URALLAThe School of Arts in Uralla had its origins at a public meeting held in the Temperance Hall on 2 September 1874. The meeting followed the generous gift of £50 to the people of the town by Henry Arding Thomas, the former owner of Saumarez Station, who, on leaving the district to educate his growing family in Sydney, asked that the money be used to establish a "Literary Institute". It would appear that for the first ten years of its existence, the Uralla Literary Institute held its meetings and organised its reading services from temporary, unidentified premises. It was not until 23 September 1885 that a site was chosen for a permanent Institute building. A tender of £245 from Mr F. J. O'Connor was subsequently accepted for its construction which began in February 1886 and was completed later in the same year, some six weeks ahead of schedule. The need for larger premises had become evident by the early 1900s. In November 1904, consideration was given to erecting a completely new building but it was finally agreed that the existing one should be extended forward, by some 12 to 14 feet, to bring it to the level of the street alignment. It was agreed that this extension would be in brick and would provide "an up-to-date façade to enhance the architecture of the building." Tenders for the extensions were called in December 1904 and the construction was entrusted to Mr C. G. Cooper who quoted £72 for the work. It is noted that in February of the following year, the Armidale Dramatic Club staged a performance of "the Arabian Nights" in Uralla, donating the proceeds to the building fund for the Institute extensions. In the course of construction, it was decided that the Institute building should be equipped with acetylene gas lights at a cost of £25. This significant improvement was funded by an extended overdraft from the Bank of New South Wales. The prospect of enlarged premises prompted the Literary Institute Committee to purchase a Heiron & Smith billiard table and six ebony butted cues at a cost of £85. To pay for the table, one hundred debentures of one pound each, at five percent, were issued. The enlarged Institute, with its new billiard table, was officially opened on 12 April 1905. At the same time, applications were called for a caretaker and a couple of weeks later, Mr A Seamon was appointed to the position of "billiard marker, librarian and caretaker". The newly extended building was insured for £300 and the billiard table for £75. Its StoryAt the public meeting which saw the establishment of the Uralla Literary Institute in 1874, all of those present were invited to become members for a fee of three shillings and sixpence per quarter. A committee of twelve was elected to run the Institute, with the assistance of an Honorary Treasurer and two Honorary Secretaries. From the outset, the newly founded Institute engaged on an ambitions program of public lectures by local residents. It is reported that Mr George Briggs, a Member of the Royal College of Chemistry, delivered the first, "occupying two hours", on 13 October 1874. A month later, Mr H. Dean chose the subject "The British Constitution" for his lecture, the audience for which, the Armidale Express saw fit to note, "was partly composed of ladies". The third in a series of "most interesting lectures" was given by Mr William Gleghorn. In March 1881, the Committee agreed to subscribe to the Sydney Mail and to accept an offer of a free subscription to the Tamworth News. The Committee was motivated in its decision to do so by the "definite need of a reading room for the use of railway navvies", to discourage them from spending their weekends at various hotels and wine shops. The Uralla Times of 21 October 1885 reported that the Institute at that time had twenty-nine financial members and that its Government Subsidy stood at nine pounds and nine shillings. Its bank balance contained "two pounds, seventeen shillings and twopence". Newspaper subscriptions, by this time, had grown to include: The Uralla Times, There was apparently a time, during the late 1880s, when patronage of the Institute's services went into decline, so much so that a public meeting was called on 9 January 1889 to decide if it should
By April 1903, the Uralla Times was reporting a record membership "with ladies being admitted". A ping pong table was to be purchased and the Institute possessed "a large and interesting library". In February 1905, Dr Lloyd Jones offered to give First Aid lectures and ambulance classes for seven shillings and sixpence per member. He also made his own piano available for a "President's Musical Social" which was held on 30 June 1905. The same year saw a full program on Institute events including public meetings, debates and dressmaking classes. Its Later UseRequirements for more space for the Institute and the need to provide facilities for the CWA and Diggers League resulted in a change in location in 1926. The old main street Tattersall's Hotel, which had been gutted by fire in 1920, was rebuilt to serve these organizations and renamed the Uralla Memorial Literary Institute. The building remains to-day. The 1920s witnessed considerable activity. Literary Institute membership increased and by 1929, there were 175 members and 5136 books were issued from the Library. The building was described as the "recreational and educational centre for the town and district". The 1930s saw a decline in membership. There were some important uses of the building, such as by Technical Education in the 1940s, but by the 1960s the advent of television and competition from the new Regional Library were blamed for the end of the Institute's major activity, its library. It was closed and the books were sold to local citizens. Its Significance to the CommunityIt is clear that the Literary Institute in Uralla, in its early years, provided a very significant service to the people of the town. Public lectures were provided and were well patronised. A well- equipped reading room service was provided, along with a "library", which, presumably, operated on a borrowing basis. It continued to offer library services until the 1960s. As with similar establishments in the area, The Uralla Literary Institute also provided facilities for public meetings and community classes of various kinds, along with social events such as concerts and dances, and sporting facilities including "ping pong" and billiards. Its building still remains as a valuable community resource for the people of Uralla and district.
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