Kilmore Historical Society

The Kilmore Mechanics Institute

Kilmorehistoricalsociety Avatar
Kilmorehistoricalsociety

The Kilmore Mechanics institute is one of the lost buildings of Kilmore. It stood in the vacant block opposite the Old Court House. It was demolished in the 1970’s after some controversy over whether it should be preserved or not.

The building had seen many public gatherings over the years, including this well known image of a banquet held in 1872 for the inauguration of the railway. The VR in the image apparently stands for Victorian Railways, not ‘Victoria Regina’ as originally assumed.

The Mechanics Institute had a library, as befitted its mission as an educational establishment. One item of note was that over 50 of its books had been donated by John Pascoe Fawkner. This library was disseminated in a sale after the demolition of the building, and few of these books can now be traced. Kilmore Historical Society has been able to locate one, with JPF’s signature.

We currently have a small display of material relating to the Mechanics Institute in the foyer of the Old Post Office.

The building is sadly missed, and it is even sadder that having demolished such an historical treasure almost 50 years ago, the site remains vacant and unused.

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16 responses to “The Kilmore Mechanics Institute”

  1. Ian Butler Avatar
    Ian Butler

    This was the old library as well.
    My father Frank Butler had a billiard table in the hall and his friends would come and play snooker. Myself and my brothers would play at times as well.
    My father would also play badminton in the hall.
    This was in the early 1960s. My my father was the ambulance officer an we lived next door to the hall. Frank Butler is my father

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    1. kilmorehistory Avatar
      kilmorehistory

      The old library in the Mechanics Institute was set up with some wonderful old books, many of the originals being donated from the personal collection of Pascoe Fawkner. It was a great shame that this collection was sold and dispersed when the building was closed.

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  2. Des Butler aged 68 Avatar
    Des Butler aged 68

    KILMORE pics showing the opposite side of Powlett st. “Skeehans on the cnr. ( funeral home/director , next to it to the south , the old bluestone Kilmore masonic hall , next a vacant paddock , south of paddock was where I/we lived , my dad was the Kimore ambulance station officer/ambulance driver , pics of the ambulance etc etc ? I was 10 when we left Kilmore , local police/station officer , was Des Purden . with closest back up was Jack Shirley from Pyalong ty for considering my request , I am now 68

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    1. kilmorehistory Avatar
      kilmorehistory

      Nice to hear your recollections. From what you’re saying, you might have lived in the old Semple House? If you have pictures of the old Kilmore ambulance station on Powlett Street we’d love to see them so we make copies for the collection. I don’t remember ever seeing any pictures of that building.

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    2. grthom Avatar
      grthom

      Hi Des

      Thank you for your enquiry about the western side of Powlett Street, Kilmore. My aplogies for the delay in responding. I had a look through our photo collection but found nothing of the block where you lived. What I found was 1 Powlett street is the old bank building (Skehans in your time) now a private residence (photo held), 3 Powlett St is a vacant block that was the Mechanics Hall (photo held), 5-7 Powlett Street is a telecommunications building covering two blocks, 9 Powlett St is a building providing rooms for students attending the Kilmore International School, and 11-13 Powlett St known as Dr Semple’s residence (photo held). We do not hold any photographs of ambulances in Kilmore. For your information you can see a collection of photographs of Kilmore on the State Library of Victoria website – on home page at top search for Kilmore and select photographs – https://www.slv.vic.gov.au

      regards – Grahame Thom- Vice President KHS

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  3. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    Hi Graham

    I have some old items that were made buy a student at the st joesephs School .
    Do you know we’re they can be taken too please. Going back to the late 1887s

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    1. kilmorehistory Avatar
      kilmorehistory

      Hi Michelle

      Sounds interesting. Any idea when they were made? Are they small items? If so KHS could use them for display purposes. Can you drop them of at the Old KIlmore Post Office when we are open – Tues and Thurs 10am to 3pm and Sat 10am to 1pm. Grahame

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      1. Michelle Avatar
        Michelle

        Hi Graham

        One is large and framed they were done in the late 1800s by Theresa Graham not in front of them atm they are tapestry’s the large one is a religious piece the other the alphabet with her name and date on it.
        Is it possible to give them directly to someone as they have been in the family for a very long time.
        Thanks
        Michelle

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      2. kilmorehistory Avatar
        kilmorehistory

        Hi Michelle
        They sound like appropriate items to add to our collection of items having a link to Kilmore. Not sure I understand your last sentence. Do you mean that when you visit our rooms you would like to know the names of people to ask for. If so the following Committee members are usually on duty – Rose King, Francis Payne, Barbara Wilson, Liz Dillon Hensby and myself (Tues). Could you gives us some short notes about Theresa please. You can have a loo around our building at the same time as we now have good facilities to look after all our collections.

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  4. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    Hi Graham

    Oh no it was you had asked for them to go to the post office, that was all .
    If someone is their that is apart of the Kilmore committee, that would be fine.
    Unfortunately I personally don’t know anything about her as it was my uncles by marriage relation .
    Which days can they be dropped in to you please.
    I’ll have to work around my work days, if weekends are possible please let me know.

    Many thanks
    Michelle

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    1. kilmorehistory Avatar
      kilmorehistory

      Thank you for your very kind offer. What Grahame was saying is that the Post Office is the base for the Historical Society, and the people he mentioned were the Committee members of the Historical Society who are usually found in the building when we are open to the public. So dropping any item off to those people would see it added to the Historical Society collection, which is housed in the Post Office.
      Rather than have you trying to organise a time to come in, perhaps you could let us know when would we best for you, say next week sometime, and we will have someone on the premises? We currently have a historical clothing display that you might find interesting.

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  5. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    Hi Graham

    That sounds great Thanku for clarifying for me.
    I can possibly get their on a Friday I’ll check when I’m free next and let you know.

    Look forward seeing the displays.

    Many thanks
    Michelle

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    1. Michelle Avatar
      Michelle

      Hi Graham

      So sorry, work has had be busy of late, as you are open on Saturdays, this will work well for me.
      If possible are all Saturdays ok to drop off to the post office.
      I may be able to do so next Saturday pending, please let me know if this is a possibility.
      Otherwise I’m available on a Tuesday.

      Many thanks
      Michelle

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      1. kilmorehistory Avatar
        kilmorehistory

        Any Saturday Michelle

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  6. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    Hi Graham

    Hope you are all well, just checking in to see if Tuesday are ok, I did receive a email stating you were closed on some days.
    I have to go to town to collect something’s so may be able to swing over to you on the same day.

    Many thanks
    Michelle

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    1. kilmorehistory Avatar
      kilmorehistory

      Sorry this is late, any Tuesday is okay. Grahame

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