Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute

The Institute is looking for persons interested in developing interesting snippets or stories from our heritage collection. The aim will be to publicise these via print and the Internet in order to generate public interest.Below, in an excerpt from an 1855 book, is an example of the type of comment/story that can be derived from the collection.

I will mention a few prices at the time of my arrival in San Francisco (1855), though I fear that some readers will scarcely believe these enormous prices. A house with 5 or 6 small rooms lets for 250 pounds a month. The large fashionable shops paid a rent of 150 pounds a month. Carpenters and masons earned $8 a day, dressmakers $4, beef is a shilling a pound, milk a shilling a quart…..

Ida Pfeiffer A Lady’s Second Journey Around the World.

There are many other areas of volunteer work. Please access this page for more information and for online application.