Archive for May, 2017

Meet some of the team behind Australia’s oldest public Library

Meet some of the team behind Australia’s oldest public Library

May 26, 2017

Our stories:

This week we’re celebrating our wonderful team as part of the Australian Library and Information Association’s Library and Information Week. From librarians and technicians to photographers and conservators, we have more than 300 staff who work to run Australia’s oldest public Library. We hope you celebrated your library this week too.

The 1967 referendum

The 1967 referendum

May 26, 2017

Such was life:

On 27 May 1967, Australians voted in record numbers to alter two sections of the Constitution so it no longer discriminated against Aboriginal people. The landslide ‘yes’ vote was seen as a watershed moment in Australian political history.

Nova et accvratissima totivs terrarvm orbis tabvla by Joan Blaeu, 1664

From Melbourne to the stars: 5 great maps from our collection

May 23, 2017

Our stories:

We have well over 110,000 maps in our collection— enough to carpet metropolitan Melbourne. Here are five highlights.

Visions of fairyland: Herbert Swire’s watercolours

Visions of fairyland: Herbert Swire’s watercolours

May 19, 2017

Such was life:

Herbert Swire was 22 years old when he joined a scientific voyage to Antarctica on board the ship, HMS Challenger. He captured what he saw in two delicate watercolours that have recently been donated to the library.

The YVR Collection : a treasure trove of vintage recordings

The YVR Collection : a treasure trove of vintage recordings

May 18, 2017

Music, Rare Books & Arts:

YVR = Ballarat Vintage Recordings.  This sequence contains several collections of vinyl recordings that include the ABC Sound Library, Kevin James Collection, Betty Pounder Collection, and Ron White Collection.  They are stored… Read More ›

Meek’s Atlas: The story of a 155 year old oversized map

Meek’s Atlas: The story of a 155 year old oversized map

May 17, 2017

Our stories:

In late 2015, thirteen uncatalogued oversized maps and charts held in the Library’s Maps Collection were prioritised for treatment during a routine collection survey. Further investigation revealed two significant 1862 photolithographs of the 1861 oversized pen-and-ink drawing Meek’s Atlas of the British Colonies in Continental and Insular Australia.

Mr and Mrs Hanify on tandem, 10 March 1900, State Library Victoria

616 issues of the Australian Cyclist (1893–1905) go online

May 15, 2017

News:

Perfect for cycling enthusiasts or vintage bicycle buffs, the Australian Cyclist advocates all aspects of the bicycle, and included advertisements for local bike shops and depots, reviews of road races, programs of racing events, local league notes and, of course, cycling club gossip.