Stop, Repair, Prepare: the Dome receives a birthday present

Stop, Repair, Prepare: the Dome receives a birthday present

November 16, 2012

Music, Rare Books & Arts:

To celebrate the centenary of our beautiful Domed Reading Room (aka. the LaTrobe Reading Room), the Library is kickstarting a full year of celebrations in 2013 this month with a… Read More ›

Forgotten Australians and former child migrants

November 15, 2012

Family matters, Research guides, Research tips & tricks:

Tomorrow marks the third anniversary of the National apology to Forgotten Australians and former child migrants. ‘Forgotten Australians’ is a term the Australian Senate has used to describe children who… Read More ›

View the 2012 Keith Murdoch Oration delivered by the Honourable Paul Keating, former Prime Minister

November 15, 2012

Family history events, News, Talks, Uncategorized:

View the 2012 Keith Murdoch Oration that was delivered by the Honourable Paul Keating, former Prime Minister of Australia, last night. A copy of his oration follows.

The Argus newspaper in colour

The Argus newspaper in colour

November 13, 2012

Social life & customs, Such was life:

On Monday 28 July 1952, the Melbourne Argus became the first newspaper in the world to print a high-speed action news picture in full colour. In what was a technological… Read More ›

New DVDs: Haydn, the New York Times, the Don & more.

New DVDs: Haydn, the New York Times, the Don & more.

November 12, 2012

Film, Music, Rare Books & Arts:

New DVDs arriving into the collection include the following: In Search of Haydn: a film by Phil Grabsky   Michel Legrand and the cinema A classical and film composer are… Read More ›

Diggers’ diaries

Diggers’ diaries

November 11, 2012

Such was life, War:

‘Well I have been to gay Paris and all I can say is it is wonderful…Melbourne is like the smallest of bush towns compared with it, wishing that dear old… Read More ›

Early closure on Wednesday 14 November

November 9, 2012

About us, Announcements, Collection, Education, Exhibitions, Family history events, Grants, Library services, News, Opening hours, Search, Talks, Uncategorized, Updates:

The Library will close at 5pm on Wednesday 14 November due to a major event, the Keith Murdoch Oration. You can watch a live webcast of the oration by the Honourable… Read More ›

Kaldor Public Art Project #26 perfomances in the library

November 9, 2012

About us, Announcements, Education, Exhibitions, Family history events, Library services, News, Uncategorized, Updates:

Kaldor Public Art Project #26 is a public art performance which is being presented in the Cowen Gallery from 16 November to 6 December. The Library is proud to host this… Read More ›

That’s why they’re called the “funny pages”! A favourite thing…..

That’s why they’re called the “funny pages”! A favourite thing…..

November 7, 2012

Comic books, Rare Books & Arts:

An occasional series highlighting a favourite item from the collection. Forgotten fantasy, Sunday comics 1900-1915 : visions from Lyonel Feininger, Winsor McCay and many more: edited by Peter Maresca  … Read More ›

Arts on Film: Opera Gala

Arts on Film: Opera Gala

November 5, 2012

Rare Books & Arts:

Part One of The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala is the next program in the Arts on Film series, to be screened this coming Wednesday 7th November in Arts. In celebration… Read More ›

Such was life

Online Collection Spotlight: Trench journals and unit magazines of the First World War.

Online Collection Spotlight: Trench journals and unit magazines of the First World War.

April 20, 2026 0 comments

This Online Collection Spotlight examines WWI trench journals created by units from several combatant nation between 1914 and 1919. Produced in camps and battle zones, these handmade publications reveal humour, creativity, and resilience through poems, sketches, notes and stories.

Arts

Photographic portrait by Richard Beck of Ailsa O’Connor (1921-1980), political activist, painter, sculptor, author and teacher.

Ailsa O’Connor: highlights of a life of socialist activism, feminism and art

March 23, 2026 9 comments

Ailsa O’Connor (1921-1980) was a political activist, painter, sculptor, author and teacher. Throughout her art career she was a member of the Communist Party and associated with the Socialist Realist Group.