Australian houses and European migration: architects, designers and builders.
Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
See some of the contribution of European migrants to architecture, design and home-making in Melbourne.
Preserving Marvellous Melbourne
Collection Care, News, Our stories:
William Butterfield’s original drawings of St Paul’s Cathedral are in urgent need of conservation treatment. Learn how the Library’s working to preserve the plans for the State Collection, and how you can help.
Celebrating 150 years of public education
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Victorian history:
This year marks the 150th anniversary of public education in Victoria, and a chance to reflect on our long-held belief that every child deserves a high-quality education, regardless of their background.
Evolution of the people’s forecourt
Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
State Library Victoria was not always a popular venue for rallies, protests and public speakers in the Melbourne CBD. So when did it become the norm?
The Collected Works bookshop: Melbourne’s hidden treasure
Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:
For years, writers from around Australia and across the globe, made beelines to Melbourne’s ‘hidden treasure,’ the Collected Works Bookshop in the Nicholas Building. Entering it felt like reaching ‘heaven,’ with Kris and Loretta Hemensley its warm, generous hosts.
Researching your Irish rebels
Family matters, Research tips & tricks:
This year marks 106 years since the events of the Irish Easter Rising. For those with ancestors involved in the Rising or subsequent events, there are a number of family history records that you can use to trace their activities.
Autumn delights: Trial databases on travel, trailblazers and more!
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Collections:
From new content in the Food and Drink in History database to three new databases available on trial, there’s plenty to discover online this Autumn. Trial databases cover empire studies, travel adventures of women in the 19th and 20th centuries, and trailblazing female forerunners in history. Explore and share your feedback!
Humans of Melbourne, 1930s style
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories, Victorian history:
The Library holds a set of images with a particularly intriguing name – Street characters: a series of photographs taken of Melbourne street personalities, about 1930. They are compelling snapshots of the social fabric of Melbourne at that time, images of characters long gone, likely long forgotten, their stories spent.
Searching through time: Melbourne newspaper card indexes
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Research tips:
The newspaper card indexes at State Library Victoria can provide vital clues when researching Melbourne’s not so distant past.
Online Collection Spotlight: Popular Culture in Britain and America, 1950-1975
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
The women’s movement, the advent of television, rock and roll, the gay rights movement, the Vietnam War: explore photographs and documents bringing the turbulent 50s, 60s and 70s to life.
Such was life
Online Collection Spotlight: Bloomsbury Historic Dress in Detail
Watch the wonders of fashion unfold with this informative and visually stunning peak into the history of clothing. This video database, with companion articles, explores historical contexts, materials, and construction methods, enabling you to see how different garments were worn, and the function that each item served.
Arts
Online Collection Spotlight: American Music
From Willie Nelson to Dinah Washington, Muddy Waters to Flaco Jimenez, you can enjoy a journey across the diverse musical roots of America with the Music Online: American Music database. Hosting an astonishing array of talent the collection consists of almost 7000 albums and 120,000 songs.
