Time Travellers in Essendon, Flemington and the Keilor Plains

Hygienic or circulating libraries

The following pages have lists of known circulating libraries.  Thus far the post office directories checked are:

1920, 1925,1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1951, 1955, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974.  Some other sources used, such as newspapers.

Ascot Vale

Essendon

Flemington

Moonee Ponds

Examples of books from past libraries in local collections:

Sam Merrifield Library, Community Heritage Collection                                                          

• As a woman sows, by A G Hales. (1928), Rodgers Circulating Library & Mrs M Parkinson, Lending Library (inside dates 1943-44)
• It happened in Palestine, by Leslie D Weatherhead. (1936), Stinton’s Hygienic Library
• Home is the lover,  by Jane England. (1961), Mason’s Original Hygienic Library (1970)                                             
• Fiance on approval, by Celia Laurence.  (1961), Mason’s Hygienic Library, (inside dates 1962-1974)                                                     
• Paradise Way, by Valerie Rift. (1966) Flemington-Kensington Public Library (inside dates 1966)                                                    
• House at Stormy Waters, The. By Catherine Hay.  (1970), Mason’s Original Hygienic library                                                    
• The golden Hades by Edgar Wallace. 1935 , RAAF Ascot Vale Lending Library, previously Laby, 128 Flinders St, Melbourne, (inside dates 1929 and 1933-34)                                              
• Earthly paradise, The.  William Morris  (1872)    Essendon Public Library  
• Secret tunnel, The : the book of the Mary Field film,  Mary Cathcart Borer. (1950).  Flemington & Kensington Library, Children's Branch                                                  

Essendon Historical Society Collection                                 

The Sea Gypsy by Lewis Cox.  (1932) Mrs McLaren’s Queen's Library, Holmes Road, 1930s (Queen’s Library stamp).

Author's Collection

The Elusive Quest, by Frances Cowan. (1965)  Mason's Hygienic Library, (lending dates 1965-1968).

Further reading:

Frost, Lenore.  'Dear Reader' in The Newsletter, Essendon Historical Society, Issue No 187, Feb-Mar 2007.

Rogers, Lorraine.  ‘Threepence a book’, in Threepence a Book & Other Stories from Moonee Valley, by Joe de Iacovo & Contributors.  Wingate Avenue Community Centre, 2001.