June 2017

Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute Newsletter

The Institute’s 2017 AGM will be held in the Humffray Room on Wednesday 28 June at 5pm.

The guest speakers will be Board Members Mike Stephens (Board Strategic Planning Process) and Wendy Graham (World Congress of Mechanics Institutes held in San Francisco).

All members of the Institute are invited to attend the AGM. Elections for the 2017-18 Board will be held and attendees will receive an Annual Report and a Financial Update.

Nomination forms for the Board and office-bearer positions will be available from early June in the BMI Library.

Retiring Directors eligible to stand for a two-year term: David Berry, Graham Gooding, Wendy Graham, Prof Terry Lloyd & Phil Roberts.

Directors with one-year remaining: Grantley Hastings, Andrew Miller, Prof John McDonald, Mike Stephens, Andrew Wallace and Ross Furness.

Ross FurnessBMI Secretary

Annual General Meeting

TwilightTalks

to light up your Winter

The BMI is excited to announce an incredible Winter season of Twilight Talks

with some hot topics to get you through the brisk Winter chill!

From horticulture to film directing and everything in between, this lineup will have something for

everyone. Twilight Talks take place on Friday evenings in the Humffray Room from June 2.

Join us for some delicious nibbles and drinks from 5pm, before talks commence at 5:30pm.

This evening out is still great value at only $6 for BMI members and $10 for non-members.

Twilight Talks Winter Series Program

2 June - Lorraine Powell,President, Victorian Garden History Society

9 June - John Chase, Film Director

16 June - Janet Dore, Chair, Committee for Ballarat

23 June - Dr John Garner Medical historian

30 June - Nina Netherway & Zelda MartinIllustrators

7 July - Jenny DebneyDoctoral student, Federation University

14 July - Thomas Watson and Jean-Baptiste BreliereFilm producers

21 July - Graeme JohnstoneBoard Member, Creative Clunes Inc.

1. Annual General meetingThe AGM this year is to be held on Wednesday 28 June in the Humffray Room at 5pm. All BMI members are welcome to attend. The main speakers will be BMI Board members Wendy Graham who will outline highlights of her visit to the San Francisco World Conference last November and Mike Stephens who will present the recently updated BMI Strategic Plan 2015-20. Also the Annual Report and Financial Report will be presented and the Board Elections for 2017-18 will be held.

2. Twilight TalksOnce again we have been able to arrange a very good array of guest speakers for the Twilight Talks. Coordinator Dr Joan Hunt has put a large amount of time into organizing the talks that run from Friday 2 June to Friday 21 July inclusive. Details are contained elsewhere in this Newsletter. Pass the word on to your friends and relatives about the high quality and enjoyable nature of the talks.

3. May EventsWe have had a strong run of events especially in the Minerva Space in the past month and a big thank you to our Venue Manager David Dahlenburg for his dedicated work in overseeing these events. The Max Harris Ballarat Photography Collection Trivia Night (pictured below) held on 6 May was a wonderful success. It was a very enjoyable evening and much

needed funds were raised. A big thank you to all those involved. The Ballarat Heritage Weekend on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 May was a particularly busy occasion. Amy Tsilemanis organized a number of Federation University events, displays occurred in the Heritage Library and our Patron Dr Frank Hurley, Past President Graham Gooding and myself gave talks about the BMI. Thank you to all volunteers.

4. BMI ToursWe have decided to discontinue Thursday at 2pm guided tours and instead from the start of July to provide $5 ‘tourist-based’ talks on Saturday mornings from 10.30 to 11.30am. We are encouraging people to book for the tours that will be based on the BMI as well as general Ballarat information.

Phil Roberts

News from the President

Recommended Reads

The Orphans TalePam Jenoff

A powerful novel of friendship set in a travelling circus during World War II, The Orphan’s Tale introduces two extraordinary women & their harrowing stories of sacrifice and survival.

The Pretty Delicious CaféDanielle Hawkins

On the outskirts of a small New Zealand seaside town, Lia & Anna work serious hours running their restored café. This is a warm, witty novel, brimming with the trademark, romance and friendship.

Forty Autumns Nina Willner

A family’s story of courage and survival on both sides of the Berlin Wall. This moving memoir tells the story of five women separated by the Iron Curtain for more than 40 years and their miraculous reunion.

BOOK REVIEW by Joan LupsonSomeone is Watching by Joy FieldingThis is a very good read, which kept my interest all the way through, with a twist at the end.

MYSTERYThe Restless Dead | Simon Beckett

Last Breath | Robert BryndzaAfter the Storm | Linda Castillo

All By Myself Alone | Mary Higgins ClarkLost Girl | JC.Grey

Domina | L.S.HiltonGame Over | Quintin Jardine Takedown | Stephen Leather

Earthly Remains | Donna LeonThe Black Book |

James Patterson/David EllisAn Echo of Murde | Anne Perry

See What I Have Done | Sarah SchmidtDon’t Look Behind You | Mel Sherratt

Written in the Scars | Mel Sherratt

PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERSThe Girl Who Was Taken |

Charlie DonleaGood as Gone | Amy GentryWhere she Went | B.E.Jones

Don’t You Cry | Mary KubicaGood Me Bad Me | Ali Land

The Dark Room | Jonathan MooreAll is not Forgotten | Wendy Walker

ROMANCEAbout last Night | Catherine Alliott

The Pretty Delicious Café | Danielle Hawkins

The Shape of Us | Lisa IrelandOrchard Valley | Debbie Macomber

HISTORICALThe Mersey Daughter | Annie Groves

NOVELThe Cutthroat | Clive Cussler

Birdcage Walk | Helen DunmoreMargherita’s Recipe for Love |

Elisabetta Flummeri/Gabriella GiacomettiThe Orphan’s Tale | Pam Jenoff

The Good Mother | Sinead MoriatryMusic & Freedom | Zoe MorrisonThe Shadow Sister | Lucinda Riley

The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir |Jennifer Ryan

War Cry | Wilbur Smith

AUSTRALIANCongo Dawn | Katherine Scholes

SCANDINAVIANThe Owl Always Hunts at Night |

Samuel BjorkWhen it Grows Dark | Jorn Lier Horst

Before I Go | Leena LehtolainenThe Thirst | Jo Nesbo

NON FICTIONThe Zookeeper’s Wife | Diane Ackerman

My Outback Life | Toni Tapp CouttsThe Stranger in the Woods |

Michael FinkelHillbilly Elegy | J.D.Vance

Forty Autumns | Nina Willner

New Releasesfor June

David Mark

David spent more than 15 years as a journalist, including seven years as a crime reporter for The Yorkshire PostHis writing is influenced by the court cases he covered. He now lives in Lincolnshire, UK.

The Restless DeadSimon Beckett

Dr David Hunter is at crossroads in his life and is feeling down. His police consulting work had dried up and his university work is dependant on it.

Out of the blue, he is asked to help the Essex police recover a badly decomposed body that needs to be identified.

Authorof the month

Bookof the month

Dulcie CorbettJulie Hill

Mary MaroneyHelen DolanHelen Weir

Alan WilliamsJohn SayersJudy Files

Dr Dean McKenzie

New MembersWelcome on board

Have you seen the band that is taking Australian kids music by storm?

Be taken on a Mik Mak musical adventure with brothers Al, Dean, Joel and Drums the Panda. There’s lot’s of jobs to do and musical fun to be had with The Mik Maks ‘Working on the Farm.’

Friday, 7 July, 10:30amBallaarat Mechanics’ Institute

Tickets: $18.90www.stickytickets.com.au/49660

DOUG ANTHONY ALL STARSNear Death Experience

Friday June 23, Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute

www.trybooking.com2 SHOWS!

7:30PM & 9:30PMSOLD O

UTSELLING

FAST

Max Harris Trivia Night

Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute117 Sturt St Ballarat, Vic 3350www.ballaratmi.org.auP: (03) 5331 3042e: library@ballaratmi.org.au

Library hours:Mon - Fri: 10am - 4pmSaturday: 9:30am - 12pm

For venue hire enquiriese: bookings@ballaratmi.org.auP: 0419 677 713

International VisitorDr. Sarah Comyn’s research takes her to the BMI from Dublin, Ireland.

Dr. Sarah Comyn is a postdoctoral fellow on the European Research Council (ERC) project, SouthHem, based at University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland. The ERC project in question investigates the circulation of books and manuscripts from 1783-1870 between and within three key zones: 1. Australia and New Zealand; 2. The Cape Colony and Natal; and 3. Java and the Straits Settlements.

As part of this project, Dr. Comyn is researching Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria, particularly those established during the gold rush. In addition to researching the surviving library collections of the early institutes, she is interested in the lectures and readings frequently held there. Her research will take her to Ballarat, Bendigo, Beechworth, Chiltern and Stanley.

Friends of the BMI present:

Saturday 28th October$25.00

Includes Morning Tea.

We will be going to 10 outlets.Program Commencing: Tuesday 20 June, 7pm (for 6 weeks) with a break over school holidaysCost $200.00, UFS Members $180.00 (includes course materials & book)

body scan meditation.

For more information or to book call 5327 7777 or email info@ufs.com.au | www.ufs.com.au

BMI Photo Board (from far left): Friends of Minerva visit the Beers Through the Years exhibition; Fed Uni Arts Academy Students rehearse for Heritage Weekend; Max Harris and Adrian Lillas host Trivia Night (dressed by BLOC).