Archive for 2021

Pigeon messengers of World War I

Pigeon messengers of World War I

July 22, 2021

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories:

It may be hard to believe today, but the humble pigeon played a heroic role as messenger in World War I, braving heavy artillery fire and poisonous gas to deliver messages between the front line and headquarters.

Robert Vere Scott’s photographic panoramas

Robert Vere Scott’s photographic panoramas

July 8, 2021

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Victorian history:

Panoramic photographs have been around since the mid years of the 19th century when photographers strived to produce the arc of a wide vista in a single image. Check out some spectacular examples from the collection.

Catalogue upgrade: QR codes and search suggestions

Catalogue upgrade: QR codes and search suggestions

July 1, 2021

Ask a librarian, Research tips & tricks, Tips and tricks:

Create QR codes, see recent search suggestions and view up 50 results at a time with these new features recently added to the Library catalogue.

Voices from the Great War

Voices from the Great War

June 30, 2021

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:

Our Library has a vast collection of material relating to World War 1 including many original diaries and photographs. Two notable diaries were written by (Victor) Rupert Laidlaw and Alice Kitchin. Both were eyewitnesses to history and their diaries speak eloquently of their experiences, and reflect the horrors of the conflict.

Dancing above the tracks: The VRI Ballroom at Flinders Street Station

Dancing above the tracks: The VRI Ballroom at Flinders Street Station

June 28, 2021

Ask a librarian, Victorian history:

Many Melburnians are surprised to learn that high above the bustle of Flinders Street Station sits a ballroom that has been largely unused since the early 1980s.

Julie Murray on the magic of play-based learning

Julie Murray on the magic of play-based learning

June 21, 2021

Education, Our stories:

Written by Stanley Hong This winter, Julie Murray is the resident host for our weekly Playdate at the Library sessions. We interviewed Julie about her work from Sounds Like This,… Read More ›

New online collections

New online collections

June 4, 2021

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories:

With 20+ new additions to our databases, there’s something for everyone – always available online.

Fanfare for a new Dome

Fanfare for a new Dome

May 31, 2021

Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:

Brass instrumentalists from the Victorian College of the Arts were positioned in the upper galleries of the State Library’s La Trobe Reading Room (‘the Dome’), and the composer, George Dreyfus, stood on the podium below. There was a sudden, hushed silence. It was Tuesday, 8 July 2003, and the Dome was about to come alive with a bold, bright fanfare written to mark the occasion of its re-opening.

Rev Pastor Abbott

Shonky celebrants and wonky marriages ….. Holt’s matrimonial agency and the Free Christian Church

May 24, 2021

Ask a librarian, Victorian history:

The Free Christian Church and Holt’s Marriage Agency first operated in Melbourne in the late 19th century. They were never far from controversy and the law.

Celebrating State Library Victoria’s volunteers

Celebrating State Library Victoria’s volunteers

May 20, 2021

About us, Library services:

It’s National Volunteer Week! And what better way to revel in their return to State Library Victoria by expressing how much we’ve missed them, and how eager we are for their return.