Our stories

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.

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.

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.

Online collection spotlight: International Relations, Archives unbound

Online collection spotlight: International Relations, Archives unbound

April 14, 2023

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories:

Archives Unbound is a Gale electronic database made up of hundreds of resources, many previously unpublished, from the Middle Ages through to 20th century political history. 

Mapping the past with Victoria’s historical plans

Mapping the past with Victoria’s historical plans

April 4, 2023

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.