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.
Victorian history
![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)
Miss Anderson’s Motor Service
Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
In 1918, at just 20 years of age, Alice Anderson founded what would go on to become 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.’
New Idea turns 120
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.’
Neon magic!
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.
Magic in the night sky
Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
Moomba, the Royal Melbourne Show, New Years Eve…Victorians love to celebrate major events with fireworks. While we might have an idea of what a typical firework display looks like (such as the regular ones held each New Years Eve), the displays of the nineteenth century were completely unlike like what we see today.
A trick of the light: a personal response to several paintings in the Cowen Gallery
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories, Victorian history:
The Library’s Cowen Gallery features some magnificent paintings by Australian artists, whose work sheds light on how the Australian Impressionist movement inspired Australian painters around the turn of the century.
From flappers to fast fashion: 100 years of style in Melbourne
Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
Join us on a journey from the 1920s to now. See what women were wearing across the decades and which trends mark each changing era.
![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.
Setting the curriculum: the history of Victorian school readers
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Victorian history:
To mark the 150th anniversary of public education in Victoria, we take a look at school papers and Victorian school readers. What insights can these texts offer into the social, political and cultural environments of their day?
Graham Berry & the Upper House
Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
Premier Graham Berry was a giant in the wild politics of 1870s Victoria. His battle with the Legislative Council resulted in mass sackings, freezing of budgets and a journey to London to try and woo the Imperial Government.
