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.
Our stories
Women changing the world, part three: Physical autonomy
Arts & literature, Our stories, Politics, Social life & customs:
In the third and final part of our exploration of works by women that have changed our world, we focus on women’s reproductive rights.
Women changing the world, part two: political equality
Arts & literature, Our stories, Politics, Social life & customs:
Campaigns to secure the right to vote for women helped progress women’s political equality. Discover the ground-breaking women leading the charge through the rare books in this ‘World of the book’ display.
Melbourne’s lost department stores
Buildings & streets, Our stories, Social life & customs:
Melbourne and shopping have been hand in glove since the 1880s, and at its peak the city flaunted more than a dozen department stores.
Precious correspondence from Australian feminist, writer and poet Mary Fullerton
Arts & literature, Our stories:
Within the papers of a Victorian farmer from Beaconsfield, are a series of letters from his aunt, Mary Fullerton, an Australian author and a vocal member of the women’s suffrage movement.
Women changing the world, part one: intellectual equality
Arts & literature, Our stories, Politics, Social life & customs:
Explore the history of the struggle for women’s equality – intellectual, political, and physical – in this three-part series.
A determined dreamer: the life and art of Phyl Waterhouse
Arts & literature, Our stories:
A prolific artist, Phyl Waterhouse is represented in the collections of most major Australian galleries, although she arguably did not receive sufficient critical attention in her lifetime.
‘Here for you’: a new original artwork
The Library forecourt has been the backdrop for 163 years of social change. Now it is emblazoned with the faces of influential change-makers from Australia’s history.
A love story in the archives
Letters from the Victorian goldfields reveal a love story, filled with dramatic highs and lows.
Women in science at the Library
Collection Care, Conservation, Our stories:
Believe it or not, science is a vital part of the State Library’s day-to-day operations. In the Library’s Preservation and Conservation department we celebrate 16 brilliant women of science.
