The PMI Victorian History Library Inc. is a community owned and run library specialising in the history of Victoria, Australia.
The library collection is the only lending collection of its kind in Australia – with over 30,000 books for loan and over 40,000 items on site, including titles that are unavailable elsewhere. You can find information about all aspects of the history of Victoria including:
- Company Histories
- Design & Architecture
- Family History/Genealogy
- First Nations Australians
- Theatre & Cinema
- Town History
- Transport
- Visual & Performing Arts
We also provide a professional information service for our members, access to a number of indexes, directories and online resources, as well as organise and present educational activities and events.
The PMI Library is also home of:
- The Mechanics’ Institutes of Victoria
- The Cinema and Theatre Historical Society andÂ
- Victorian Railway History Library and you can view the VRHL collection through our catalogue.Â
Latest News
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Join the PMI Library
You will be supporting a not-for-profit, community organisation and one of the oldest libraries in Victoria.
Upcoming Events
đź“– PMI’s Monthly Book Club – Led by Friend of the Library, Raymond.
Join a friendly, considerate and open group for a chat about books. We meet on the first Tuesday of every month and choose our next book’s in advance. Keep an eye on your email and the PMI’s social media for details about what we are reading next.
In 2023 we read books like The Women In Black by Madeleine St John, Eucalyptus by Murray Bail and The Time We Have Taken by Steven Carroll. But we are always open to suggestions!
Click here to register: https://www.trybooking.com/CMWBA
As we wind down our 170th year, we at the PMI Victorian History Library, want to take a moment to acknowledge what a huge year it has been.
We hosted a trivia night to celebrate a birthDAY.
Developed and produced our very first PMI Library exhibition.
Breathed a sigh of relief that the Prahran Mechanics’ Institute Repeal Bill went through.
And had an extraordinary year in bookshop sales, thanks to our Friends of the Library.
We believe that our community is the heart and soul of who we are, and we look forward to servicing our community in the coming year. Annual volunteer awards and certificates will be awarded at this event with plenty of food for all.
Click here to register: https://www.trybooking.com/CWYON
Recent Additions
Catch up on the latest additions to our collections.
Research Guides
Our staff can help with catalogue search, reference lookups & referrals.
PMI Library Blog
Instituting the Past, a blog from the staff and members of the PMI library.