PORT CHALMERS LIBRARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25804, 27 March 1945, Page 6

PORT CHALMERS LIBRARY

TRANSFER OF MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE

TAKEN OVER BY BOROUGH Cl JNCIL

A milestone in the history of Port Chalmers was passed recently, when the property and administration of the Mechanics’ Institute were formally taken over by the Port Chalmers Borough Council. The institute was one of the few of its kind left in New Zealand, and it had been in existence for nearly 80 years. First called the Seamen’s Institute, the Mechanics’ Institute undertook as part of its initial work the equipment of reading rooms with books and magazines for the use of seamen visiting the harbour in the gold-rush era of the early 1860’s. In 1876 and 1877 the institute was endowed by Act of Parliament with certain ground and properties, and the rentals from these, together with subscriptions, were its chief source of revenue.

For many years the institute just managed to meet its commitments, aided in the task by a grant from the Borough Council, but in more recent years Mr James Matthews formed an enthusiastic committee which immediately altered the regulations governing the institute and started a book rental scheme. The interest of many of the citizens was enlisted, and one of them endowed a children’s library called “The Helen Watson Memorial Library.” The establishment of the Country Library Service brought a change in the plans of Mr Matthews's committee. To avail itself of the facilities afforded by the service, the committee found it necessary to have the institute’s library amenities taken over by the Port Chalmers Borough Council. This action has now been taken, and the institute has come legally under the control of the council and its assets are now the property of the council. Mr Matthews, as a borough councillor, has been appointed chairman of the Library Committee. To mark the occasion of the taking over of the institute by the Borough Council, a function was held recently at the home of Cr A. L. S. Cassie, where the last meeting of the institute was held. A presentation was made to the retiring librarian, Miss Enticott, on the occasion of her forthcoming marriage, and a cheque was presented to Mrs Matthews, who for several years has been honorary librarian of the children’s section, giving her time freely for this work. Special tributes were paid to Mrs Matthews’s service to the borough. Among those present were the Mayor (Mr H. S. Watson). Dr and Mrs R. W. Edgar, Mrs McCormack, Mrs V. Marris, Miss M. Simpson, and the Rev. H. O. Bowman.