PMI Victorian History Library in Prahran, Victoria | Community organisation

PMI Victorian History Library

Locality: Prahran, Victoria

Phone: +61 3 9510 3393

Address: 39 St Edmonds Road 3181 Prahran, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.pmi.net.au

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• Non-profit organisation
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• Library

25.01.2022 No Clementine today but Irene, one of our volunteers, has sent in a picture of Wally the Wombat, her working from home companion, inspecting a very relevant selection of books. :)

24.01.2022 Golly. Who remembers this 'classic' advertisement from the early 1980s. Orange trams. Orange taxis. Bad early 80s music and fashion. What's not to like!... Courtesy of the Old Shops Australia Facebook page.

24.01.2022 A crossword puzzles for a wet Saturday. Victoria's national parks. We might not be able to visit them but we can still do puzzles about them- hope you enjoy https://crosswordhobbyist.com/8332/Victorias-National-Parks

23.01.2022 Hello everyone, We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a 'click and collect' service on Wednesday 16 September 2020. Please contact us on 0432 012 118 or if calling Wednesday 9510 3393 to arrange your request.... At this stage our 'click and collect' service will operate on Wednesdays only but we are hoping to increase this service as restrictions ease in coming weeks. Naturally we are looking forward to opening the library as well. Stay tuned. Kind regards, PMI Staff and Committee

22.01.2022 This week the place I would like to highlight is Mildura. For years, Mildura has been on my list of places I would like to visit but I have not made it there yet! For those of you who don’t know, Mildura is located in the north west corner of Victoria, on the banks of the Murray River. It’s name was taken from an early sheep station that covered most of the area and it is the traditional lands of the Millewa-Mallee, Latji Latji, Nyeri Nyeri and Werigia. Europeans first arriv...ed in the area in 1857 and brought sheep to graze in the area However, many of these properties were abandoned during drought. In 1886 George Caffey came to Victoria and selected the derelict station Mildura as his irrigation site and he signed an agreement with the Victorian Government to spend a huge amount of money of permanent improvements. Mildura was established in 1887 and the post office opened in 1888. Mildura is known for its grapes, and there are many wineries in the area. It is also home to the very popular Sunraysia brand of sultanas and raisins. It has a fruit fly exclusion zone, where fruit cannot be brought in. This is to protect the area from Queensland fruit fly, which would decimate the area. I also know that thanks to its agriculture, many backpackers discover this region whilst completing their farm stay. Mildura is also a tourism destination, but this is mostly domestic. Thanks to the Murray River, it is home to riverboats, paddle steamers and boat cruises. I have also heard of guided kayaking trips. Also, because it is inland and the air is not as turbulent as the coastal regions, it is also ideal for hot air ballooning. If you want to learn more about Mildura, the PMI has several books in its collection, including Mildura Calling by Alice M Lapthorne. Have you been to Mildura? Is it somewhere you love to visit? Let us know in the comments. Photo courtesy of Museums Victoria, located on Trove.nla.gov.au.

22.01.2022 A very easy Melbourne crossword for your Monday morning entertainment

22.01.2022 Virtual Tour, No. 24: There are Ballarat trams held in the collections of other Museums, so on our virtual tour we can go and see them. No. 12, a sister car to ...our 11, 13, and 14, was built in Sydney in 1915 by Meadowbank Engineering for the Prahran and Malvern Tramway Trust as No. 71. Sold to Geelong in 1928 and renumbered 27, the tram was then sent to Ballarat in 1936 as No. 12. In September 1971, 12 was acquired by the NSW Steam Engine Preservation Society to provide transport through their projected museum to be based near Sydney and stored in a hayshed at Stockyard Hill in Victoria. It was then given to to the Sydney Tram Museum in September 1974, making its inaugural run there in December 1974. Tram 12 remains with the Sydney Tramway Museum, as a static exhibit in their display hall, an example of a product of the Meadowbank Manufacturing Company. Photo: from the Sydney Tram Museum See more

21.01.2022 Thursday trivia!! Today's trivia question is an easy one. What species of bird is currently nesting on top of a building in Collins Street?... Post your answers in the comments!

21.01.2022 Okay so the 2020 AFL Grand Final will be played in a different venue slightly north of the hallowed MCG and at a different time but did you know that there have been other instances where the last match of the season were played at other venues. The first 'final' (other than a round robin as had been the case in previous seasons) was played between Essendon and Fitzroy at the St Kilda Football Ground where Fitzroy beat the 'Dons by 15 points in 1898. There was further tweakin...g of the finals series after some issues occurred in 1901 when Geelong finished at the top of the ladder but was eliminated in the subsequent semi final. A right of challenge format was adopted. During this time the final matches were played at venues including Albert Park, St Kilda's Junction Oval and the East Melbourne Cricket Ground - long since gone. Finally from 1902 onwards the MCC's Melbourne Cricket Ground was selected as a more appropriate (and likely neutral venue). However over the years other venues came into play including Princes Park in Carlton during the 1942, 1943 and 1945 seasons (as the MCG was being used as a temporary military barracks), and the Junction Oval in 1944 (for the same reason). Perhaps a more (in)famous grand final venue was Waverley Park in 1991 due to the construction of the Southern Stand. This final saw Hawthorn thump the West Coast Eagles 20.19.139 to 13.8.86 with half time 'entertainment' being provided by Angry Anderson singing 'Bound for Glory' in a 'replica' Batmobile. Perhaps a sign of things to come entertainment wise (Meatloaf at the 2011 grand final for example). The 2020 AFL Grand Final is the first time in VFL/AFL history that the match has been played outside metropolitan Melbourne and also at night. The PMI Victorian History Library has a rich collection of material in our collection on VFL/AFL history, the clubs, players, coaches and of course the grounds. One such book is Football grounds of Melbourne by Santo Caruso, Marc Fiddian and Jim Main published in 2002. MCG, 1983 (c) Robert Moss

21.01.2022 Charman Road in Cheltenham... completely changed today. Courtesy of footage from the Public Records Office of Victoria

21.01.2022 We have a mystery photo from an ephemera donation. So were crowdsourcing it Anyone have any idea what house this photo is of?

21.01.2022 Do you have a favourite Australian children's book illustrator? Our Collections Librarian explores the history of children's book illustration in Australia and looks at some of her favourites in our most recent post on our blog Instituting The Past

20.01.2022 Happy 150th birthday to the Royal Children's Hospital.

20.01.2022 It's the three year anniversary of our blog Instituting The Past: The inner mechanics of the PMI Victorian History Library. It's been a great opportunity to share PMI stories https://institutingthepast.wordpress.com

20.01.2022 Steamrail’s A2 986 shunts her train at Echuca station after arriving from Bendigo earlier in the afternoon in glorious sunny conditions.

19.01.2022 An interesting perspective.

19.01.2022 Who remembers visiting the Fairy Park at Anakie between Geelong and Bacchus Marsh? Opening in December 1959 it was the idea of German immigrant Peter Mayer who conceived and made many of the attractions and puppets along with his family which were based on traditional fairy tales. The family still own the park today and in recent years has undergone several renovations. ... All images (c) Steven Haby, 2014

19.01.2022 From our friends at the Melbourne Tram Museum at the Hawthorn depot. A photo circa 1945 showing a single trucker S class no.169 on a local service in Footscray. There is so much detail in this photograph. The shop signs, the people in the street and the lack of cars. The S class car has been modified for 'all night / one person' operation and also has extra safety measures due to WW2 'brownout' measures.

17.01.2022 From the Geelong in Historical Pictures a video from 1968 depicting the last days of steam locomotive action in Geelong. The turntable is still there and in use but everything else has changed.

16.01.2022 Happy Wattle Day! National Wattle Day marks the first day of spring in Australia. To celebrate, explore a selection of photographs, art and postcards fr...om our collection featuring the floral emblem - including this WWI postcard of a little soldier and nurse wattle. Explore the collection: bit.ly/32MdGVG

16.01.2022 On Wednesday 16 September 2020 we commenced our 'click and collect' service which is the next step in the process of being able to reopen to you and the general community. Here are several bags of books awaiting collection by our members yesterday. We will be initially offering this service on a Wednesday but we are hoping to increase that in coming weeks depending on government advice regarding restrictions.... Please contact us for further information. Stay safe.

16.01.2022 Today we will learn about an early pioneering pharmacist named Edward Wollaston. Swiss-born and educated in London, he immigrated to Australia, landing in Port Phillip in 1850. In his early years, he was a dispensing pharmacist in various hospitals. He was an assistant to George Lewis at Medical Hall in east Collins St. He then went to become a dispensing pharmacist at The Colonial Hospital which formed from John Batmans residence, which is now Spencer St /Southern Cross sta...tion. He also worked at the Police Infirmary which was formed due to Constables arriving from England to work in Victoria. This was the beginning of Victorias police force. Wollaston was also an original staff member of the Royal Womens Hospital (it was re-named the Royal Womens in 1933).In 1855-1857 he had his own premises at 130 Russell street and later went on to have a business in Ballarat. Chemical lighting appears to be an interest for him as he developed the first type of chemical lighting for theatres in Melbourne and was also responsible for the illuminated fountain in front of the Exhibition Building, built for the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh. However he cannot be credited as the first pharmacist in Melbourne, that title goes to John Cade in Collins st. This topic was originally researched and written by William Elsum in 1933 and had been covered by the Pharmacy History Australia Journal. https://www.yumpu.com//344/pharmacy-history-32-july-2007/4 Picture from: Pharmacy History Australia Journal Vol 3 pg.9 See more

16.01.2022 Meet Emma our Social Media volunteer #NVW2021

15.01.2022 A fascinating look from the State Library Victoria on emigration to Australian in the mid 19th century

15.01.2022 Virtual Tour, No. 23: Our most modern tram is W7 class 1029, which first entered service in Melbourne in February 1956. It was acquired by the Museum in 2019 to... provide additional services on our historic tramway. A small team have been working away in isolation to carry out repairs to the roof, and prepare the tram for repainting. Minor mechanical repairs are also being carried out, and it is hoped the tram will be ready for service in 2021. Photo: Alastair Reither See more

14.01.2022 It's NAIDOC week- we're a little late, but we thought it was worth highlighting the PMI's Indigenous History Collection. It is an important part of the Victorian History Library, and a valuable resource to a myriad of people. You can view what indigenous material we hold by searching 'Indigenous Australians' in advanced search on our catalog. https://library.pmi.net.au/advancedSearch.jsp?newSearch=true The image is '2020 National NAIDOC logo'.

14.01.2022 Hi everyone, Im Donna and I am a volunteer at the PMI. I will be posting on behalf of the PMI three times a week. Every Monday I will highlight great Australian businesses, like Red Tulip, Darrell Lea and Coles and provide a snapshot of their story. There are so many great businesses and people that built them and I feel that they should be celebrated. Of course, if you want to know more, I will also let you know if there are any related materials in the PMIs collection. I... will also be posting a trivia question every Thursday, so get your brain cells working! I will also post the answer later on that day so I will not leave you hanging! I will also need your help with my Wednesday posts. I want to highlight different places in Victoria and talk about the interesting and quirky places that are in this state. However, I am originally from New South Wales and I dont know Victoria as well as all of you. I have heard stories of a gnome that guarded an intersection and that there may be a second Spoonville that is not in St Kilda. Also, are there any giant statues around? If you know of somewhere or something, please email the PMI or leave a comment and I will be able to write about it. Lastly, if there is anything you feel like I should write about or a place, please let either myself or the PMI know. Also seriously, is there anything like the Big Pineapple or Big Avocado here in Victoria? See more

14.01.2022 As you'll have seen from her final post our volunteer Renee is stepping back from her role on our social media. We just wanted to say thank you to her for all her hard work in creating such informative and engaging posts. We'll miss having her as part of the volunteer team, but wish her all the best in her new endeavours. Thanks again Renee!

14.01.2022 Box Hill South, late 1930s near the corner of Canterbury Road and Station Street looking east. Compare the image from today using Google Street View with this image courtesy of Melbourne & Victoria - Through the Decades page. Of interest the impressive garage on the left is still there albeit completely rebuilt (several times).

13.01.2022 Really looking forward to having our book carers back in today.

12.01.2022 Come in tomorrow and have a look at the PMI Friends book sale! All books $2 or 6 for $10!

12.01.2022 Some classic street / safety signs taken whilst out for authorised exercise this morning. There are quite a few of these old street signs in parts of Toorak and Prahran. Taken in Lansell Road near Heyington station.

11.01.2022 What sites would you like to see included in a world heritage listing for Victoria's goldfields? If you're not sure, we have hundreds of books on all the goldfields' towns, regions and gold mining more generally in Victoria. Have a browse through our catalogue https://library.pmi.net.au/quickSearch.jsp and as soon as we are able, we can send some out to you :)

10.01.2022 Welcome to our series of videos about the history of Moreland's local parks! First up is Brunswick Park. One of the first parks in the Moreland area to be esta...blished in response to citizens lobbying for open spaces, it also has a strong connection to the history of AFL in the area. It's a key example of the indelible impact of Moreland's colonial, industrial history, which necessitated the creation of parks in the first place. Something to remember as we spend more time in our local green spaces over the coming months. Moreland City Council acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people as the traditional custodians of the lands and waterways in the area now known as Moreland. We pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.

10.01.2022 The Camberwell Historical Society have a zoom talk with Cathy Perkins- author of The Shelf Life of Zora Cross coming up on the 22nd of September. Should be a great event, non members are welcome.

09.01.2022 If you're interested in architecture and the conservation of heritage buildings across Melbourne, check out this article published about our friends at Lovell Chen who have played a part in the adaptive re-use of many of Melbourne's iconic heritage gems. https://architectureau.com//lovell-chen-custodians-of-me/

08.01.2022 Ever wondered how much dust and debris could collect on the hem of an 1880s dress? How many grass meadows did Alice Creswick walk in her tailored day dress? D...uring routine condition reporting, plant matter was found entangled in the fibres of a tattered dress hem. A conservator gently removed the hooked seeds. They were then sent to the National Herbarium of Victoria for identification. Most were found to be European introduced grasses, like this Bur Clover seed, and only one was an Australian alpine grass. The dress was made by Mrs Eeles a well-known Collins Street dressmaker. Discover our Collection: https://bit.ly/3i9IrKL

08.01.2022 Today I want to highlight one of my favourite places in Victoria - Hepburn Springs. This gorgeous little gem is home to the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia and has become spa central. Hepburn Springs was established in the 1850's and it is located between two former volcanos. These volcanos are responsible for both the mineral waters and the gold that attracted so many people. Many of the migrants who came here for the gold rush stayed and in 1864 the ...local residents petitioned the government to protect the area and it's mineral waters from mining. Many of the people who sought to protect the waters came from countries that have a tradition of spa towns, such as Germany and England. However, the Swiss-Italian migrants had the biggest influence on Hepburn Springs and this is evidenced by the names of hotels, such as the Savoia Hotel and the annual Swiss-Italian festa. Once the bath house was established it became a popular destination for people wanting to take the waters. The traditional bath house was also established in 1895 and is also heritage listed, along with the pavilion. Personally, the activity I love to do is to walk through the park that houses the mineral springs and enjoy the scenery and the water. In fact, there are pumps located in the park and you can drink the mineral water. Each pump is named and there are signs with the exact mineral composition of each one. There was a bushfire in 1906 that destroyed many of the original buildings. This is why Hepburn Springs has Edwardian buildings, unlike Daylesford which is distinctly Victorian. If you want to learn more about the rich history of Hepburn Springs, the PMI has several books in it's collection. Two titles are: History of Hepburn by Clare Gervasoni; Wine, water & stone: the Swiss and Italians of Hepburn by Victoria Immigration Museum. Photos are author's own.

07.01.2022 Thursday trivia! This week, it will be in honour of NAIDOC week. What is the name of the white statue located in Docklands?... As always, place your answers in the comments, the winner gets bragging rights and I will post the correct answer later on today. Good luck!

07.01.2022 Following on from our post about the history of Australian children's illustrators yesterday, we have a slideshow, put together by our volunteer Renee,highlighting some more of our fabulous illustrators. Do you have a favourite? Featured artists are; Alison Lester, Jeannie Baker, Elizabeth Honey, Roland Harvey, Mo Willams, Heath McKenzie, Grahame Base, and Kerry Argent. Images courtesy of Alisonlester.com, ABC News, elizabethhoney.com, artguide.com.au, jkrbooks.com, redtri.com, cbishowcase, goodreads.com, penguin.com.

07.01.2022 Hi all! My name is Renee Rollestone and Im the person thats been writing articles for the PMI on Facebook for the last 10 months. This is my last post and I wanted to thank all the staff and members of the PMI for being so supportive and enthusiastic! Its been a great gig and I have learned so much about Victoria and the PMI especially. Special thanks to Steven and Ellen for being supportive and encouraging me to write about whatever I find in the collection! Its been a dream assignment. Thanks again, Renee Rollestone (Volunteer)

06.01.2022 Some lovely hotels at Rochester north of Bendigo. ‘Shamrock Hotel’ is quite a common name with other examples in Bendigo and Kyneton.

06.01.2022 The PMI is closed until further notice but we are available for a 'virtual' library service and a 'click and collect' service at present. Please contact us on 0432 012 118 or email [email protected] to discuss your requirements. Thank you.

05.01.2022 Congratulations to everyone shortlisted for the Victorian Premier's Community History Awards.

05.01.2022 To close out National Volunter Week 2021 the PMI presents: Volunteers Past and Present! Thanks to all of our volunteers, for all your hard work and enthusiasm for the PMI and the work that we do. We couldn't do it without you. We hope you have all enjoyed this week's celebration of our volunteers #NVW2021

05.01.2022 Imagine what Melbourne could have looked like, if any of these designs had gone through? What would you suggest now with the brief: to design a landmark that will be famous throughout the world?

04.01.2022 #WaybackWednesday- Today we will talk about the life and achievements of Pharmacist Joseph Bosisto. If that name is familiar, its probably on the bottle of Eucalyptus Oil you have in your cupboard. Born in Leeds, Joseph arrived in Australia at Port Adelaide in 1848. He worked for a company called F.H Faulding.Co for a few years before moving to Melbourne in 1851. After marrying in 1852 he established a pharmacy in Richmond. Baron Ferdinand von Mueller (Government Botanist) ...encouraged Andrew to start a eucalyptus distillery in the Dandenongs. It was the start of a lifelong friendship with Von Mueller. He later set up distilleries in Emerald, Menzies Creek and Macclesfield. In 1854 was the first commercial display of Bosistos Eucalyptus oil. He actively promoted his product and was Vice President of the Pharmaceutical Board in Victoria. In 1862 it won a bronze medal at the London Exhibition and a Gold medal in 1873. Joseph published papers on the use of his oils in the industry journals. He also became the Mayor of Richmond in 1864. His political views were mixed and often conflicted. In 1874 he was elected a member of the legislative assembly. He established the College of Pharmacy. In 1880 he was appointed Examiner in Materia Medica at the College of Pharmacy which he held until his death. He passed away in 1898. Bosisto's Eucalyptus is still manufactured in Australia although the product has been onsold to other companies a few times. There is also a Eucalyptus Museum in Wedderburn, Victoria. To read in more detail about the life of Joseph Bosisto we have Joseph Bosisto, by Alfred Stirling. in our collection. Grab it when we reopen! Information from: The Australian Dictionary of Biography, entry by James Griffiin http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bosisto-joseph-3027 Photo from: fgb.com. See more

04.01.2022 Some questionable 80s fashion statements and back then VHS tapes were still available from this 1987 Kmart catalogue. Courtesy of Chris Ho and the Old Shops Australia Facebook page.

03.01.2022 Congratulations to the winner of the National Biography Award 2020 Tiberius With A Telephone: The life and stories of William McMahon by Patrick Mullins. You can watch the announcement of the award below and borrow the book, along with most of the rest of the shortlist, from the PMI when we're open again. https://library.pmi.net.au/fullRecord.jsp?recno=29316

02.01.2022 Ephemera Mystery. Thanks to the brains trust we have an identification of our mystery building. Its Avon court or Avoncourt at 53 Alma Road St Kilda. The first image is a more recent photo of the building, the second is our postcard for anyone who hadn't seen it. Thanks for everyone's suggestions, lovely to have worked it out. The building was a built in the Victorian era and was a boarding house for some time.

01.01.2022 An amazing collection of items.

01.01.2022 One of our youngest members is working on another Trivia Evening for your enjoyment