BMI basement moving into the light

THE dark, murky and musty basement at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute is getting an upgrade, in part, due to a Living Heritage Program grant.

Totalling $175,000, the money will go towards repairs of the brickwork, windows, walls and the addition of a permanent ventilation system, eventually allowing for the underground space to be opened to the public.

“It’s a first step to restoration so we can use the space, have it for displays and have it part of Ballarat’s underground city,” said Mike Stephens, Vice-President of the BMI board. “We need to get some remedial work and this grant will start to do that.”

Currently the space stores elements of the Institute’s periodicals collection.

While it’s not anticipated the renovations will result in an environmentally controlled space where fragile artefacts can be stored long term, the improvements are better than the status quo.

“The basement has been used for storage, it’s damp, it’s not been a suitable place for people,” Mr Stephens said. “It’s unlikely in the foreseeable future that the environment down there would be suitable for storing things that are valuable.

“But where it is valuable is for the look of the place, the ambiance of it, the history, the graffiti on the ceiling. There’s a whole range of things which make it an ideal place to visit and get a look at our past.”

In announcing the grant, Member for Wendouree Julianna Addison acknowledged the significance of the building and its collection to the region.

“The basement is so important to Ballarat’s history,” she said. “This building was built in 1859 and it really tells us so much about the early days of the gold rush period and what Ballarat was like.

“It’s important that we celebrate our heritage.”

The BMI was one four Ballarat recipients of Living Heritage grants that also included the Ballarat Synagogue and Old Curiosity Shop.

Statewide the program distributed $3 million in grants this round, with applications for the next round opening in early 2020.