Multicultural library services in South Australia prior to World War One

Abstract

In 1861, the South Australian census recorded 8,863 out of a population of 78,217 as German born—a minority group amounting to nearly seven percent of the population. The South Australian Institute developed a number of services reflecting the presence of a sizeable number of German speakers in the colony. The Deutsche Liedertafel performed at a number of conversaziones organised by the South Australian Institute. German language classes were one of a range of classes organised by the South Australian Institute in the period 1861–1884. A collection of 266 works in German, by 42 authors, was added to the South Australian Institute's library in 1859. Probably more useful than the books, were local and overseas German newspapers and periodicals bought by the Institute.Small numbers of German books were lent to country institutes on an ad hoc basis until it was decided to augment the English book boxes in the South Australian Institute's travelling box library with German books. The first German book boxes were introduced in 1875. A survey in 1898 suggested the service was little used. Expenditure on German books seemed unbusinesslike when, used for English language material, it could serve so many more. The service was also a casualty of growing Australian nationalism in the period before 1914. The last reference to German language book boxes being in circulation was in 1909, well before the anti-German feeling caused by World War One.The paper is a revised version of a presentation originally given at a seminar held at Monash City Premises, 18–20 November 1988 to honour Professor Jean P. Whyte on the occasion of her retirement.