Monday, March 8, 2010

9th March The Mitchell Library is 100!





The Mitchell Library in Sydney opened its doors to the public on 9th March 1910. It has survived one hundred years of collecting and resourcing the people of Sydney. While you may think there is nothing there for children as young as those I teach, it is still worth a visit and it could be fascinating for many children who have only experienced a school or municipal library.

Look at the statue of Matthew Flinders outside the library and then find the bronze statue of his cat Trim sitting on the window ledge behind him. This brave cat came to Australia from England with Flinders and then was there for the circumnavigation of Australia too. Flinders kept a diary and Trim was 'the star' of it. Years ago Annette Macarthur-Onslow illustrated his journal and it was marketed under the title of Trim, but it would be long out of print, but The Mostly True Story of Matthew and Trim by Cassandra Golds and Stephen Axelson would be easier to find and it even has teaching notes to accompany it that come from the Curriculum Corporation.



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