The Public Library, also known as the Free Library, was built in 1874 through public fundraising at a cost of £161. It originated from the Linton Mechanics’ Institute, established in 1871, and operated until the mid-1970s when the mobile library service began.
The library was built on land originally owned by draper Arthur Grace, who rented it to John McDonagh, a sheep and cattle dealer. Little has changed inside since 1874, with original paint, fittings, and books. It’s a rare example of a Mechanics’ Institute in Victoria that has its original library collection on its original site, complete with residential quarters for the librarian and their family at the rear.
The main photo on your screen shows us what the Linton Public Library looked like around 1900.
The building you are now looking at was repainted in heritage colours and the original façade design and lettering restored in 2024.
The Historical Society has been active in the restoration of the Library building over many years and is currently cataloguing the historic book collection. It has done extensive research on the history of the library and the librarians, who were predominantly female.
Mrs Ella Howard was the last and the most enduring librarian, her incumbency lasting from the early 1930s until the library closed in 1975. She continued to live at the library until her death in 1991.
