Melbourne’s lost department stores

Melbourne’s lost department stores

March 6, 2019

Buildings & streets, Our stories, Social life & customs:

Melbourne and shopping have been hand in glove since the 1880s, and at its peak the city flaunted more than a dozen department stores.

Precious correspondence from Australian feminist, writer and poet Mary Fullerton

Precious correspondence from Australian feminist, writer and poet Mary Fullerton

March 4, 2019

Arts & literature, Our stories:

Within the papers of a Victorian farmer from Beaconsfield, are a series of letters from his aunt, Mary Fullerton, an Australian author and a vocal member of the women’s suffrage movement.

Women changing the world, part one: intellectual equality

Women changing the world, part one: intellectual equality

March 4, 2019

Arts & literature, Our stories, Politics, Social life & customs:

Explore the history of the struggle for women’s equality – intellectual, political, and physical – in this three-part series.

A determined dreamer: the life and art of Phyl Waterhouse

A determined dreamer: the life and art of Phyl Waterhouse

March 4, 2019

Arts & literature, Our stories:

A prolific artist, Phyl Waterhouse is represented in the collections of most major Australian galleries, although she arguably did not receive sufficient critical attention in her lifetime.

New Sights and Sounds in Arts

New Sights and Sounds in Arts

February 20, 2019

Film, Music, Popular music, Rare Books & Arts:

Some great new arrivals in Arts include recent releases and acquisitions in opera, ballet, classical music, film soundtracks and musicals on CD, DVD and Blu-Ray.  There’s something for everyone to enjoy!… Read More ›

‘Here for you’: a new original artwork

‘Here for you’: a new original artwork

February 20, 2019

Our stories:

The Library forecourt has been the backdrop for 163 years of social change. Now it is emblazoned with the faces of influential change-makers from Australia’s history.

State Library Victoria calls for 2019 fellowship applications

State Library Victoria calls for 2019 fellowship applications

February 20, 2019

News:

Applications are now open for State Library Victoria’s major annual fellowships program, which encourages creative Australians to draw on the Library’s extensive collection for new work.

A love story in the archives

A love story in the archives

February 12, 2019

Our stories:

Letters from the Victorian goldfields reveal a love story, filled with dramatic highs and lows.

Women in science at the Library

Women in science at the Library

February 11, 2019

Collection Care, Conservation, Our stories:

Believe it or not, science is a vital part of the State Library’s day-to-day operations. In the Library’s Preservation and Conservation department we celebrate 16 brilliant women of science.

Bushfire and aftermath

Bushfire and aftermath

February 6, 2019

Our stories:

Flying over fire-ravaged land, photographer John Gollings looked down on the Hume Highway as Victoria reeled from the deadliest fires in recorded history.

Such was life

On the case: Detective Piggott and the development of forensics

On the case: Detective Piggott and the development of forensics

November 3, 2025 11 comments

The early 1900s was an exciting time to be a detective. Innovations in science and technology, combined with the popularity of detective stories shifted crime fighting away from the seedy world of informers, which had influenced the early years of policing, towards the detection of crime using scientific methods and forensic evidence. Find out about how one Victorian detective contributed to the development of police forensics.

Arts

Portraits of Melbourne artists in their studios

Portraits of Melbourne artists in their studios

December 8, 2025 0 comments

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.