The Ballaarat Mechanics’
Institute Newsletter
December 2015
24 – Hour Experience
The beautiful Heritage Room came alive as a Singing Room at 2am on Sunday 22 November with the
serenading of choir music led by Stella Savy. The Library has precious and rare collections including 176
books printed before 1800, another 5000 before 1900 and newspapers such as the Ballarat Times of 1856.
The setting was indeed a celebration of soft lighting, old tomes and beautiful voices wafting in and out over
a period of 40 minutes – a wonderful experience. There were 20 singers and musicians, three BMI people –
David Berry, Geraldine Roberts and Phil Roberts – and about 40 participants on the 24-hour experience.
Geraldine Roberts - Member of the BMI Marketing Committee
Christmas Library Hours
The library will be closed from midday
Thursday 24th of December and will
reopen on Monday 4th January 2016.
Recommended
Reads
Beneath A Rising Sun
Peter Watt
Beneath A Rising Sun is the 10th
novel in the Frontier Series.
Sergeant Jessica Duffy relishes
her work as a code breaker in
MacArthur’s headquarters, but
is also secretly reporting on the
Americans to the Prime Minister.
She uncovers treason at the
highest level, neither duty nor
dishonour will stop her getting
justice. From the frontlines of
the Pacific to the back lots of
Hollywood, a new generation
faces deadly missions, impossible
choices and an inescapable family
legacy.
The Violinist of Venice
Alyssa Palombo
This is a sweeping historical novel
of composer & priest Antonio
Vivaldi, a secret wealthy mistress,
and their passion for music &
each other.
Like most 18th century Venetians,
Adriana d’Amato adores music,
except her strict merchant father
has forbidden her to cultivate her
gift for the violin, but she refuses
to let that stop her.
From living her dreams she begins
sneaking out of her family’s
palazzo under the cover of night
to take violin lessons.
D
ecember 2015 has arrived.
Please make a note in your
diary for 14th December,
as the Board would like to thank
all volunteers and staff - including
other interested members and
partners - who have contributed
to the functioning of the BMI in
2015.
Join us with drinks and nibbles
on 14th Dec. at 4.30pm in
the Humffray room. Please let
Rosemary know your attendance
for catering purposes.
At the last Board meeting all
members were given the Handbook
and Code of Conduct to sign. This
is the first step in the important
move toward improved governance
at the BMI. Each Committee
Chair will be given the document
so that when their next Committee
meet, all volunteers can complete
this necessary state requirement.
Associate Professor Don Garden,
who is the President of Australia’s
and Victoria’s Historical
Associations, visited on the 20
November and was most impressed
with BMI progress and restoration.
On Sunday 22 November at 2am,
an experience of song and light
in the Heritage Reading Room
indeed moved the over 40 persons
who attended. A choir serenaded
the audience with an enthralling
experience. Congratulations to the
conveners and BMI certainly hopes
that the experience can be repeated.
“Springfest” is upon us, and BMI
encourages all to attend and
support the event.
Sulari Gentil
News from
the President
There is a saying that “the only
constant is change”, and the Board,
with regret, bids farewell to Ann
Cato, who has resigned. Both
Ann and Ivan Cato have been an
immense force behind the scenes,
working with Twilight Talks and
many other functions with the
Friends of Minerva. Indeed,
thanks go to all the many helpers
who have assisted Ann.
It was Martin Luther King Jr. who
said that “We are caught in an
inescapable network of mutuality.
Whatever affects one directly,
affects all indirectly”. The BMI
today must build on inspirational
ideas with harmony and purpose to
face the future.
On behalf of the Board, I wish
all readers, friends and members
a joyous Christmas and may you
all welcome the New Year with
laughter and exuberance.
Complements of the Season to all,
Graham Gooding
President
This month we welcome new members Sarah Lapinski,
Peter Barwood, Louise Ford, Gabrielle Driscoll and Graham Hammond
HOLIDAY READING
Book Sale
From Monday 7th of December
until Monday 18th of January
Nothing over $5
Sulari is an
Australian
author, also
known under
the pen name
of S.D Gentill.
She was a corporate lawyer before
she began writing. Her series of
The Rowland Sinclair Mysteries are
set in the 1930’s in Australia.
Author
of the month
Book
of the month
Spirits of the Ghan
Judy Nunn
It is 2001, and
as the world
charges into the
new millennium,
a century-old
dream is about
to be released in the red centre of
Australia, the completion of the
mighty Ghan Railway.
New Releases
for December
MYSTERY
Depraved Heart
Patricia Cornwell
The Guilt
David Baldacci
The Sixth Lamentation William Brodrick
All Dressed In White
Mary Higgins Clark/
Alafair Burke
The Crossing
Michael Connelly
Tricky Twenty-Two
Janet Evanovich
Front Runner
Felix Francis
Career of Evil
Robert Galbraith
A Banquet of Consequences Elizabeth George
Playing with Fire
Tess Gerritsen
Rogue Lawyer
John Grisham
Pretty Is
Maggie Mitchell
Cross Justice
James Patterson
Even Dogs in the Wild
Ian Rankin
Dark Corners
Ruth Rendell
Obsession in Death
J.D.Robb,.
The Drowning Lesson
Jane Shemilt
The Dying Season
Martin Walker
NOVEL
The Magic Strings of
Franki Presto Mitch Albom
House of Thieves Charles Belfoure
This House is Haunted
John Boyne
According to Yes
Dawn French
Jam & Roses
Mary Gibson
Letters of the Past
Iona Grey
The Disremembered Man
Christina McKenna
The Violinist of Venice
Alyssa Palombo
The Song Collector
Natasha Solomons
See MeNicholas Sparks
The Book of Speculation
Erika Swyler
ROMANCE
The Marble Collector
Shopaholic to the Rescue
Stars of Fortune
Cecelia Ahern
Sophie Kinsella
Nora Roberts
AUSTRALIAN
A Tattooed Heart
The Horse Thief
Sweet Wattle Creek
A Time for Renewal
Napoleon’s Last Island
Rain Music
Spirits of the Ghan
An Empty Coast
Beneath A Rising Sun
Deborah Challinor
Tea Cooper
Kaye Dobbie
Anna Jacobs
Tom Keneally
Di Morrissey
Judy Nunn
Tony Park
Peter Watt
SCANDINAVIAN
Dead Joker
The Man Who
Watched Women
Midnight Sun
The Chosen
The Other Son
The Andalucian Friend
Dark as My Heart
The Undesired
Ann Holt
Hjorth & Rosenfeldt
Jo Nesbo
Kristina Ohlsson
Alexander Soderberg
Alexander Soderberg
Antti Tuomainen
Yrsa Sigurdardottir
NON FICTION
Great Australian Outback
Police Stories
More Cloak than Dagger
As Green As Grass
Bill Marsh
Molly J. Sasson
Emma Smith
LITERATURE
The Japanese Lover
Isabel Allende
Story Box
with Amy T
I would like to wish everybody a very happy festive season
and leave you with some poems and images from my book
Streets & Skies that I published this year
as part of a Ballarat International Foto Biennale Exhibition
at the Known World Bookshop.
For more or to say hello go to www.amytsilemanis.com.au
FOR HOLLY
POEM FROM THE
MORNING,
BEFORE THE
MACHINERY BEGINS
The flow of days,
From where to where?
Fonts to be determined
Online, underlined quotes
Ringing bells in the vastness
Value the learning, the process
And you step up to sing,
Not knowing what will come
Throwing off the day’s clutter
Find your way in
And more teenage poetry recalled
From the catalogue of memory,
from use
A risky business
of letterbox and print,
Finger-loose
And like an Arvo Part choir,
Cutting through all you know
Sit on the note
Breathe it free
Between a chord and a rhythm,
Come find me
idle eyelash wishes
the weight of moons
wood smoke,
rain, birds,
we cannot start this thing again,
The flow of days,
Reins us in,
Sets us free
Amen
Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute
Established 1859
117 Sturt St
Ballarat, Vic 3350
Library hours:
Mon - Fri: 10am - 4pm
Saturday: 9:30am - 12pm
www.ballaratmi.org.au
P: (03) 5331 3042
e: [email protected]
For venue hire enquiries
P: 0419 677 713
e: [email protected]