Bendigo Library History
The Heyward Library has developed from a range of educational libraries located in the city of Bendigo, Victoria.
The story begins with the establishment of the Sandhurst Mechanics Institute in Bendigo in 1854. In 1859 there were 215 books added to the library collection and by 1865 the library held 2,524 volumes. A fire in 1865 damaged the building and contents. A new Mechanics Institute Library was built as a striking high walled octagonal- shape building with a dome and this opened on the 20th April 1887. This original building no longer exists as a library but it is a spectacular building and used as part of the Bendigo TAFE College hospitality centre.
In 1904 The Mechanics Institute went into liquidation and closed. The School of Mines acquired the Institute holdings and buildings, including the library.
From 1906 -1947 the library and its use was in decline and the School of Mines Council notified the Education Department of the situation. Up to the 1950's the collection was reduced from 18,000 volumes to 500 volumes.
Another Library was established in the 1950's at the Bendigo Teachers College. This Library also plays a part in the history of the current Heyward Library.
The Teachers College Library collection and services grew and developed substantially during the 1970's. The library had started in one classroom and expanded into a number of classrooms at the Osborne Street location by 1976.
Also in Bendigo there was another post secondary educational library that was housed in the original School of Mines building as part of the Bendigo Institute of Technology. These two educational organisations (The Bendigo State College of Victoria the former Teachers College and Bendigo Institute of Technology) were merged between 1973 - 1976 including the two libraries and then in 1976 the organisation became known as The Bendigo College of Advanced Education. The Library of this organisation operated on three campuses, at Osborne Street, McCrae Street and Edwards Road.
In August 1981 the new library building that the Heyward Library now occupies at Edwards Road was opened and in December the Osborne Street Campus library was moved to Edwards Road. By 1982 the TAFE College had been formed and library at McCrae Street split from the Edwards Road Campus Library.
The Library at Edwards Road was officially named the Heyward Library on the 18th June 1986 to honour Bishop Oliver Heyward for his many years of service to the College as President of the College Council.
In 1989 there was another library involved in the development of the Heyward Library with the transfer of the Northern District School of Nursing Library periodical collection and the move of nursing education to the campus. The name changes continued for the library following the parent organisation development. The library changed to the Heyward Library, La Trobe College of Northern Victoria in 1991 then the Heyward Library, La Trobe University, Bendigo in 1994.
The Heyward Library since 1994 has been fully integrated with the main campus library of La Trobe University located at Bundoora in Melbourne, Victoria.
The Heyward Library continues to house what remains from the Sandhurst Collection dating back to the 1800's maintaining its history of development from that time to a modern university library of today. The Library continues to develop and provides a full range of library services to staff and students. This includes providing access to 153,000 books and 1,200 journal titles volumes on site with access to an extensive collection of electronic databases, electronic journals and services for staff and students undertaking research, undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the Bendigo Campus.