Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute

11/12/2024

Pop into the BMI this Saturday from 10 am for the beginning of our Vintage Christmas Festival.

The Magic of Human Designs Musical Machine - Human Designs

A vintage musical organ façade merges with hip-hop style and motion sensors. Step, dance, and trigger funky Christmas rap tunes, while overhead, classic characters groove in breakdancing elf hats and boom-box reindeer gear. On stage, silent Christmas films flicker, mixing quaint nostalgia with fresh beats. Snag door prizes from Santa’s blinged-out bag! Created with the inventive minds of Human Designs, this whimsical wonderland blends past and present, delivering a joyful fusion of holiday spirit, old-time flair, and modern rhythms sure to have everyone grinning and grooving.

Feature Films Include:

The Night Before Christmas (1905) – A whimsical interpretation of Clement Clarke Moore’s beloved poem.

A Christmas Carol (1913) – A heartfelt retelling of Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of redemption and goodwill.

The Christmas Tree by John Gilbert – A touching story that celebrates family and festive traditions – 7min.

One Ticket, All-Day Access!
Your ticket entitles you to entry at any time during opening hours. Come and go as you please and enjoy multiple screenings of these enchanting moving pictures. Whether you stay for one film or all of them, the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute is your home for Christmas magic and vintage charm.

Join us not just to see the show, but to be part of it! Multiple moving pictures will be playing throughout the day, so drop in anytime and immerse yourself in the golden age of cinema.

Celebrate Christmas with timeless tales, vintage vibes, and the enchanting sounds of Zlatko’s machine. A perfect event for family and friends!

Tickets $8 adults | Concession/child $5 | Toddlers free | Family of 4 $20 | Family of 3 $15 | Additional child $3 plus booking fee and gst.

Find out more: ballaratmi.org.au/important-dates/

10/12/2024

Never the wrong time to be thinking about more tweed. We have some wonderful tweeds just arrived. Treat your self.

The BMI Vintage Shop is open Thursday and Friday 11am - 3pm. Why don't you pop on in and explore.

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09/12/2024

Rosemary's Book of the Week

Into the Storm by Cecelia Ahern - Cecelia Ahern

One Night

It is a wild night in the middle of December, and GP Enya is crouched over a teenage boy, performing CPR in the rain.

On Moment
The boy survives, but Enya's life splinters in two. Trapped in a loveless marriage, the storm propels her to break free.

One Chance To Be Free
But even in the remote country town that becomes her sanctuary, Enya is haunted by the night in the rain.

Beneath an ancient tree that tells a thousand stories, can she find the courage to face her own?

Reserve your copy now go to our library webpage.

https://ballaratmi.org.au/library/

07/12/2024

Step Back in Time for a Vintage Christmas at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute!

From 14 December - 21 December | Minerva Space

This Christmas, the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute invites you to a magical evening of nostalgia and holiday cheer. Experience the wonder of early cinema with a special screening of classic silent films that capture the spirit of the season.

Feature Films Include:

The Night Before Christmas (1905) – A whimsical interpretation of Clement Clarke Moore’s beloved poem.

A Christmas Carol (1913) – A heartfelt retelling of Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of redemption and goodwill.

The Christmas Tree by John Gilbert – A touching story that celebrates family and festive traditions – 7min.

The Magic of Zlatko’s Musical Machine

In the historic Minerva Ballroom, one of Zlatko’s marvelous musical machines will stand ready to accompany our antique silent films. This magnificent musical machination promises to add a rich and authentic layer to the vintage cinema experience, bringing the stories to life in ways you’ve never imagined.

Tickets from $3 - $20....

Find out more go to our What's On webpage.

https://ballaratmi.org.au/important-dates/

06/12/2024

“What a jerk Bob Dylan was in 1965. What an immature, self-important, inflated, cruel, shallow little creature, lacking in empathy and contemptuous of anyone who was not himself or his lackey. Did we actually once take this twerp as our folk god?”

Will you agree with the great film critic Roger Ebert’s assessment of Bob Dylan in Dont Look Back? Come decide for yourself at our screening on Wednesday 11th December at 7pm! 🎥

Our Rockumentary Film Series celebrates the exhibition Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the Guitar at the 🎸

The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute is a community-owned not-for-profit institution bringing knowledge and entertainment to the people of Ballarat for over 165 years. By attending our events you support us to continue the work we do! 📚 🙏

Click the link below to get your tickets now! 🎟️ 🍿

05/12/2024

Eureka! Come on in to the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute library and see our pop-up Eureka activity this week, as we commemorate 170 years since the battle took place.

Experience and direct this moving diorama depicting the Eureka battle, conceptualised, designed and constructed by the team at Human Designs. Thanks to Zlatko Balazic and John McKee for allowing us to present this engaging artwork in our heritage building!!

While you’re in, don’t forget to check out our book sale or buy a BMI Calendar - perfect for Christmas gifts! 🎁

02/12/2024

Rosemary's Book of the Week | Molly by Rosalie Ham - Rosalie Ham Writer and Novelist

Her burgeoning corsetry business is starting to take off, thanks to some high-profile supporters. She's marching with Melbourne's suffragists for better conditions for women everywhere. And her family – her eccentric, confounding, adored father and aunt – are turning their minds to country retirement.

But as the clouds of war gather and an ominous figure starts skulking in the shadows of her life, Molly's dreams begin to falter. Then, when true love drops out of the sky and into her arms, her hopes for her life and the world are entirely upended.

Reserve your copy now - Go to our Library Webpage - Link in BIO

30/11/2024

Medieval to Metal Rockumentary Film Series: Dont Look Back (D.A Pennebaker, 1967), Wednesday December 11th at 7pm 🎟️

Directed by D.A. Pennebaker, Dont Look Back isn’t a concert film. It’s a snapshot of a time when Dylan was both fully in the moment and already transcending it. Shot in 1965, during his landmark UK tour, Dont Look Back documents an artist on stage as well as immersing you in his world, raw and unfiltered. 🎸

Every frame feels like a revelation, whether it’s Dylan’s unspoken defiance in the face of press questions, his quiet moments away from the spotlight, or the undeniable force of his music, which reverberates through every scene. This isn’t the polished, mythic figure most people think of—it’s the real, flawed, brilliant Bob Dylan, showing us both the ease and the tension of becoming a cultural icon. 🌟 🕶️

It’s a film that’s as much about the silence between the notes as it is about the music itself. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience Dont Look Back in the oldest cinema in Ballarat. 🎥✨

The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute is a community-owned not-for-profit institution bringing knowledge and entertainment to the people of Ballarat for over 165 years. By attending our events you support us to continue the work we do! 📚 🙏

Get your tickets here! https://events.humanitix.com/bmi-rockumentary-film-series 🎟️ 🍿

29/11/2024

Books books and more books... ranging from $1 to a bit more for vintage and collectables. We also have a range of CDs for the collectors, some Max Harris prints framed and more. We would love to see you tomorrow and Sunday from 10am to 2pm.

Many thanks to those generous people who have donated books, most of which are in excellent condition, we will help your treasures find good homes...

29/11/2024

This issue ... Message from the Chair | Medieval to Metal: Rockumentary Film Series | BMI Fundraisers, Golf, Open Garden, Book Sale | Stella Day Out | Volunteer Christmas Party | Album Launch Jackson Dahlenburg | Library New Releases and Recommendations | Christmas Library Closures

Find out more go to our Newsletter webpage.

https://ballaratmi.org.au/news-and-newsletters/

28/11/2024

28/11/2024

Australian 1950s Outback Drama | Australia, 1956, USA/Britain, 93 min.
Dir: Anthony Kimmins. Stars: Ralph Richardson, Colin Petersen, (Smiley), John McCallum, Chips Rafferty, Charles Tingwell.

Thursday: 12 December at 7.30pm

To conclude this year marking our 70-year existence, let’s watch a 1956 Australian film classic about an imaginative young boy who lives in the fictional small town of Murrumbilla in the Australian outback.

Listen to an older generation of Australian accents; watch two-up games and immerse yourself in a 1950s country sensibility. Smiley has an alcoholic drover father and an overworked mother. He saves up for a new bike by working odd jobs and slowly raises the money for his dream. In doing so, he unknowingly helps a dodgy publican called Rankin to sell o***m to the local Aboriginal people living nearby.

Smiley’s adventures are just beginning… Smiley, and the 1958 Smiley Gets A Gun were released in the UK and US and went onto become international successes when few Australian films were being made.

On a bit of trivia, young Colin Petersen went on to become the Bee Gees drummer and sadly passed away only very recently. Roadshow.

Why not join the

https://ballaratfilmsociety.weebly.com/

28/11/2024

Rosemary's New Releases and Recommendations for December, get your reading stock lined up for the holiday season. Our Library will be closed on the following dates:

Monday 23 December through to Sunday 5 January 2025 - re-opening at 10am on Monday 6 of January with our New Releases and Recommendations for January.

Rosemary has already started researching Author Talks for 2025 and she has some not to be missed authors lined up.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and thank you for supporting our Library Services. And, for that last minute stocking filler our BOOK SALE is on this weekend 10am - 2pm both Saturday and Sunday get in early.

More for Christmas? Don't miss our 2025 calendar jam packed with beautiful Max Harris images, go to our website for details.

Find out more about Rosemary's recommendations on our Library Webpage: Link in BIO.

26/11/2024

BOOKS WANTED - We are still looking for your pre-loved books, why not give your loved reads to a new home this Christmas. If you would like to do so, we can take delivery during regular Library Operating Hours - Listed at the bottom of our Website.

Why not give the Library a call now: (03) 5331 3042.

This book sale is a major fundraiser for the upkeep of our Library.

26/11/2024

Twilight Talks TOMORROW, at 5.30pm (bar open at 5pm) and meet John Smyth as he introduces us to Johnny Alloo... of Ballarat notoriety. Brought to you by Community Bank Buninyong

When you hear ‘Johnny Alloo,’ you might be like many people in Ballarat who associate the name with a local cafe. But it stems far beyond recent years to the mid-nineteenth century.

We would love to see you there...

Find out more go to our Twilight Talks Webpage:

Link in BIO.

25/11/2024

Rosemary's Book of the Week | Counting Miracles by Nicholas Sparks

Tanner has spent his whole life moving from place to place, belonging nowhere.
So when his dying grandmother reveals the name and location of the father he never knew, he plans to visit Asheboro to lay the past to rest, then move on – just as he always has.

Kaitlyn knows exactly where she belongs. In Asheboro, she's built a life for herself
and her kids that she's proud of, especially after the turmoil of divorce. But when she meets lone wolf Tanner, she can't help but feel something has been missing until now.

Jasper will never belong again. He had everything – and he lost it all. Now with only his old dog Arlo for company, he lives quietly, haunted by the tragic accident that took place decades before.

To reserve your copy go to our Library Webpage:
https://ballaratmi.org.au/library/

24/11/2024

Coming to the BMI in February - Adam Harvey his new album 'Let the Song Take You Home' is out now. Adam is a 9 time winner of the Golden Guitar and also an Australian Aambassador for Dementia Australia. What's not to love about him...

Find out more, go to our Live Music webpage:

https://ballaratmi.org.au/live-music/