Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Friday 20 March 1936, page 12


D. S. MITCHELL.

Centenary Exhibition.

To celebrate the centenary of the death of David Scott Mitchell, founder of the Mitchell Library, an exhibition of material selected from the collections of the library was opened last night by the Minister for Education (Mr. Drummond). Original journals of early explor-ers, logs of gieat Pacific navlgatois, early news-papers, and many portraits, paintings, and prints are Included among the treasures dis-played in the galleries of the library.

Mr. Drummond was Introduced by the chair-man of tiusUas, Sir Daniel Levy, who said that David Scott Mitchell was born at Sydney just 100 years ago yesterday, and died In 1907. Australiana had formed his absorbing interest, and he had devoted the last 30 years of his life to the building up ot the great col-lection of printed and original material con-nected with the history of Australia and the Southern Pacific, which he presented to the nation. He originally provided in his will for an endowment of £30,000, but increased this to £ 70,000 after seeing the plans for the housing of the collection. On Mr. Mitchell's death the collection had been valued at £100,000, and nearly £ 100,000 had been expended on the purchase of material since then.

A tribute was paid by Sir Daniel to Mr. William Dixson, who had presented to the libiary a magnificent collection of historical pictures, and who had promised that his gi eat collection of Australian manuscript and printed material, which was rivalled In the world only by the Mitchell collection itself, should como

to the State on his de<ith._