A library is part of every Australian's experience. The First Fleet not only brought convicts, soldiers, plants and animals from Britain to the new colony of New South Wales, it also brought New South Wales' first printing press and first books. The books were not those of a public library, but the small collections of individuals, or the books of learning required in the establishment of a new colony - the law books, the religious books, the books of science and navigation. It is hard to imagine where we would be without libraries and without organised information.
Libraries are at the centre of our shared knowledge.
Our British library heritage meant that our first libraries followed on from the Mechanics' Institute model developed in Britain. The first of these in Australia was The Hobart Town Mechanics' Institute which opened in 1827. Others followed in Sydney and other Australian cities. By 1900 Australia supported 1000 Mechanics' Institutes with memberships of between 100 and 200 people. Most of these Institutes had less than 1000 books.