technical School. By 1907, when Florence started, Prahran Tech was about to open and Furneaux was managing a growing organization, including a possible new site on High Street, that needed more professional staff. The Library Sub-Committee clearly saw that the library needed a qualified person to care for the collection, and Florence was the right choice.

Florence was one of 61 people who applied for the position. Nine applicants had previous experience, 11 had completed school matriculation, and the rest had business qualifications. The Committee first narrowed the list to 26, then five, and finally selected Florence for the role.

The 1908 Annual Report described the collection as “kept up to date,” with 600 new volumes added and a new catalogue printed. That year, the library recorded over 21,000 exchanges, including books, magazines, and papers. It was clearly a busy and well-used collection. Florence likely worked closely with Furneaux to grow it, even if the official decisions were made under his name.

Florence remained at the PMI Library until 1917, when she resigned to marry. The Prahran Chronicle wrote that “the subscribers have always found Miss Bartleman to be an extremely courteous young lady, well versed in her duties, and her many friends will wish her every happiness in her future life.”

Interestingly Florence’s successor was also a woman. The Prahran Chronicle goes on to say:

“Miss Bartleman’s successor is Miss Castwood. This lady was selected from 30 applicants, and holds excellent credentials. For twenty year her father was secretary of the Port Fairy Mechanics’ Institute and Free Library, and it is here that she obtained a first insight of her duties. More recently Miss Castwood was librarian at Miss Lang’s library, Swanston Street, city.”

After leaving the PMI Library, Florence married James Adam, a commercial artist, on 29 December 1917. Their daughter Mary was born the following year. The family moved to Sydney in 1920, where they lived on the North Shore before later settling in Berry, on the New South Wales South Coast, to be near family. Florence passed away on 11 August 1966, aged 87. We know this information because in an earlier project we managed to track down Florence’s granddaughter Robyn, who also provided us with the photo of Florence and her sisters.

Today, the PMI Library is one of only five mechanics’ institutes in Victoria that still run a professionally staffed lending library. Florence was the first in a long line of professional librarians who have shaped our organisation and its collection across more than 172 years. We now have three qualified librarians and a team of dedicated volunteers who support every part of the library, from events to marketing.

From Florence’s experience-based appointment to our current accredited staff, her story reflects the growth of librarianship in Australia and the evolution of the PMI Library itself. This is why we honour her with the Florence Bartleman Lecture.

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Written by Ellen, Collections Librarian and Volunteer Coordinator