A milestone in the history of YPRL took place 50 years ago this month when the Shire of Whittlesea joined Heidelberg Regional Library (the forerunner of YPRL) in June 1976.
By then, it had already been a long time coming with a report commissioned way back in 1961 investigating a joint library service with the City of Heidelberg.
This was even well before the Regional Library service came to fruition when the Shires of Eltham and Diamond Valley first came together with Heidelberg and signed the foundation agreement in 1965. Ultimately it was recognised that the Regional Library Service would only be stronger following agreement with the four municipalities.
Years of discussions, negotiations and crunching of numbers led to the signing of the milestone agreement that took place a year following centenary celebrations of the Shire.
It was estimated to cost Whittlesea an estimated $1,051,290 in its first four years of operation. The council defrayed some establishment costs with Federal Government funds. However, the cost of the venture still sparked lively debate among councillors, particularly around ongoing funding and prediction of a very small rate increase, which would particularly hit farmers in the rural areas of the Shire.
Whittlesea also contributed a branch library at Lalor, a new temporary prefabricated building under construction, which opened later in 1976, a new bookmobile and book stock for both locations to the value of $30,000.
In addition to the expansion of the Region, a new arrangement for the management of the library service was also agreed to. The library committee (now known as the Library Board) would consist of equal representation from each of the participating municipalities. It would derive its funding through each respective council.
Map of the Shire of Whittlesea, 1970s.
The Shire of Whittlesea recognised that they were one of the few municipalities in the State without library facilities, in fact had been in the “cultural wilderness for many years,” acccording to the library sub-committee chairman, Cr Rupe Uren.
In 1976 the population of the Shire was 47,150 people with 12,746 dwellings, a phenomenal growth followed with the municipality experiencing one of the largest growth rates in metropolitan Melbourne.
In 1988 the municipality was proclaimed a City.
By 2021, the population was 229,396 people and 82,933 private dwellings. Today the City is recognised as one of the largest and fastest-growing municipalities in Melbourne.
Our City of Whittlesea libraries and locations include Lalor Library, first opened in 1976 with the current building opened in 1985. Thomastown Library (opened 1993), Mill Park Libary (opened 2002), Whittlesea Library (opened 2015), Galada Community Centre Hub Click and Collect, Epping (opened 2022), Mernda Library (opened 2024), Kirrip Hub Click and Collect Service in Wollert (opened 2024) and murnong Library (opened February 2026). The community is also supported by the mobile library, Home Library & Outreach Services and online services.
Now, fifty years on, with the City of Banyule and Shire of Nillumbik, that landmark decision continues to resonate, shaping a vibrant and growing library service that supports our purpose to provide an accessible and future-focussed library service that connects all of the the communities in Banyule, Nillumbik and Whittlesea.