Briagolong Median PriceThe House price is 17% lower than last year.
Surrounding suburbsBriagolong Median Rent| House | $280  |
| | Map | Street view | Nearby property price | | Planning History: | | | Registered as Victorian heritage | Last updated on - April 10, 2008
What is significant?
In March 1874 the first building of the Briagolong Mechanics Institute was officially opened; a red gum weatherboard building with a shingle roof. Although there is no known architect, the builder is recorded as Robert Vick of Stratford. The first building consisted of the back portion of the supper room, the ladies' room and the entry corridor. Briagolong Mechanics Institute was built in a number of stages between 1874 and 1930; further additions were made in the late twentieth century. In 1879 the original reading room and the old kitchen were built, and in 1887 the first section of the main hall and the stage was added. In 1890 the hall was extended and in 1902 the 'smoking' room was added as well as the supper room extension. A larger, more decorative porch was also added at this time. In 1907 the billiard room (the current library) was added. The only other significant addition was in c. 1930 when the bio box was added to the main hall for the screening of motion pictures.
The development and preservation of Briagolong Mechanics Institute over a long period of time reflects its ongoing use and the important role it played in the community. Since its inception Briagolong Mechanics Institute has been a place of meeting for community service groups, a venue for entertainment, for community fundraising in the forms of concerts, festivals, balls and other social gatherings involving sports such as quoits, billiards, draughts, chess, and educational classes such as music, drawing and dancing lessons and for the screening of motion pictures.
The Briagolong Mechanics Institute collection, housed in the building, comprises a library collection and a collection of archives and heritage objects that were used and displayed in association with the building's use as a Mechanics Institute. The library collection is composed of nineteenth and early twentieth century books most of which are fiction. The library collection is catalogued and the catalogue has been integrated into the Wellington Shire Council's Library service. This catalogue lists 1380 entries, some of which are for multiple volumes; around 75% of the collection is fiction and around 40% of the collection was published in the nineteenth century.
The general collection includes an early twentieth century Australian made Wertheim piano decoratively carved with an ornate Australiana floral motif which was purchased in 1913 and has been in continuous use since then. The collection includes a stereographic photograph collection dating from 1913 and stereoscopic viewer (date unknown); these stereographic photographs were purchased as a collection and were taken by A.J. Waugh (1868-1928) an amateur photographer from Maffra. Other notable collection items include two framed illuminated addresses to local community members (dated 1893, 1906 |
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