Celebrating 50 years of Moonee Valley libraries

This year we're excited to celebrate 50 years of our library service!

In 1968, Flemington, Sam Merrifield (then Essendon) and Niddrie libraries opened their doors to the public for the very first time, marking 50 years of operation. This is a wonderful chance for the community to celebrate our libraries’ rich histories and the opportunities they continue to provide people of all ages, from all walks of life.

Throughout 2018 we’ll be holding family-fun events and undertaking several exciting initiatives to celebrate this milestone, so get involved and share your memories!

On social media? Tag how you're celebrating with #mvlibraries50

Celebratory events

We have a range of events and activities happening throughout 2018 to celebrate our libraries’ 50th anniversary!

Family-fun celebrations

The three libraries turning 50 in 2018 will each host birthday celebrations which promise plenty of fun for everyone.

Other celebratory events

More events will be added to this page throughout the year – make sure to check back or look out for your seasonal libraries what’s on guide.

And as always, join us for our regular program of events, author talks and workshops for children, teenagers and adults. Visit the Library events page to find out what's coming up.

Share your memories

Do you have a special memory relating to our libraries?

Maybe it’s the first book you borrowed, a friendship which started at one of our libraries, or the first time you brought your child to a story time session!

Next time you’re in a library fill out a My Libraries Memory form or share it online.

We recently spoke to dedicated member Margaret about her love of the libraries:

Other ways we’re celebrating

• Stickers - we’ve produced stickers using the psychedelic 50th button – ask our friendly staff if you’d like one!
• Giant birthday signing book - starting with the Moonee Valley Festival, we’ll be bringing out a massive book for people to sign birthday messages! This book will tour each of our library branches - make sure to get your name in it and become part of our history. Here is where and when you'll find it:

• April – Ascot Vale
• May and June – Flemington
• July and August – Sam Merrifield (Moonee Ponds)
• September and October - Niddrie
• November and December – Avondale Heights

• Local history book - our community heritage team are researching to produce a local history book about our libraries and the local area. If you’re interesting in contributing, email librarian@mvcc.vic.gov.au

Why are libraries worth celebrating?

Moonee Valley takes great pride in its libraries. Each of our five branches provide a safe and welcoming space, free for our community to connect, learn, study, research and of course, read!

From the young parents or grandparents who bring their children to our reading sessions, to the secondary students studying for exams, to the tertiary students researching for their PhD, to the retirees who come in to read the daily paper, we have many residents who have been coming to our libraries for years - some even decades!

Libraries play an important role in lifelong learning - they are a place for people to utilise and learn technology, a space to mix with community, and they provide access to resources for recreation and information.

Our libraries provide a diverse range of workshops, up-skilling classes, as well as meeting spaces for community groups. To find out more about what they can offer you, visit the Libraries section.

Did you know?

• We now have 5 library branches throughout Moonee Valley
• Nearly 1 million items are borrowed each year
• 800,000 people visit our libraries each year
• 55,000 attendances at library programs per year
• 185,000 internet sessions occur per year
• Our library membership base currently sits at 55,000      

Timeline of library milestones

A history of our branches

Ascot Vale Library

Ascot Vale Library opened to the public on 27 November 1976. The building, located on the corner of Union and St. Leonard’s Roads was previously a bank. The non-fiction collection was originally arranged by genre and it was the second library for the City of Essendon. 

This shop front community library revealed how valued and loved it was by the locals when threated with closure in 1996. Despite a strong and concerted community campaign, including a legal battle, State Government appointed Commissioners did close the library in November 1996. One of the first tasks of the newly elected Moonee Valley City Council, however, was to reopen the library, which occurred in June 1997.

In recent years Ascot Vale Library has had an internal refurbishment and an external facelift, returning the building to a look more in keeping the heritage of the area. Ascot Vale Library remains a compact but much loved and used library, and celebrated 40 years of serving the community in 2016.

Avondale Heights Library and Learning Centre

Located at 69 Military Road, Avondale Heights Library and Learning Centre, is the newest of Moonee Valley Libraries five branches, opening to the public on 7 September 2010. It is part of the Avondale Heights Precinct, which includes the Early Years Centre (a kindergarten and maternal health service) and Stadium.

The library relocated from a shop front premise at Milleara Mall Shopping Centre. This busy multicultural library had operated at the Centre from 1991 (when the Centre first opened) until 2010, when the Centre underwent a redevelopment. Prior to 1991, a library had operated at two locations, both in Military Road, Avondale Heights. The first library, located at number 153 opened on 23 June 1976, but moved to number 135 in 1980.

Avondale Heights Library and Learning Centre has a collection of items in eight languages: Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, English, Greek, Italian, Spanish and Vietnamese and is second to Flemington in terms of loans in items other than English.

There is an extensive and innovative range of programs and events for children (Baby rhyme time, Toddler time, pre-school story-time, 6+ Club, school holiday program, special events such as Halloween), youth (school holiday and special events such as Wii Tournament and Find My Place Program with Essendon Keilor College) and adults (Films at the Atrium and Community meals programs, Knitting group, various events, such as Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea since 2011). Exhibitions have been held in the Atrium and reception areas, most notably “Writing the War”, a State Library touring exhibition commemorating the centenary of World War One in 2017. The YMCA have had a daily bookings since inception and Farnham Street Neighbourhood Learning Centre have conducted semester long computer classes and English Conversation groups for several years. The facility is a community anchor for the Avondale Heights neighbourhood.

Flemington Library

The current Flemington Library, originally known as Flemington-Kensington Library, opened in May 1968, with about 15,000 books, making it the oldest of Moonee Valley Libraries five branches. The library was touted as “one of the best things which has happened to Flemington since World War II”. Within four months of opening it was the busiest of City of Melbourne’s four libraries.

The 1968 Racecourse Road Library was not the first public free library in the area. In fact Flemington’s first free public library ran from 1863 to 1872! Another launched in 1883, but closed within a few years. A third Flemington-Kensington Library was opened in 1901, in a smallish room at the back of the Town Hall building in Bellair Street and ran there until the current Racecourse Road location was opened.

In 1986 renovation and extension works on the Racecourse Road Library began, and a “partial library service” was run out of Debney Park’s Community Centre for the duration of the works. Not only was the existing building extensively refurbished, but two adjoining buildings were incorporated into the library, and a mural by artist Geoff Hogg was also commissioned. The Redevelopment was opened on 1st June 1989.

Flemington Library became part of Moonee Valley in 1994 in the first round of local government restructures. Around this time Flemington Library also began to take a more active role in serving and celebrating the interests of their local LOTE communities, beginning to celebrate Lunar New Year annually from the mid-1990s, and in 1996 becoming Moonee Valley’s designated specialist non-English library for Asian language materials. The Lunar New Year celebration tradition continues, and is now Moonee Valley Libraries’ longest running community and cultural event.

Flemington Library is now a multi-cultural community hub, providing access to technologies, resources, classes, events, study space, and almost 26,000 collection items in five languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, Somali and Vietnamese) and attracts around 25,000 (?) visits each week.

Niddrie Library

Keilor City Library was first officially opened, at 13 Mathews Avenue Niddrie, on 19th October 1968, with services to the general public beginning on 21st October. This new facility replaced a tiny, earlier library that had also been run by Keilor Council, but which had old, poor stock, was little known, and barely used. The population of the City of Keilor at this time was 30,000, and the service began with approximately 3,500 books. Miss Grace Holden was the first City Librarian.

Keilor Library was the home of the KATs (Keilor Art Tokens) an annual art prize for juniors, and in 1978 also launched a magazine produced at the library by local teens, named Keilor Encounters. They were also early adopters of video, introducing a lending collection of educational and documentary VHS tapes back in 1984, (which could be borrowed one at a time). For many years Friends of Niddrie Library provided support in the form of book sales, fundraising and lobbying for the library.

Niddrie Library became part of Moonee Valley Regional Library in the mid-1990s when Niddrie and Milleara Libraries were transferred from Keilor to Moonee Valley in the second round of council amalgamations.

With the dissolution of Hume-Moonee Valley Regional Library Corporation in December 2002, library headquarters was moved to Niddrie Library. In October 2003 the library moved from the purpose built, but less prominent Mathews Avenue building to a leased shop front on the main local shopping strip, at 483 Keilor Road -- the current location. Innovations in recent years have included Baby Rhyme Time introduced in 2008, followed by Toddler Times in 2010, and for adults Craft Connect in 2014. Niddrie Library remains an active and constantly evolving community hub.

Sam Merrifield Library

Essendon Library was officially opened by the Minister for Education, Lindsay Thompson on 6 July 1968, and opened to the general public two days later, on 8th July.

The Library was created in response to community pressure to set up a public library which had been growing since the 1950s, by which time most Melbourne municipalities had libraries. The Essendon Library Promotion Committee formed to lobby council, and a referendum was held in 1963 in which the local constituents voted decisively to establish a library. Built over two years, on a site that had formerly been a Church of England school, and with help from funds from the Free Library Service Board of Victoria library subsidy of 11,500 pounds in 1964.

After first opening in 1968, Essendon Library was extended in 1975 as it was now HQ for a wide region including Brunswick, Bulla, Kilmore and Romsey. In 1982 the name of the library was changed to honour Sam Merrifield (1903-1982) who had been a prominent local politician, local history expert and community activist.

The building continued to house the headquarters for the Regional Library until renovations began in June 1996 at which time the administration moved to the Hume Council Offices in Sunbury. From July to December 1996 Sam Merrifield Library was relocated to Ascot Vale Road while the original building was gutted, extended on three sides and refurbished. The library gained 300 square metres of floor space, more natural light, public toilets, a meeting room and a new façade, at a cost of $1.8m. The new library was official opened on 12 December 1996 by Commissioner Les Crofts.

Sam Merrifield Library was profoundly changed with the introduction of the internet, and the reference section (formerly well-used and one of the largest reference sections in the state) became increasingly redundant. In 2011 most of this collection of some 8000+ titles was removed with space reclaimed for other collections, desks and seating. In 2012, self-service kiosks were introduced, and then in 2014 the library underwent a minor refurbishment which allowed for the provision of more computers and the creation of very popular new meeting spaces. Now Sam Merrifield Library houses collection items in eight languages (Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, English, French, Greek, Italian and Spanish), has three busy meeting rooms for community use, hosts regular events, talks, workshops and children’s activities, and continues to be a vibrant community hub.

History of the site of Sam Merrifield Library

Sam Merrifield Library (along with the Moonee Valley Civic Centre) is built on a site that had been previously occupied by St Thomas’ Grammar School. St Thomas’ started in this location in 1910. In 1934 they merged with Northern Grammar to become Essendon Grammar (see St Thomas’ Church 130th Anniversary of Church Building 1859-1989).

Moonee Valley Libraries

The service now known as Moonee Valley Libraries began in 1968 with the opening of Essendon Library.

The Essendon area had been served by a council backed library since as early as 1882, but this poorly funded amenity had closed in 1939. Since then community pressure to re-establish a local library had been mounting, particularly as by the 1950s most other Melbournian municipalities had libraries. The Essendon Library Promotion Committee formed to lobby council, and by the early 60s establishing a library was a major issue at Essendon Council elections. A referendum was held in 1963 in which the local constituents voted decisively to establish a library (13,888 votes in favour, 6,464 against, 830 informal). In 1964 Essendon successfully applied to the Free Library Service Board of Victoria for a library subsidy of 11,500 pounds. Essendon Library officially opened on 6th July 1968.

Meanwhile similar campaigns had been happening in nearby areas such as Broadmeadows, Flemington and Keilor. Co-incidentally, 1968 was also the year that Flemington Library (then part of City of Melbourne) and Niddrie Library (then part of City of Keilor) opened their doors, and it was in late 1968 that Essendon and Broadmeadows reached agreement to form a regional library service together, with Essendon Library as HQ, named Essendon-Broadmeadows Library Service. By 1971 the region served had expanded to include the Cities of Brunswick and Bulla, and the service was renamed Moonee Valley Regional Library Service.

In 1975 the City of Brunswick left the region, and the Shire of Kilmore joined, then in 1978 the Shire of Romsey joined, bringing the number of libraries to seven, plus two book-mobiles. Five municipalities – Essendon, Broadmeadows, Bulla, Kilmore and Romsey – made up the Moonee Valley Regional Library Service until new municipal boundaries were implemented in December 1994.
The focus in the 80s or 90s was on innovation, computerization, multiculturalism and community activities.

Moonee Valley Regional Library Service was dissolved in December 1995, replaced by Hume-Moonee Valley Regional Library Corporation which served the two new municipalities of Hume and Moonee Valley. In the first round of council amalgamations Flemington Library was also transferred from City of Melbourne to City of Moonee Valley/Moonee Valley Regional Library, and in the second round Moonee Valley gained Niddrie, Milleara and Tullamarine Libraries from City of Keilor and Glenroy and Fawkner Libraries from City of Moreland. The third round of amalgamations saw Kilmore/Romsey (a bookmobile service) go to Macedon Ranges.

Essendon Library remained the administrative home of the service until renovations began at Sam Merrifield Library in June 1996 at which time library headquarters moved to Hume Council Offices in Sunbury. With the dissolution of Hume-Moonee Valley Regional Library Corporation in December 2002, library headquarters then moved to Niddrie Library.
Self-service kiosks relying on radio-frequency tagging technology was introduced across the service in 2012.
Today Moonee Valley Libraries has 5 branches.

We been known as:

• Essendon-Broadmeadows Library Service (1968-1971)
• Moonee Valley Regional Library Service
• Hume-Moonee Valley Regional Library Corporation
• Moonee Valley Library Service
• Moonee Valley Libraries

Annotated bibliography

• Essendon Public Library Site Meeting Minutes, 1967-68, (held in Archive Cupboard - 0073, Community Heritage Collection, Sam Merrifield Library)
• Kelly, Francis History of the Moonee Valley Regional Library Service 1969-1985, (typed unpublished manuscript, held in Moonee Valley Libraries History Box, Community Heritage Collection, Sam Merrifield Library)
• “Sam Merrifield Library – A History” from Report on the Second Year of Operation 1996-1997, Hume-Moonee Valley Library Corporation, 1997, pp. 17-18.
• St Thomas’ Church 130th Anniversary of Church Building 1859-1989 (held in open access Community Heritage Collection, Sam Merrifield Library)

More information

Contact librarian@mvcc.vic.gov.au or speak to one of our friendly library staff at your local branch.

Stay up to date by following the Moonee Valley Libraries Facebook and Twitter pages.