A little history of the humble lamp post

A little history of the humble lamp post

November 2, 2015

Our stories:

The humble lamp posts on either side of Redmond Barry’s statue might tend to be overlooked, but at 124 years, they are hardy survivors. This week our Pictures team take a closer look at some of Melbourne’s oldest working street fixtures.

New books: revolutions in England, Scotland at war and Mr Nolan transforms the Australian landscape

New books: revolutions in England, Scotland at war and Mr Nolan transforms the Australian landscape

October 30, 2015

Painting, Rare Books & Arts, Visual arts:

A clutch of new books explore Turner’s “born again” vision, the back-to-the-future philosophy of William Morris, Scotland’s artists at war, and the remarkable life and art of Sidney Nolan (shown here in a photograph by Albert Tucker, c.1940s).

Two unidentified women kicking up their heels in carpark at racecourse © Rennie Ellis

The race that stops a nation

October 30, 2015

Our stories, Such was life:

Take a punt on Melbourne Cup Day and explore our wealth of Cup and horse racing resources online.

Andy Griffiths in the State Library's Dome for the Children's Book Festival.

Andy Griffiths awarded the 2015 Dromkeen Medal

October 29, 2015

News:

State Library Victoria today awarded the 2015 Dromkeen Medal to Australia’s bestselling children’s author Andy Griffiths. The Library also presented this year’s Dromkeen Librarian’s Award to Rosario Martinez, the Children’s and Youth Services Librarian at the City of Darwin.

Bertie The Aeroplane, Eric Porter Studios

5 things you didn’t know about Australian animation

October 27, 2015

Our stories:

From the very first Australian animated film to our first Oscar for an animated short, this week we celebrate 100 years of Australian animation.

Did Daylight really come second?

Did Daylight really come second?

October 26, 2015

Sport, Such was life:

Did daylight ever really come second or is it just another part of Melbourne Cup folklore?

Nobel women – Women of science

Nobel women – Women of science

October 22, 2015

Our stories:

Since 1901, Nobel prizes have been awarded 573 times to 900 people or organisations. Of these, there have only been 48 women Nobel Laureates. Those who have won the prizes in the field of science: Physics; Chemistry; or Physiology or Medicine number only 17.

[Nurse in walking out outfit, Egypt] 
Accession no: H2011.36/48

No damned females! Exploring WW1 nursing records with Dr Kirsty Harris

October 22, 2015

Family History Feast 2015, Family matters:

“No damned female M.O.s in the A.I.F. My responsibilities are quite big enough with 1200 nurses” responded General Neville Howse to the suggestion that female doctors should be allowed to serve with the AIF.

How to: Preparing precious artwork for display

How to: Preparing precious artwork for display

October 19, 2015

Collection Care, Conservation, Our stories:

In the final week of our major exhibition, the Conservation team bring you behind-the-scenes to highlight some of the processes they undertook to prepare ST Gill’s evocative works for display.

Designers sought for State Library Vision 2020 Redevelopment

Designers sought for State Library Vision 2020 Redevelopment

October 19, 2015

News:

An Expression of Interest for a Design Consultant team has been released for the $83 million State Library Victoria Vision 2020 redevelopment project, the Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley has announced.

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.