Dancing above the tracks: The VRI Ballroom at Flinders Street Station

Dancing above the tracks: The VRI Ballroom at Flinders Street Station

June 28, 2021

Ask a librarian, Victorian history:

Many Melburnians are surprised to learn that high above the bustle of Flinders Street Station sits a ballroom that has been largely unused since the early 1980s.

Julie Murray on the magic of play-based learning

Julie Murray on the magic of play-based learning

June 21, 2021

Education, Our stories:

Written by Stanley Hong This winter, Julie Murray is the resident host for our weekly Playdate at the Library sessions. We interviewed Julie about her work from Sounds Like This,… Read More ›

New online collections

New online collections

June 4, 2021

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories:

With 20+ new additions to our databases, there’s something for everyone – always available online.

Fanfare for a new Dome

Fanfare for a new Dome

May 31, 2021

Ask a librarian, Our stories, Victorian history:

Brass instrumentalists from the Victorian College of the Arts were positioned in the upper galleries of the State Library’s La Trobe Reading Room (‘the Dome’), and the composer, George Dreyfus, stood on the podium below. There was a sudden, hushed silence. It was Tuesday, 8 July 2003, and the Dome was about to come alive with a bold, bright fanfare written to mark the occasion of its re-opening.

Rev Pastor Abbott

Shonky celebrants and wonky marriages ….. Holt’s matrimonial agency and the Free Christian Church

May 24, 2021

Ask a librarian, Victorian history:

The Free Christian Church and Holt’s Marriage Agency first operated in Melbourne in the late 19th century. They were never far from controversy and the law.

Celebrating State Library Victoria’s volunteers

Celebrating State Library Victoria’s volunteers

May 20, 2021

About us, Library services:

It’s National Volunteer Week! And what better way to revel in their return to State Library Victoria by expressing how much we’ve missed them, and how eager we are for their return.

King George’s donation

King George’s donation

May 14, 2021

Collection Development & Description:

Book plates have been used to establish ownership for centuries. They also grant us the ability to trace the fascinating journey of the book itself.

Sarah Firth on neurodivergence and creativity

Sarah Firth on neurodivergence and creativity

May 13, 2021

Talks:

Following her appearance on the Library’s Afternoon Tea & Talk series, Sarah talked to us about her experiences as a neurodivergent person and the creativity that flows from her neurodivergence.

Armchair travel with State Library Victoria

Armchair travel with State Library Victoria

May 5, 2021

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories, Research tips:

After over a year of international travel restrictions and domestic border closures, many of us are longing for a holiday. State Library Victoria collections can take you to faraway places – and back in time – without leaving your home.

Collection of published materials

Children’s fiction translated into French & Kaz Cooke donation

April 30, 2021

Collection Development & Description:

New to SLV Collections includes a collection of children’s fiction books translated into French and a suite on 20th century comic artists.

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.