Building Renovations

Around the last decade of the twentieth century it was evident to the committee that the Ballarat Mechanics Institute needed to be awakened from its slumber, and after the era of the Britannia , the Odeon and then the Vegas Cinemas it was in decline, clearly in need of a complete overhaul and renovation.

The book collection, scattered between the library situated in the old mining exchange (now the heritage room) and the old library (now the Humffray room), was being digitised by volunteers, and the committee was concerned that water damage and building deterioration was affecting the future of the Institute. The roof of the theatre, built in 1859 was bowing with the weight of water when it rained and in danger of complete collapse. During 2005 and 2006 a plank held vertically against a rafter, measured the amount of strain, if not imminant collapse with the weather.

Fortunately, while Wilma Bridges was president, committee member Frank Hurley was an excellent writer of submissions, and it came to pass that a grant was applied for and received for major emergency roof renovation works and subsequent upgrading of the complete building, including provision of a lift to five floors. This entailed working within Heritage Victoria guidelines and gaining progressive funding for further works. The stairs were re-aligned, the toilets were re-built, the facade was re-vamped and waterproofed, and the library was re-located to what was then the Victoria League meeting room, now the Batten Room.

Renovations continued next page