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History & Architectural Drawing Prizes

 

Background

There were once around one thousand Mechanics’ Institutes in Victoria and we are keen to get as much history on each Victorian Institute as possible. Mechanics’ Institutes were in many cases the first public building in many Victorian country towns and today they are the last.

 

In addition to being Public Halls and Libraries, they were: Churches; Consulting Rooms for Bankers, Dentists, Doctors, Optometrists and Solicitors; Council Offices; Courts; and Schools. Commercial Travellers even used them to display their samples. Music Teachers travelled along the railway lines and used the abutting Hall pianos to give music lessons. The stories of the promoters and supporters

of Institutes; the events that took place in the Institutes; and their buildings; and collections are well worth recording.

 

1. HISTORY PRIZE

This requires the history of: an Institute or group of Institutes; a person or persons connected with an Institute; an event or particular activity connected with an Institute; or, an artifact or book connected with an Institute. Projects can be submitted in either manuscript or book form. The Prize is $1500, with five prizes of $100 each.

 

2. ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING PRIZE

This requires a current architectural rendering of elevations and ground plans of an existing

Institute. The Prize is $500, with five prizes of $100 each.

 

Conditions

1. Collaborative projects will be accepted.

2. All work must be the original research or drawing of the submitter or submitters.

3. No electronic submissions will be considered and all physical material submitted will become the property of the Mechanics’ Institutes of Victoria Inc., but copyright will remain with the author/s.

4. The Judges decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

5. Applications close: ‘The History’ Section on 1 September 2021 and ‘Architectural Drawing’ Section on 1 September 2022. Announcements will be made at the Mechanics’ Institutes of Victoria In. Annual General Meeting in November 2021 or 2022.

6. Entries must reach: Mechanics’ Institutes of Victoria Inc, Box 1080, Windsor, Vic 3181 by the specified dates.