Picnic fun
Victorians of yesteryear loved their picnics: despite heavy clothing, horse-drawn transport and no refrigeration, they made treks to the bush to enjoy food and recreation. Enjoy these picnic images from our pictures collections.
Articles by: Barbara Carswell
The Ryerson Index: a family history discovery tool
Family matters, Research tips & tricks, Websites:
The Ryerson Index can be a wonderful help to family history researchers. It’s a research tool for finding information about deceased family members and friends: a free online index of historic and current Australian newspaper death and funeral notices.
![The lighthouse, Cape Schanck, Vic., [ca.1917] Shirley Jones collection of Victorian postcards. H90.140/264.](https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/TheLighthouseCape-SchanckVic.-120x120.jpg)
Beacons of hope: Victorian lighthouses
Standing tall on rugged coastlines, lighthouses captivate the imagination. Dotting the Victorian coastline, they were lifesavers for ships navigating treacherous seas, seeking a safe harbour.
![The Chalet, winter, Mt. Buffalo 9Vic.) [1910]](https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Chalet-Winter-MtBuffalo-ca-1908-1910-or-later-120x120.jpg)
Mount Buffalo Chalet: the island in the sky
Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
Over 110 years old, picturesque Mount Buffalo Chalet sits atop a plateau in the Mount Buffalo National Park. This grand old lady has provided a leisurely holiday escape for almost one hundred years. Little wonder that for decades, Victorians made the chalet their favourite winter and summer retreat.
![Family group, ca. 1870 to 1880. Families of five or more children were common in the Victorian era. [H2005.34/2086]](https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Groupconsistinhofmanwomanandfivechildrencrop-120x120.jpg)
Online Collection Spotlight: The Malthusian, a collection in the Women’s Studies Archive
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories:
Overpopulation was a huge social problem in 19th century Britain. Trailblazers like Annie Besant were tireless campaigners for the improvement of living conditions, birth control, and women’s rights. The Malthusian gives us a vivid lens into the living conditions of the poor, and a fascinating insight into the population issues from 1879 to 1921, which laid the groundwork for social reform in the twentieth century.
Play the Game: Summer beach camps
Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
A stronger, more inclusive society. This was the vision for the Lord Somers and Lord Mayor’s camps, bringing children from all corners of Victoria, and all walks of life together for summer seaside adventures.
Pigeon messengers of World War I
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.
The Victorian Artists’ Society: 150 years of art
Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
This year the Victorian Artists’ Society, East Melbourne, celebrates its 150th anniversary. We look back at the early years of its artistic journey.
Victorian patents: a window on the past
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories:
From the world’s first commercial ice-making machine to a cycling skirt made especially for women, the Library’s collection of Victorian patents is a fascinating window into the lives of our forebears
Medieval lives: Working women in English society, 1300–1500
Our stories, People & professions:
Until the late 20th century, the important role played by medieval women in the peasant household was largely ignored by historians.
