Toodyay Library – former Newcastle Mechanics’ Institute (1874), by Robyn Taylor.
Extract from Duidgeeana, the newsletter of the Toodyay Historical Society (Inc.), Issue No. 15, May June 2010, pp. 6-8.
Photo caption: The recently renovated and extended (in 2010) Toodyay Public Library (former Mechanics’ Institute), showing the new extension to the side and rear. (Photo: Beth Frayne, 2010)
The recent restoration and extension of the historic Toodyay Library building is an excellent example of how a heritage listed building can be turned into a modern functioning library while keeping its ‘heritage values’ intact. ‘Heritage values’ are aspects of a building or place that are identified by heritage professionals as needing to be preserved to maintain the heritage significance of the place. They include aesthetic, historic, social and scientific values. The place’s rarity, representativeness, condition, integrity and authenticity are also considered.
File date: 5 June 2022. Access: Investigator and Query Subscribers