Fireworks in Little Bourke street
There’s an air of intrigue around these deserted Chinese shopfronts, captured by artist Eric Thake in Melbourne during World War II
Our stories
Victorian patents: a window on the past
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
The grandstand in Beech Forest
A grandstand made out of a tree stump? A racecourse in a forest? Join us as we ponder our question of the week.
Cigarette cards: preservation of a small, but unique collection
Collection Care, Our stories, Preservation, Social life & customs:
Collectible cards as we know them today have a very long tradition, dating back to the mid-late nineteenth century with the production of cigarette cards. A small, but unique collection of these wonderful items were recently rehoused by our Preservation team.
Joan Lindsay’s mysterious ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’
‘Everyone agreed the day was just right for the picnic to Hanging Rock…’
Education in Colonial Victoria: a new collection for Trove
By Paul Dee, Senior Librarian Victorian and Australian Collections Trove is the National Library’s online portal to more than 6 billion artefacts, curiosities and stories from Australia’s cultural, community and research institutions.… Read More ›
Transcribing the diaries of Joseph Jenkins from home
Joseph Jenkins (1818–98) was a farmer and poet from Tregaron, Wales. From his early twenties until his death, he kept a diary, written in both Welsh (his mother tongue) and… Read More ›
The archive of a pioneer ‘slow’ food restaurant
Collection Care, People & professions, Preservation, Social life & customs, Such was life:
Coinciding with the reopening of many of Victoria’s restaurants after lockdown, we celebrate the story of Sunnybrae, a much-loved regional restaurant ‘in the middle of a paddock’, and the early innovations in food provenance and seasonal, sustainable produce that it became known for.
Collection Care from home
Collection Care, Conservation, Our stories, Preservation, Preventive conservation:
The majority of the work undertaken by Collection Care staff requires physical access to the collections. The recent Library closure as a result of COVID-19 has meant staff are unable to access studios and labs for the time being, prompting a re-imagining of how they normally approach their roles.
Meet Gwenda Robb, Tour Guide
It’s National Volunteer Week, so we’re celebrating all the dedicated, talented and inspiring people who volunteer with State Library Victoria, and we want you to meet some of them! Today… Read More ›
