$13 million boost to State Library an early Christmas present for Victorians

$13 million boost to State Library an early Christmas present for Victorians

December 14, 2016

News:

A partnership between the Victorian State Government and the John and Myriam Wylie Foundation is delivering a funding boost of $13 million to State Library Victoria and is set to reinvigorate an historic Melbourne precinct.

Artist impression of Seadragon's Lair

State Library Victoria underwater for White Night Melbourne

December 12, 2016

News:

On Saturday 18 February, Melbourne will be wowed by an epic underwater adventure set against the State Library’s magnificent domed reading room as part of White Night Melbourne.

Umbrella Entertainment, 2014

Festive Sights and Sounds: Bandstand, Shakespeare, Mozart, Carols and much more.

December 7, 2016

Music, Rare Books & Arts:

The sounds of Melbourne Music Week may be fading into the distance, but there’s still lots to listen to here at the State Library.

Preservation: caring for our collections

Preservation: caring for our collections

December 1, 2016

Collection Care, Our stories, Preventive conservation:

The Library’s Preservation team work to ensure the ongoing care, preservation and access of our collections. Here the team bring you inside their work, from the quarantine room where items are checked for pests and mould, to the preservation studio where an average of 50,000 items are re-housed in any given year.

A cargo of fallen angels

A cargo of fallen angels

November 30, 2016

People & professions, Such was life:

Children in detention. Stopping the boats. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was recent times but in fact, it was the 19th century.

Alison Lester awarded the 2016 Dromkeen Medal

Alison Lester awarded the 2016 Dromkeen Medal

November 22, 2016

News:

State Library Victoria today awarded the 2016 Dromkeen Medal to celebrated children’s author Alison Lester and the Dromkeen Librarian’s Award to Sarah Steed from Libraries ACT.

Sony Music, 2014

Sincerely, L. Cohen

November 17, 2016

Music, Popular music, Rare Books & Arts:

2016 has been a tough year for music lovers and now, as the year draws to a close, we’ve lost Leonard Cohen as well.

Photo credit: Patrick Rodriguez

Summer exhibition celebrating 40 years of Triple R now on show at State Library Victoria

November 17, 2016

News:

ON AIR: 40 years of 3RRR, a free exhibition that marks the 40th anniversary of Triple R, Melbourne’s iconic and much-loved community radio station opens tomorrow, Friday 18 November 2016.

The politics of poster making: the RedPlanet archive

The politics of poster making: the RedPlanet archive

November 11, 2016

People & professions, Such was life:

The years 1992 and 1993, when RedPlanet artists produced 24 house posters, can arguably be called the golden years of poster design in Australia.

Digital publishing partnership supports emerging writers, builds collections

Digital publishing partnership supports emerging writers, builds collections

November 8, 2016

Announcements, News:

State Library announced a partnership with online publishing start-up Tablo – an innovative new platform that supports emerging Victorian writers, connecting them with other writers, readers, industry experts and potential publishers.

Such was life

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 2 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.

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 2 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.