Melbourne’s Marvellous Madame Weigel
Collections, People & professions, Such was life, Victorian history:
Madame Weigel’s Journal of Fashion became a staple of Australian life for those interested in being well dressed, well presented, and well informed. This treasure trove has recently been digitised and made available online.
Online Collection Spotlight: Political Extremism and Radicalism
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories:
Discover the philosophies and tactics of extremist groups in the 20th century with the Political Extremism and Radicalism database.
Mary Fortune: pioneer of Australian detective stories
Arts & literature, Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
Mary Fortune was the author of the longest running 19th-century crime fiction series published in a periodical and one of the earliest female crime writers in the world.
Students in the big time: University, the VFL and ‘Doc Park’
Our stories, Victorian history:
The AFL is huge business these days, but in 1908 the ninth club to join the competition was a team of students from Melbourne University. The amateur students couldn’t match the growing professionalism of the other clubs, but they did produce stars such as Roy Park.
Online Collection Spotlight: The OECD iLibrary
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
This Online Collection Spotlight features the OECD iLibrary. The iLibrary includes a vast collection of high level research into all aspects of policy areas that effect our daily lives and our future.
Something to write home about: Melbourne in 1852
Ask a librarian, Victorian history:
Shipboard journals provide a fascinating insight into the migrant experience, and if we’re lucky they continue once the passenger stepped off the ship onto dry land. When John Askew arrived in Melbourne in 1852, he encountered a bustling city full of gold-diggers and the upwardly mobile. His impressions are both insightful and amusing.
Treasure Maps? Hidden gems in the State Library databases
Overview of large map collections that can be found in State Library databases. More than 2000 maps are like hidden treasure, buried in our online collections.
Researching your home
Collections, Family matters, Research guides, Research tips & tricks:
Are you interested in the history of you home? Or would you like to discover more about the home your ancestor lived in?
Unless it’s a well-known property, it’s unlikely you will find a detailed history but there are ways you can try and find details about the house and the occupants who lived in it.
In today’s blog, we will look at what resources can be used to research the history of your house.
Digitised dogs
Celebrating this much loved (and digitised) species on International Dog Day.
Such was life
Courting in the colony: finding a partner in 19th-century Australia
The course of true love never did run smooth, but what was it like finding love in early colonial Australia?
Arts
Victoria’s State Artist: Harold Freedman
Cavalacde of Transport, The Story of Fire and The history of Australian thoroughbred racing are some of Melbourne’s largest and most seen artworks. These were from the hands of Harold Freedman, locally born and bred, whose exploration of monumental art came later in his life.
