Located between Tudor and Milton Streets.The Hamilton Mechanics Institute was founded in 1859 and the present building was constructed in stages between 1869 and 1903.· The Institute was granted a block of land in Gray Street in 1859, but meetings were held at first in a private house and in rented rooms.The Hamilton institute was originally a wooden structure built in 1862.·The first building was a lecture hall designed by the architect JS Jenkins and constructed in 1869.In 1872 this was extended to designs by the local architect William Smith, with a Free Library built west of the lecture hall and separated from it by a wide hallway. In 1872 the originally building was demolished and the façade was replace across the building. In 1872 saw the building extended and library added by William as well as new facade to Gray Street section to combine to new and old section. In 1879 the Learmonth Memorial Hall was added.In 1879 a large room costing £500 was collect through a memorial to Alexander Learmonth an original trustee.This was replaced in 1888 with a Victorian building designed by renowned Newcastle architect Frederick Menkens. On August 1888 NSW premier Sir Henry Parkes opened the building. In 1891 an extension on the building was completed.