Cities & towns

Paris is always a good idea

Paris is always a good idea

March 17, 2023

Ask a librarian, Cities & towns, Photography, Reference desk:

Read about the time Paris lost itself in Melbourne. Good thing we found it and gave it back to the world! Here’s the fascinating story of a collection that everyone believed to be lost.

Walking the blue lake

Walking the blue lake

April 16, 2019

Buildings & streets, Cities & towns, Our stories:

Dr David Sornig ponders the history of West Melbourne’s lost wetlands, and takes us on a collective journey around the area.

A darkroom on wheels

A darkroom on wheels

March 27, 2019

Cities & towns, Such was life:

An itinerant immigrant from Scotland took some fascinating photos of the Western District in the 1850s.

Cremorne Gardens from South Side of Yarra nr Col- Andersons, ST Gill, 1855

On a visit to the Cremorne Gardens

June 13, 2018

Cities & towns, Exhibitions, People & professions:

Opened in 1853 on the banks of the Yarra River, the Cremorne Gardens was Melbourne’s first amusement park. Featuring fireworks displays, tightrope dancers and Australia’s first hot air balloon ascent, the gardens brought theatre and spectacle to the newly established British colony.

The erasure of Melbourne’s wetlands

The erasure of Melbourne’s wetlands

August 29, 2016

Buildings & streets, Cities & towns, Such was life:

Creative fellow and author, Dr David Sornig, shows us how the library’s maps and manuscripts chart the demise of West Melbourne’s wetlands in his special guest blog this week. Welcome David.

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.

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?

The Mallee

The Mallee

May 11, 2016

Cities & towns, Such was life:

‘I can readily imagine why most people speak of this part of the country with a certain dread for there is actually no grass and no water to be found.’

State Library Victoria: open for 160 years

State Library Victoria: open for 160 years

February 11, 2016

Cities & towns, Such was life:

On the Library’s 160th birthday we look at events which have shaped Victoria since 1856.

Echuca’s anniversary

Echuca’s anniversary

September 2, 2014

Cities & towns, Such was life:

In 1864 the railway connecting Melbourne to Echuca opened. This had an enormous effect on the town, with the resultant increase in trade turning Echuca into Australia’s largest inland port.