Geelong Library and Heritage Centre facts for kids
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| Formation | 1858 (library), 1979 (heritage centre) |
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| Headquarters | Little Malop St., Geelong |
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The Geelong Library and Heritage Centre is a special place in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It's like a super library, a history museum, and a research center all in one! It holds books, old documents, and many other things.
The Geelong Free Library started way back in 1858. Later, in 1979, the Geelong Historical Records Centre was created. This center collects and keeps important historical papers and records from the Geelong area. It's a special spot where Victoria's history is kept safe. People say it's ...the largest regional archive in Victoria.
Contents
Geelong's Library History
The Geelong Library began in 1858. It was part of the Mechanics Institute, which was a place for learning. In 1876, the library moved to a bigger, fancy building on Moorabool Street.
Later, in 1962, the library moved again. This time, it went to a new building in Johnstone Park. This building was designed by a company called Buchan, Laird & Buchan.
Geelong's Heritage Centre
The Geelong Historical Records Centre changed its name in 2003. It became known as the Geelong Heritage Centre. This center keeps old records and historical items. These items were collected by the Geelong Historical Society.
The Heritage Centre has also helped with many special events. It has helped dedicate monuments to important historical moments. For example, it helped celebrate 150 years since Matthew Flinders explored the area. He even climbed Station Peak, which is now called Flinders Peak, in the You Yangs.
Geelong Historical Society
| Formation | 1944 |
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| Type | Historical Society |
| Headquarters | 6 Balmoral Crescent, Rippleside |
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| Website | Geelong Historical Society |
The Geelong Historical Society played a big part in starting the Geelong Historical Records Centre. They worked with the local government and the Public Record Office Victoria. This made the center a safe place to keep old government records in 1979.
How the Society Started
The Geelong Historical Society officially started in 1944. Its goal was to save the history of Geelong and the surrounding area. There were earlier tries to start a society, like in 1938. But World War II likely delayed its official beginning.
It was the third historical society of its kind in Victoria. Geelong was the state's second-largest city. This society is also one of the busiest. It has a huge collection, does lots of research, and publishes many books. Its work in saving Geelong's history was recognized in the city's 150-year history book.
Early Efforts and Collections
A meeting to start a historical society happened in November 1923. C. R. Long and J. A. Laird from the Gordon Institute called this meeting. The Mayor of Geelong, Howard Hitchcock, suggested an exhibition. This show at the Geelong City Hall displayed "relics and historical records."
The exhibition opened on September 27, 1921. A famous scientist, Sir Baldwin Spencer, opened it. It ran until October 14, 1921. The items from this show later became the start of the Geelong Historical Society's collection. In 1938, a public meeting decided to form the Geelong and District Historical Society. The society officially started in 1944. However, some records show that the society might have started collecting items even earlier, in the 1920s.
Key People in the Society
A local historian named Norm Houghton helped organize the collection a lot. A past president, the late Peter F. B. Alsop, wrote many books about local history. Other important members include Mr. William James Morrow, who received an award for his work. Peter Mansfield, another historian and writer, won a history prize.
Society Activities and Impact
The society has organized talks and trips since the 1950s. They have worked with the Geelong Heritage Centre. The Heritage Centre keeps the old records and history items collected by the society.
The society has also been involved in many special events. They have helped dedicate monuments. They are often seen as the best source for information on early Geelong people and history. This includes celebrating 150 years since Matthew Flinders explored the area. They also helped save important Geelong monuments, like the Barwon Sewer Aqueduct.
The Geelong Historical Records Centre was created thanks to the hard work of the Geelong Historical Society. In 1979, it became an "approved place of deposit" for old local government records. It is the second-largest public archive in Victoria, after the Public Record Office Victoria.
Publications
The society publishes a magazine called Investigator. It comes out four times a year: in March, June, September, and December. There is an index for issues from 1965 to 1984. A digital index on CD covers issues from 1965 up to 2009.
New Building for the Centre
The Geelong Heritage Centre moved temporarily to the National Wool Museum. This was while the new Geelong Library and Heritage Centre was being built. The new center was built where the old Geelong Volunteer Fire Brigade Station used to be. It was also next to the old library, near the Geelong War Memorial and Geelong Art Gallery.
Building Design and Features
The new building was designed by a company called ARM Architecture. It has a unique dome shape made of glass and concrete. People have called it "... an iconic addition to Geelong's architectural and cultural landscape."
The center is very big, covering over 6,000 square meters. It has a special area for kids to explore and discover. There's also a space for young people. The heritage center part holds 120,000 items, including books and multimedia. The cost to build this amazing new center was about A$45 million.
The dome roof is made of over 400 special concrete tiles. The designers said it was "modeled on the domes of great historical buildings." The building's design reminds people of famous libraries around the world. These include the Library of Congress and the State Library's domed reading room. The concrete panels make it look like a dome. They also help the building fit in with its neighbors. These include the classical Geelong Art Gallery and the old Geelong Town Hall.
The new building was opened by Geelong Mayor Darryn Lyons on November 21, 2015.
What You Can Find Inside
The Library and Heritage Centre has over 1 million items! This includes a huge collection of books you can borrow or read there. It also has special science collections. One is the John Raddenberry Fern and Lycopod collection. The local history collection is kept in a special room called the Vault Kim barne thaliyu on level 3. This area has special resources for learning about the history of Geelong and nearby places.
