Glorious news! Separation at last!

Glorious news! Separation at last!

July 5, 2016

Cities & towns, Such was life:

Victoria is celebrating the 165th anniversary of its own Brexit, the day colonists won independence from the British colony of NSW. To mark the occasion, an exhibition of rare historical artwork and records has gone on display at the Library.

The first day of the Battle of the Somme

The first day of the Battle of the Somme

June 30, 2016

Our stories:

This day saw the British Army experience the single bloodiest day in its entire history, with close to 60,000 casualties, as Lord Kitchener’s inexperienced new recruits came face to face with the brutal realities of modern warfare’s industrialised killing.

Marvel Worldwide Inc, 2015

The art of the comic book, or the comic book as art?

June 23, 2016

Comic books, Rare Books & Arts:

Comic books have come a long way since their first appearance in America in the 1930s. You can start exploring our growing collection with these beautiful artist’s editions of some iconic titles.

Settlement at Sullivan Bay

Settlement at Sullivan Bay

June 22, 2016

Cities & towns, Such was life:

Was the British settlement of Sorrento in 1803 Victoria’s first attempt at a desalinisation plant?

Ballarat Star, 10 July 1920

Post war play creates furore in Bendigo

June 21, 2016

Our stories:

On Saturday 3 July 1920, the play Advance Australia was staged at the Princess Theatre in Bendigo. Written by a local Catholic priest, John Joseph Kennedy, it would create a national furore.

Warner Music Australia, 2014

New Listening: Prince & Alice, Cleo & Callas, & much more

June 3, 2016

Film, Music, Rare Books & Arts:

Some great new music in Arts from pop to classical, and quite a few points in between.

Black Thursday, February 6th, 1851  
1864
oil on canvas; 106.5 x 343 cm
State Library of Victoria

Major retrospective of colonial artist William Strutt on show at State Library Victoria

June 2, 2016

News:

State Library Victoria will host Heroes and Villains: Strutt’s Australia, a major retrospective dedicated to the work of celebrated mid-nineteenth century artist, William Strutt (1825–1915). The exhibition opens to the public on 14 July 2016.

An ambrotype portrait of cadet Dabney Scales in US Naval Academy uniform, Maryland, c 1859-60, housed in its original hinge-split case, on top of Scales' Shenandoah diary, 1865

State Library seeks help to secure unique diary revealing Australia’s link to the American Civil War

May 29, 2016

News:

State Library Victoria is asking for the public’s help to purchase an extraordinary document that chronicles Australia’s involvement in the last year of the American Civil War – the ship diary of Lieutenant Dabney M Scales of the Confederate Steam Ship Shenandoah.

So, you want to be a librarian?

So, you want to be a librarian?

May 23, 2016

People & professions, Such was life:

From 1948 up until 1969, the Melbourne Public Library’s training school educated nearly 300 aspiring librarians. Many things have changed since then, but some things still remain the same…

New books with an American accent in Arts

New books with an American accent in Arts

May 20, 2016

New books, Painting, Photography, Rare Books & Arts:

An iconic American family of artists, a book of photographs capturing a lost place and time, an artist we should know better, and a lovely voice from Hollywood’s past.

Such was life

Online Collection Spotlight: Bloomsbury Historic Dress in Detail

Online Collection Spotlight: Bloomsbury Historic Dress in Detail

December 23, 2025 0 comments

Watch the wonders of fashion unfold with this informative and visually stunning peak into the history of clothing. This video database, with companion articles, explores historical contexts, materials, and construction methods, enabling you to see how different garments were worn, and the function that each item served.

Arts

Online Collection Spotlight: American Music

Online Collection Spotlight: American Music

February 6, 2026 0 comments

From Willie Nelson to Dinah Washington, Muddy Waters to Flaco Jimenez, you can enjoy a journey across the diverse musical roots of America with the Music Online: American Music database. Hosting an astonishing array of talent the collection consists of almost 7000 albums and 120,000 songs.