September 2016

The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute Newsletter

I’m sure you will read many great highlights within these pages regarding our wonderful “Spring Celebrations” recently conducted at the Mechanics’ Institute.As venue manager I was very excited to finally work with the Federation University Live Production Unit over 4 days in the Minerva Space. The crew brought in 7 vans of equipment (pictured above) so I knew it was going to be special. Such diversity of music was presented, recorded, filmed and streamed live on the internet. With such professional production it really showed how dynamic the sound in the Minerva Space can be since the acoustic treatment was completed.Congratulations to Rex Hardware, Felicity Hoare and all the students – it was a pleasure to have you at our venue.There were many enquiries over the Celebrations regarding our various spaces for community hire. We are fortunate to have range of rooms on offer that can cater for most functions, in addition to a finishing kitchen that can service all rooms. It was a pleasure to show folks around during Open Day and that extends to the greater community.

You can contact me on 0419677713 or visit the website

www.ballaratmi.org.au/our-venues for more information.

Within Our Walls

with Venue Manager David Dahlenburg Ph: 0419 677 713, bookings@ballaratmi.org.au

Celebrati

on

Sensation

After months of planning, the Spring Celebrations at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute was a huge success, with three days of music, events and exhibitions delighting hundreds

of patrons over September 1 - 3. More photos inside & back page

INTHEPICTUREBallarat through timeSeptember 3 - 30BMI Entranceway & Hooper Room

1960s images from the max harris ColleCtion

the Ballarat life photographs

roger Burrows’ vintage camera collection

Proudly supported by a City of Ballarat Community Impact Grant.

Meet exhibition curator Amy Tsilemanis Saturday Sept 17 & 24, 10am - 12pm

Open DayCongratulations to all involved in the Open Day activities. Led by our Curator Amy Tsilemanis, the Open Day and three evenings of musical events had the BMI ‘buzzing’. It was great to see so many people visiting our premises and enjoying all we had to offer. Staff and volunteers worked together harmoniously to create an entertaining and enjoyable program and to make the event a huge success. Also it was heartening to see so many students and staff from Federation University making such good use of the Minerva Space. On behalf of the Board of Management, I thank all those staff and BMI volunteers for their wonderful efforts.

Membership and Room BookingsAn outcome of the Open Day was that 16 new members signed up – wonderful! If your membership has lapsed contact our Librarian Rosemary McInerney on 53313042 – we depend on a large membership base. We hope to gain more bookings through people who visited the BMI on Open Day – members please promote this. Details of costs and availability are on our website: ballaratmi.org.au and/or phone Venue Manager David Dahlenburg on 0419 677 713 for bookings.

Max Harris PrintsPrints for gifts or home decoration are available from the BMI library.

The cost ranges from $30 for a 20 x 25 cm print to $100 for a 50 x 70cm print. Spread the word – many people would love to purchase or receive one of the brilliant photographs Max has produced.

Twilight TalksWe are getting ready for another series of outstanding talks in October and November. The first will be by Gordon Morrison, Director of the Ballarat Art Gallery on Friday 7 October. He will be talking about the next Archibald Series that is coming to Ballarat. Details about the full Twilight Talks program will be in the October Newsletter.

Phil RobertsPresident 2016-17

News from the President

Recommended Reads

The Last Painting of Sara de VosDominic Smith

In 1631, Sara de Vos is the first woman to be recognised as a master painter at the Guild of St. Luke’s in Holland. Three hundred years later, only one work attributed to de Vos is known to remain – a haunting winter scene, At The Edge of a Wood. An Australain grad student, struggling to stay afloat in New York, agrees to paint a forgery of the landscape. Half a century later, she’s curating an exhibit of female Dutch painters, and both versions threaten to arrive.

BelgraviaJulian Fellowes

Belgravia is the story of a secret. A secret that unravels behind the porticoed doors of London’s grandest postcode. Set in the 1840s when the upper echelons of society began to rub shoulders with the emerging industrial nouveau riche, Belgravia is peopled by a rich cast of characters.

Breaking Cover Stella Rimington

A new cold war is coming and Liz Carlyle is about the find herself on very thin ice. Still reeling from the loss of the man she loved in a botched antiterrorist operation in Paris, Carlyle has been posted to MI5’s counter espionage desk, where her bosses hope the relative quiet might give her the chance to find her feet again.

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MYSTERYOnly the innocent | Rachel Abbott

Lie With Me | Sabine DurrantKiller Look | Linda fairstein

Saturday Requiem | Nicci FrenchLove You Dead | Peter James

Deception Island | Brynn KellyI See You | Clare MackintoshThe Games | James Patterson

The Kept Woman | Karin SlaughterThe Road To Winter | Mark SmithBreaking Cover | Stella Rimington

When the Music’s Over | Peter RobinsonThe Fire Child | S.K.Tremayne

NOVELThe Cavendon Luck | Barbara Taylor Bradford

Light of Paris | Eleanor BrownThe Muse | Jessie Burton

The Midnight Watch | David DyerBelgravia | Julian Fellowes

Falling | Jane GreenHow To Find Love In A Book Shop | Veronica Henry

The Teacher’s Secret | Suzanne LealThe Silk Merchant’s Daughter | Dinha Jefferies

This Must Be The Place | Maggie O’FarrellDead To Me | Lesley Pearse

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos | Dominic Smith

ROMANCEThe Bachelor | Tilly Bagshawe

The Missing Wife | Sheila O’FlanaganBay of Sighs | Nora Roberts

AUSTRALIAThe Woman Next Door | Liz ByrskiTruly Madly Guilty | Liane Moriarty

The One Who Got Away | Caroline Overington

SCANDANIVIANThe Final Murder | Anne Holt

A Darker Sky | Mari Jungstedt & Ruben EliassenStalker | Lars Kepler

The Man Who Wasn’t There |Hjorth & RosenfeldtWhere Roses Never Die | Gunnar Staalesen

Peter Robinson

Peter grew up in Yorkshire, UK and is the author of 23 novels featuring Inspector Banks. He is the winner of numerous awards in the United States, Britain & Canada. In 2002 he won the CWA (United Kingdom) Dagger Award. His latest release is When the Music’s Over

When the Music’s OverPeter Robinson

Two women, two crimes.The first is a poet claiming she was assaulted decades earlier by a man now regarded as one of the country’s national treasures. The second is a girl found on a remote roadside, her body broken, her life snuffed out.For Alan Banks, newly promoted to Detective Superintendent, the first case rips a tunnel into long-ago days of innocence and discovery, of music and light. In the victim, he sees an opportunity for magic recaptured – if he can bring her assailant to justice.

Authorof the month

Bookof the month

Rosie SheaJulie Brusaschi

Margaret NoonanMax Burns

Alisa Brackley duBoisMike Stephens & Associates

Yfke Van RielJoan Lupson

Chris Ashmore

New MembersWelcome on board

You’re invited to a fundraising morning tea with Your Inspiration at Home products: hand blended all natural dip mixes, spice blends and chocolate powers. Friday 14th October at 11am in the Humffray Room.

Our Next Fundraiser

Spring Celebrations(clockwise from right):Amy, Susan and Mark Twain; Andrew Miller showing off his headwear; Sing Australia Choir; children’s activities in the Humffray Room; Wendy Graham assisting with the decorations; our wonderful volunteers.

Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute117 Sturt St Ballarat, Vic 3350

www.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

Well done to Marcia from @fisoandlottie for winning our World Photo Day competition with this great shot from the Ballarat Tramway Museum. Marcia took home a Max Harris print.

Congratulations also to Tiana Krecmanis & Alexis Duncan for winning our kids’ prize and lucky door prize at Open Day! Come visit Rosemary in the library to collect your prizes!

Stage 1 launch of theMax Harris Photo Collection

Competition WinnersPrizes Prizes Prizes!

Ever thought about learningthe Ukulele?

Thank youfor making such a sensation!

A learn to play the Ukulele course will be starting soon at the BMI. Contact the Melbourne School of Ukulele on 0414 468 651 for more information.

Stage 1 of the Max Harris Photography Collection was officially launched by Cr Sam McIntosh at the BMI Open Day, and is now on display in the lending library. Come in and enjoy viewing the images, leave your memories or knowledge, and buy your own prints and postcards to take home. Watch an interview with Max Harris on one of our new computers donated by Telstra Business Centre and Plus IT. Here you can also view the newly commissioned film ‘Silver Rememberings’ created by local filmmaker Erin McCuskey incorporating historic footage of the Vegas cinema opening at the BMI in the 1960s.

The BMI warmly thanks all that contributed to the wonderful success of Spring Celebrations at the BMI. Volunteerism and philanthropy are at the heart of what we do. Our Curator Amy Tsilemanis, in particular, would like to thank:• BMI Board, staff, volunteers and Friends • Federation University Live Production & Acting students and staff• the Haymes family and the Max Harris support group• the many artists, exhibitors and other organisations that contributed

Spring Celebrations:Far top left: Dead Salesmen Duo;Far left: FedUni acting students performing David Copperfield;Left: Roger Burrows’ camera collection; Above: Geoffrey Williams;Below: Poetry with Barry Breen;Bottom left: Liana Skewes with her photographBottom right: Freya Hollick