Orange City Library

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The foundation stone for the Orange City Library was laid on Friday 11 February 1955 at the site in Curran Street (now McNamara Street) by the NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Mr R. J. Heffron, MLA. At that time state government responsibility for public libraries rested with the education portfolio (Library Board of NSW, 1956). In an address to the 3,000 school children and hundreds of adults gathered in Robertson Park the Minister said that “the library would bring Orange into line with many other towns, cities and shires which had decided to provide amenities of this nature”.

The laying of the foundation stone marked the culmination of a turbulent, 9 year campaign to establish a public library in Orange. It was of particular magnitude for the Mayor, Alderman Ernest White, whose name is also recorded on the stone. Ald White was one of the earliest advocates for a public library in Orange and had made the issue part of his policy at the 1950 elections when a referendum showed that voters favoured the establishment of a library. Despite this victory it would be another 5 years before this would move towards reality.

The Library was officially opened in Curran Street on 9 November 1956 by Mayor of Orange Alderman Alan Ridley in front of an audience of 4,000 school children. In the first day over 1,000 books were issued. In the first 4 days of opening 20% of the Orange population had registered as members and the Central Western Daily reported that staff had to be brought from other areas of Council to assist the 3 Library staff.

This formed the nucleus of what became known as Orange Regional Library, Central Western Cooperative Public Library and now Central West Libraries. In November 1957 Molong, Boree and Canobolas Shires (now Cabonne) joined with Orange to sign the original regional agreement. Lyndhurst Shire Council (Blayney) followed in 1960. The municipalities of Forbes and Cowra together with the shires of Jemalong and Waulgoola were welcomed in 1972, although public libraries had existed in Forbes and Cowra since 1947 and 1948 respectively.

The library continued to serve the needs of the community until the 1970s when space began to run short with calls for a new library complex made by community and educational groups. Council decided on October 7, 1982, that it would proceed with a $3.5 million library and art gallery complex for Civic Square, behind the Visitors Centre. Two aldermen, Dan Perry and Margaret Stevenson, were opposed to the proposal, suggesting that the city could not afford a new building and should add a storey to the existing library.

Debate continued and in July, 1983, Council again voted on the proposal, this time agreeing to go ahead with a 9-3 vote. Those to vote against it at this stage were Ald Margaret Stevenson, Ald Tim Sullivan and Ald Joyce Hawkes because of the cost to the ordinary ratepayer. Mayor Richard Niven said Orange was certain to receive funds of some sort for the project, a new library was a necessity and it had been Council policy for seven years to pursue the aim of a library-gallery with the aim of supporting State grants to support it.

Work on the complex began in late 1983 and was expected to be completed by November, 1984. However, there was a setback on August 7, 1985, when arsonists set fire to the almost completed complex. Fire raced through partitions and into the ceiling, causing estimated $1 million damage. The main damage was in the gallery section.

The blaze forced the postponement of the official opening by Premier Neville Wran the following month. The new library/gallery, built at a cost of $5.2 million, was officially opened by the Minister for Finance, Bob Debus, on Saturday, April 19, 1986 with hundreds of people braving cold weather for the ceremony in the northern forecourt. The library had already been open to the public since January with Council saying the use had already increased above expectations, in some areas by up to 300 per cent.

With the removal of the Orange City Library to the Orange Regional Library/Gallery (ORLAG) building in Byng Street in 1985 at which time the original premises in McNamara Street were converted to a museum for the Orange and District Historical Society. The building was demolished as part of a re-development project in 2001.


  • Central Western Daily, 4 December 1950, p.1.
  • Central Western Daily, 12 February 1955, p.1.
  • Central Western Daily 17 November 1956, p.3
  • Notes for a history of Orange compiled by John Miller (1995-1997). Unpublished.
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