1. Andrew Sergeant
Reference Librarian,
National Library of Australia
BLI in 1994
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2. 2

3. Your Committee cannot close their pleasing duties without congratulating
the Inhabitants of the District on the dawn of what to them appears an
auspicious future as the establishment of such a Society cannot fail to have
a most beneficial effect on all classes, tending as it must do to elevate the
tone of Moral and Intellectual attainment in the minds of all members
of the community, and would therefore urge the cordial and hearty
cooperation of every well wisher of his adopted or native land.
Committee Minutes, 29 October 1857
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4. Commercial Hotel, 1859. Note “Mechanics Institute” at the rear of the hotel. Booth was
an early committee member, as were most of the Institute’s landlords until it got its
own building. This and other drawings of buildings around Braidwood in this
presentation are from a street plan of the village drawn by surveyor J. Roche Ardill in
June 1859; copy in National Library of Australia, http://nla.gov.au/nla.map‐tsc1
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5. Commercial Hotel c. 1860s, William Darke proprietor. Photo in National Library of
Australia
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6. Commercial Hotel, June 2009
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7. Former Institute rooms at rear of Commercial Hotel, June 2009
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8. Harrison’s Post Office Store; later bought by Nom Chong family
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9. The Post Office Store, with Nom Chong family members and staff. Chimney of the Steam
Flour Mill in the background
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10. Former Post Office Store, rooms used by Institute
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11. Institute under construction, 1869
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12. The Institute under construction 1869
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13. Wallace Street looking south, Institute right foreground, before 1891 extensions
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14. Institute after 1912 – note Billiards Room on ground floor
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15. Former Braidwood Literary Institute June 2009
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16. Current Braidwood branch of Palerang Shire Library, at rear of Institute Building.
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17. Wainwright’s “Braidwood Observer” office
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18. The Doncaster Inn was the venue of many early meetings; Maria Badgery, the only
woman member during the early period, was the widow of Andrew Badgery, who gave
his name to Badgery’s Creek.
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19. Doncaster Hotel after Mrs Badgery retired, William Darke proprietor
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20. Thought to be Maria Badgery
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21. Cobb and Richardson were both early committee members. The building is still
occupied, as a private residence
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22. Royal Hotel, built 1840 by the surveyor Larmer, now looks somewhat different, and
houses the Braidwood & District Historical Society’s Museum
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23. Jew’s Hill c1870s, with Royal and Commercial Hotels at top right
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24. Wallace Street looking north, 1870s
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25. Ownership label, attached to a copy of the London Magazine, August 1916. In
possession of Dr Geoff Burkhardt.
Interesting points – irregular opening hours; subscription rates cheaper than original
rates (one guinea); ladies half price – mention complaints; different borrowing periods
depending on distance from town
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26. Magazines & journals subscribed to by BLI, 1860‐1862.
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27. Mrs Ware’s Circulating Library, set up in competition. First and only advert found
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28. Some of the competition!
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29. A young J.W. Bunn
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30. Doctor Beer
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31. BLI Borrowers Register
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32. Catalogue of the Institute, published 1897
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33. Cover of ‘The Lonely Pioneer’, edited by Mary Ann Bunn.
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34. Most frequently borrowed titles
1. History of England, Lord Macaulay
2. What will he do with it?, Bulwer Lytton
3. The Waverley Novels, Sir Walter Scott
4. Poor Jack, Captain Marryatt
5. Ten Thousand a Year, Samuel Warren
6. Japhet in Search of a Father, Captain Marryatt
7. Frank Fairleigh, Frank Smedley
8. Harry Coverdale’s Courtship, Frank Smedley
9. The Phantom Ship, Captain Marryatt
10. Mr Midshipman Easy, Captain Marryatt
11. Rattlin the Reefer, Edward Howard
12. Arthur O’Leary, Charles Lever
13. The Conquest of Peru, William Prescott
14. The Fortunes of Hector O’Halloran, W.H. Maxwell
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35. Most popular authors
1. Captain Marryatt (87 loans)
2. Bulwer Lytton (47)
3. Lord Macaulay (37)
4. Frank Smedley (34)
5. James Grant (29)
6. W. H. Maxwell (27)
7. Charles Lever (25)
8. Sir Walter Scott (24)
9. William Prescott (23)
10. William Harrison Ainsworth (22)
11. Charles Dickens (21)
12. Emma Robinson (20)
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