Robert Kay father of circulating library and directs public library, museum, art gallery start in South Australia
An 1898 portrait (artist unknown) of Robert Kay, celeberating his role in establishing the building and roles of the South Australian Institute and the Jervois (later Mortlock) Wing, on North terrace, Adelaide city.
Image courtesy State Library of South Australia
Robert Kay originated Adelaide circulating library concept that was widely copied elsewhere and was long-time general director and secretary of the Public Library, Museum, and Art Gallery of South Australia when he died in 1904.
Born in Newcastle on Tyne, England, and educated at its grammar school, Kay worked as accountant at the ironworks where his father was manager and part owner. At 24, he inherited – and sold – his father's share of the business, leaving on the Ascendant to arrive in South Australia in 1851.
Kay worked as a gold assayer before trying his luck on the Mount Alexander goldfields in Victoria but soon returned to the government assay office in Adelaide where he made the gold tokens used as currency. In 1853, he married Ann “Annie” Catcheside and took up an Adelaide Hills farm in Woodside and was elected to the Onkaparinga district council and served as chairman. Three years later, he returned to Adelaide city as an accountant and cashier for Herford and Boucaut, living at Norwood and then College Town (later Park).
In 1859, Kay was appointed secretary to the board of governors (Samuel Davenport, Anglican priest Dean Farrell, John Howard Clark and Lavington Glyde) of the new South Australian Institute. With 200 books, Kay started what became the Adelaide circulating library on North Terrace, Adelaide city, exchanging boxes of books with other institutes in the suburbs and districts further out. This system was soon adopted by the other Australian colonies and overseas. Kay was instrumental in the construction of the institute building on North Terrace, Adelaide city.
Kay also was responsible for the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery of South Australia, to supersede the South Australian Institute, to be housed in the new Jervois (later Mortlock) Wing from 1884. The French Renaissance Jervois Wing building on North Terrace, designed by architect E. John Woods, took more than 18 years to construct after first foundations were laid in 1866. In 1873, the foundations of the western wing of a proposed new block were laid but didn’t progress until 1876, when fresh plans were drawn, and another set of foundations put in. Again, the work went no further until 1879 when the west wing was started. The earlier work was condemned and had to be removed before the public library could be started.
Kay directed the opening of the public library in the Jervois Wing in 1884 with 23,000 books and a staff of three. He was also responsible for the museum and art gallery within the Jervois Wing before they found their own homes later in the 19th Century.
Kay was widely involved with the Adelaide community. He was a member of the Unitarian Church (founded by Adelaide by his businessman brother William) in Wakefield Street and a member of the South Australia Militia in his younger days. He was a violinist with the Philharmonic Society Orchestra and sang in the church choir. and until deafness set in.
The Kays had five daughters who ran the Misses Kay’s School at the family home in Trinity Street, College Town.
