Articles by: Sarah Matthews
Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
On 1 August 1905, an unusually large crowd, including “ladies in bright dresses”, descended on Melbourne’s Supreme Court building to see Ms Grata Flos Matilda Greig become the first woman to be admitted to legal practice in Australia.
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories, Victorian history:
The Historical Maps and Plans Collection is a boon for researchers, containing everything from descriptions of what the landscape was like when Europeans arrived, to the locations of early buildings and houses, pastoral runs, and even shipwrecks.
Ask a librarian, Social life & customs, Such was life, Victorian history:
There are few sounds as synonymous with the beginning of summer as the strains of a Mr Whippy van floating on the breeze. But who was Mr Whippy really, and how did he get his start in Australia?
Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
In 1918, at just 20 years of age, Alice Anderson founded Victoria’s first all female motor garage. Her vision, as she would later tell magazine ‘Woman’s World’, was ‘to turn a trade into a profession for women.’
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Victorian history:
On 1 August 1902, a magazine called ‘New Idea’ was published for the first time. Its aim was ‘to present the newest ideas continually arising in every branch of a woman’s life and interest.’
Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
There is something magical about the sight of neon against the backdrop of an evening sky. Whilst neon signs have fallen out of favour in recent years, many of those remaining have achieved iconic status. We look back at some of the highlights.
Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
There were several ‘sea baths’ at St Kilda in the 19th century, but none were more famous than Captain Kenney’s bathing ship, the Nancy.
Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
On 29 November, 1948, the first Holden motor car was unveiled at General Motors Holden (GMH). The launch of the Holden was a watershed moment for the nation: it represented the first time a motor vehicle had been wholly built in Australia.
In the 1880s, Victoria experienced an unprecedented property bubble. When it eventually burst, it left the economy in tatters.
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories, Victorian history:
From as far back as the 1850s, newsboys were a common sight on the streets of Melbourne. Most were poor and many were illiterate. But they were not without their friends and allies…
