It all started with a single book and deep love for Ceylon
No article about Victor Melder is complete without mentioning his legacy, the Victor Melder Library (VML). Last year, this iconic Melbourne library moved to a temporary abode, a half-hour drive from its birthplace in Victor’s home in the suburb of Broadmeadows, to await a permanent new home. It was a difficult parting for Victor, who remained behind, doing what he has always loved – immersing himself in all things Sri Lankan. This geographical shift signalled the beginning of a new era for both Victor Melder and his beloved library.
It was a turning point for Victor, the man who reluctantly migrated to Australia from Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) with his wife and two children in 1969. Now approaching his 90s, he felt it was time to let go of a lifetime of work, the creation of a resource centre for information on Sri Lanka, so dear to him.
Victor Melder: A treasure trove of books on all things Lankan
Administration has been handed over to the “Friends of the Victor Melder Sri Lanka Library”, a group of volunteers comprising family members and long-time friends. The relocation involved packing and moving over 200 boxes of books, periodicals, newsletters and magazines now in storage awaiting a new address.
“It is in good hands now, with the “Friends of the Victor Melder Sri Lanka Library”, offering long hours of voluntary time and effort. This augurs well for the library and its future is secure,” Victor said, watching his shelves empty into cartons. “I feel sad to see them (my books) go.”
His dream is to see them all housed in one location. For this reason, he turned down offers from educational institutions that would have resulted in sectioning off the collection.
For Victor, leaving Sri Lanka was a difficult decision. He had spent much of his life in Peradeniya and worked as a rail driver with Ceylon Government Railways (CGR). His picturesque hometown and a job that took him to some of Sri Lanka’s most scenic locations had etched in him a deep love for the land.
Sad parting: The books boxed up
But it was time to go. Much of his blood family, including his father Randolph Melder and mother Phyllis and siblings had already put down roots in Australia, like many other
Sri Lankans of European descent. He and his wife, Esther, and their two children were the last of their family to leave. Severing these ties was painful, and Victor swore never to return. But while honouring this promise physically, he returned in spirit and never truly left.
“At first, I was angry that I had to leave Sri Lanka – though by my own volition – and was determined not to go back,” he says. “And during the early years, I couldn’t afford to. But I always felt I was there, mentally, spiritually, and in thought, even though physically I was here in Australia. To echo James Joyce’s words: ‘I cannot go back to a place I haven’t left.’”
When Victor set out for Australia, he packed a copy of ‘A Guide to the Dehiwela Zoo’ by Aubrey Weinman in his luggage. Upon arriving, he was struck by a widespread ignorance of Sri Lanka in his new homeland, with many mistaking it for a state of India. This misconception sparked his determination to educate people about Sri Lanka. “I now understood why I was here,” he realized. “I had to share the story of Sri Lanka.”
He acquired two more books on the country and began publishing “Rhythm of the Wheels”, a newsletter for fans of the CGR. This was the beginning of what would become the VML (Victor Melder Library).
Australia is a nation of book lovers, where many cherish their personal libraries. When word spread that he was building a reference library, friends and relatives both within and outside of Australia began sending him books. Some donated their own collections.
Today, 56 years later, the VML comprises over 6,000 books on Sri Lanka in English, along with a rich collection of magazines, periodicals, souvenirs, and flyers contributed by Sri Lankan community organizations from across Australia over the decades. It serves as an invaluable research centre for information on Sri Lanka and a living record of Sri Lankan community activities in Australia, in particular Victoria which has the largest number of Sri Lankans. Among the many old and rare collections are an 1844 edition of “Recollections of Ceylon” by Rev. Selkirk, a 1907 edition of “Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon” by Arnold Wright, and Royal Asiatic Society Journals from 1894, 1896, 1902, 1913, and 1914.
Over the years, the VML has addressed countless queries about Sri Lanka from all across Australia. The Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra frequently directs people there for research, and it is used by students ranging from primary and secondary levels to those pursuing PhDs. Expatriate Sri Lankans often browse its collection to stay connected with their heritage, while NGOs and quasi-government departments turn to it for research. The VML has also proven invaluable to authors seeking information on Sri Lanka, whether for articles, books, or fictional works set in a Sri Lankan context. Paul Croucher, an Australian Buddhist, the author of “A History of Buddhism in Australia 1848-1988”, conducted research at the VML.
Victor’s efforts have been recognised. In 1993, he received the ‘Sri Lanka Ranjana’, a national award conferred by the government of Sri Lanka to non-nationals for distinguished service to the country of a highly meritorious nature. In February 2008, the Governor of Victoria presented him with the ‘Sri Lankan Community Award’, in recognition of his outstanding contribution towards promoting the image and welfare of the Sri Lankan community in the State of Victoria.
In April 2022, the annual Victor Melder Lecture Series was inaugurated as part of Sri Lankan New Year celebrations, initiated by the Councillor Angelina de Silva with the backing of the Monash Public Library Service and Monash Council. This has since become an event that is attended by hundreds of people, further cementing Victor’s legacy. This year’s lecture (Feb. 
given by Dr Srilal Fernando was on “The 43 Group (Art Collective)”. Previous presenters included Dr Samanthi Gunawardana, Hugh Karunanayake and Dr Sanjiva Wijesinha.
Nearing the age of 90, Victor says he will continue to make Sri Lanka better known and appreciated. “She’s had plenty of knockers and needs all the support she can get. I have been termed by some as ‘day-before-yesterday’s man’, because of my passion for all things Sri Lankan … ,” he says. “Now that the library has gone, I endeavour to spend my days working on all things Sri Lanka.”
He continues to master the use of his computer to disseminate highlights of Sri Lankan news, obituaries, cricket, Melbourne events, etc to hundreds of readers on his email list. These tidbits are shared in other e-media and republished in association newsletters.
Victor has a message for young Sri Lankans in Melbourne about their Sri Lankan heritage. “Don’t take your heritage for granted; read, learn as much as you can. You should be so well read and up with your knowledge of Sri Lanka, that you should be able to stand up and talk on Sri Lanka at any place, anywhere and anytime. Don’t be one of those who say, ‘Sri Lanka is a foreign country, they do things differently there’.”
| Looking for a new home: A future hub of Sri Lankan culture | |
| When Victor arrived in Australia, the Sri Lankan community in Victoria was small, consisting mostly of Sri Lankans of Eurasian ancestry. Today Australia is home to one of the largest Sri Lankan diasporas in the world, with 85,192 people of Sri Lankan ancestry living in Melbourne in 2021.The VML stands not only as a treasure trove of Sri Lankan history and culture but a testament to Victor’s unbroken connection to his country of birth. Through his library, Victor’s legacy lives on, forever a bridge between Sri Lanka and its Australian diaspora, and a beacon of belonging for future generations. The purpose of VML has now grown from being a collection of books for reference, to a repository of published news about events and activities of the Lankan community in Melbourne. It has also become a place of storage for photos, videos and various other items of interest donated by Melbournians. The Friends group is looking for a new location with the hopes that it will be more than a library but also a community meeting place where all Sri Lankans can share ideas, talk about long-forgotten memories, and celebrate their culture. They welcome support, ideas and offers of a new home. For more information about the Victor Melder
|
Searching for an ideal partner? Find your soul mate on Hitad.lk, Sri Lanka's favourite marriage proposals page. With Hitad.lk matrimonial advertisements you have access to thousands of ads from potential suitors who are looking for someone just like you.