Melbourne’s first horse race

Melbourne’s first horse race

June 2, 2023

Ask a librarian, Victorian history:

Horseracing is an industry strongly associated with Melbourne, but it took almost three years after colonial settlement for the first horse race to be held. Like many of today’s horse racing carnivals, the reporting was more focused on what happened off the racetrack than on it. 

Baron Ferdinand von Mueller’s Educational Collections of Australian Plants

Baron Ferdinand von Mueller’s Educational Collections of Australian Plants

May 26, 2023

Collection Care, Preservation, Preventive conservation:

Baron Ferdinand von Mueller served as Government Botanist and Director of the Botanical Gardens in the mid-1800s. He compiled and published ‘The Educational Collections of Australian Plants’ (1873-1876), motivated by a desire to bring botany to the masses. The Library’s edition was recently rehoused by our Preservation team.

A little history of Queen’s Hall

A little history of Queen’s Hall

May 22, 2023

Our stories:

‘The Queen’s Reading Room’ opened on 24 May 1859 when the south wing of the Library was completed. Restoration works began in 2017 and in 2019, the space was re-opened to the public as the Ian Potter Queen’s Hall.

Eggs for the sick

Digitising The Sun

May 16, 2023

Collection, Such was life:

The Sun News-Pictorial captured so many Victorian stories. Its extensive coverage of local events, showing familiar places and faces, resonated with Victorians. After 100 years, it’s time to make these stories accessible to all by digitising the daily paper.

What’s new in eresources

What’s new in eresources

May 15, 2023

Ask a librarian, New to the collection:

There have been a few new additions to our online eresources lately. These can be explored from outside the Library if you are a Victorian-resident Library member – log in with your Library member number, or sign up for membership online to begin. Let’s take a look at what’s available.

Celebrating our nurses: the history of nursing in Victoria

Celebrating our nurses: the history of nursing in Victoria

May 12, 2023

Collections, Family matters:

International Nurses Day is celebrated on Friday 12 May – the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. In today’s blog we explore the history of nursing in Victoria and take a glimpse at the nurses featured in our collection.

King Charles comes to school in Victoria

King Charles comes to school in Victoria

May 5, 2023

Ask a librarian, Our stories:

In 1966 Mansfield was abuzz for the arrival of the heir to the throne, Prince (now King) Charles. He was on his way to Timbertop, the bush campus of Geelong Grammar, as an exchange student.

Online Collection Spotlight: Socialism on Film

Online Collection Spotlight: Socialism on Film

May 5, 2023

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:

Snapshots of the past, documented by films. From the birth of Karl Marx through to the Russian Revolutions and into the1980s, explore the communist world through the eyes of socialist film makers.

A-Z of Collection Care: Part 2

A-Z of Collection Care: Part 2

April 28, 2023

Collection Care, Conservation, Preservation, Tips and tricks:

Looking for some more insights into the day-to-day activities of the Library’s Collection Care team?

Part 2 of the A-Z of Collection Care series takes us from marvellous maps to pesky pests and beyond.

Uncovering treasure: our favourite Trove discoveries

Uncovering treasure: our favourite Trove discoveries

April 20, 2023

Ask a librarian, Our stories:

Rarely a day goes by that State Library Victoria’s librarians don’t consult Trove – it is an indispensable resource for a wide range of research. We put a call out to State Library Victoria staff to share their favourite discoveries on Trove. From articles that revealed previously unknown details of their family history, to a bizarre ad for the film Frankenstein, their discoveries reveal what a rich resource for research Trove can be.

Such was life

Eggs for the sick

Digitising The Sun

May 16, 2023 0 comments

The Sun News-Pictorial captured so many Victorian stories. Its extensive coverage of local events, showing familiar places and faces, resonated with Victorians. After 100 years, it’s time to make these stories accessible to all by digitising the daily paper.

Arts

Paris is always a good idea

Paris is always a good idea

March 17, 2023 3 comments

Read about the time Paris lost itself in Melbourne. Good thing we found it and gave it back to the world! Here’s the fascinating story of a collection that everyone believed to be lost.