Trainer planes taxi on to drome preparing to take off, Argus (Melbourne), Sydney Morning Herald, 1941
Writers often struggle with the perfect way to begin a story. Kate Grenville once said that it’s impossible to pen a great beginning until the story is written. Here at the State Library we don’t suffer from a lack of stories – we are brimming with them. The question isn’t how to begin, it’s where to begin.
This blog is dedicated to telling the State Library’s stories. With each post we will uncover the Library’s treasures and curiosities, taking you behind the scenes to meet insiders like librarians and curators. We will hear from all sorts of people on all sorts of topics, from love letters to recipes, fashion magazines and magic tricks.
Group of young children during a running race, Roger Holdsworth, between 1860 and 1930
The State Library is the keeper of Victoria’s stories and we want to share them with you. There are stories behind the books, images and objects housed in the Library, from the final notes of ill-fated explorers Burke and Wills to a much-loved teacup from the former Coles Cafeteria.
Crowd watching diving at a pool, Gerard Wardell, c. 1937
There are stories from the librarians, families, students and writers who have worked, studied and daydreamed in the Library for decades, from founder Redmond Barry collecting the Library’s first books to Helen Garner writing her seminal novel Monkey grip in the domed reading room.
There are tales everywhere just waiting to be told – let’s go find them.
