Ask a librarian, Family matters, Our stories, Victorian history:
When librarian Sarah Matthews stumbled across a female publican in her family tree, she couldn’t resist investigating. In this blog, Sarah explains how the library’s collection supported her research, and shares some fascinating findings from her own family’s archive.
Our stories, Victorian history:
It is Library week and some or our librarians have picked some favourite photographs from our collections. Our collection of images is varied, eclectic and endlessly fascinating and many have been digitised and are often available to download as high resolution TIFF files
Ask a librarian, Health, Such was life, Victorian history, Visual arts:
Let’s explore the advertising history of Victorian winter tonics that were promoted through captivating campaigns, featuring everything from racing cars to bombing planes and involving everyone from VFL footballers to Indian Maharajas!
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories, Rare Books & Arts:
To celebrate Trans Awareness Month 2025, we turn our attention to one of the fascinating volumes in State Library Victoria’s Rare Books Collection: Leslie Feinberg’s ‘Stone butch blues.’ The book brings with it stories of struggle — both within and beyond it’s pages — along with questions about control, artistic ethics and the ways we find (and too often don’t find) the stories we seek: stories of people like us.
People & professions, Victorian history:
The Library has hosted two Wikimedians this year as they worked on improving the visibility of Australian feminist activists, organisations, and movements.
Our stories, Victorian history:
In the 1880s Melbourne’s men of science formed a committee to revive interest in Antarctic exploration. They canvassed the colonies and the world in attempts to raise an expedition. Ultimately unsuccessful, they did though inspire the first publicly recorded landing on the Antarctic continent by Henrik Bull and the crew of his whaling expedition.
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
Where can I find more information about the Australian labour movement? What was political ephemera like in the 1970s? Which former world leader excels at cleaning toilets…and what’s the best dish to make with flank of U.S. President? All these questions and much more are answered in this month’s Online Collection Spotlight on Gale’s Power to the People database!
Ask a librarian, Buildings & streets, Social life & customs, Victorian history:
‘The Block’ was a section of Collins street bounded by Elizabeth and Swanson streets. As early as the 1860s is was considered one of the primary places to see and be seen in the Melbourne CBD, but it reached its zenith during the economic boom years in the 1880s and 1890s. ‘Doing the Block’ was a common term to describe the endless promenading of Melbournians up and down Collins street, often dressed in their finest as they frequented the fashionable cafes, tea houses and shops
People & professions, Victorian history:
‘A short chronicle of the sorrows of George Edwards’ is a unique set of papers in our manuscripts collection that documents the prison life and creative output of George Edwards, a prisoner at Pentridge Prison in the 1870s. His secret papers were wrapped in strips of prison sheets and wedged within the walls of the prison to avoid detection. Find out how they made their way to the State Library collection.
Collection spotlights, Research tips:
Delve into the vast array of online resources in our multi-subject category.
What are your favourite festive food memories? Have you ever enjoyed Christmas Day lunch on the beach, up a mountain or aboard a ship? Do you remember pineapple glazed ham? Would you like the 100-year-old recipe for walnut stuffing? The State Library’s historic menus, cookbooks, photos and magazines trace Christmas foods from early colonial tables to the festive flavours celebrated by our diverse migrant communities. Dive in and rediscover your favourite Christmas dishes — or find inspiration for this year’s feast.
John Hinds, an artist, photographer and active ROAR member from 1986 to 1992 spent time capturing artists he personally knew and the spaces that they used to create their works. His photographs captured a unique and often unseen time and place, creating an invaluable insight into the art scene in Melbourne.
