Such was life

Bendigo or Sandhurst? History through newspapers

Bendigo or Sandhurst? History through newspapers

May 10, 2013

Cities & towns, Such was life:

Did you know that Bendigo used to be called Sandhurst? And then changed its name back to Bendigo?

Melbourne’s feral dogs

Melbourne’s feral dogs

May 2, 2013

Social life & customs, Such was life:

In the 1840s and 50s, Melbourne had an unregistered dog problem. Initially the stray dogs were only a nuisance, but they soon became aggressive and threatened the safety of Melburnians.

Samuel Figgis, librarian and soldier

Samuel Figgis, librarian and soldier

April 22, 2013

Such was life, War:

In August 1914, a young Samuel Figgis joined the Victorian Public Library as a library assistant, just after the outbreak of the Great War. Less than a year later he died on the beaches of the Dardanelles on his 20th birthday.

Greetings from the trenches: World War I postcards

Greetings from the trenches: World War I postcards

April 12, 2013

Collection spotlights, Such was life, War:

In 1916, Corporal Thomas O’Halloran sent dozens of embroidered souvenir postcards from the front lines in France to his father, wife and three children back home in Castlemaine.

Australian Performing Group

Australian Performing Group

April 6, 2013

Arts & literature, Such was life:

The 1960s, a time of social and political change, saw the birth of the Australian Performing Group (APG).

The Major Moon Collection

The Major Moon Collection

April 1, 2013

Such was life, War:

Major Arthur Moon was an Australian surgeon and POW in the Tamuang and Chungkai camps during World War II. He worked alongside Sir Edward (Weary) Dunlop and performed up to… Read More ›

From Ararat to the Dardanelles: World War I through newspapers

From Ararat to the Dardanelles: World War I through newspapers

March 25, 2013

Such was life, War:

Over 70 Victorian newspapers covering 1914 to 1918 are now freely available on Trove, the digitised Australian newspapers website. These titles have been digitised to support the commemoration of the… Read More ›

Melbourne’s bohemians

Melbourne’s bohemians

March 19, 2013

Social life & customs, Such was life:

Bohemian: noun 1. a person with artistic or intellectual tendencies or pretensions who lives and acts without regard for conventional rules of behaviour (Macquarie dictionary online).

Augusta L Dargon and the Melbourne Irish

Augusta L Dargon and the Melbourne Irish

March 14, 2013

People & professions, Such was life:

In honour of St Patrick’s Day, Manuscripts Librarian Kevin Molloy examines a little known Irish-Australian treasure:

Community Heritage Grant applications open

March 12, 2013

Local history funding sources, Such was life:

Applications for the Australian Government’s Community Heritage Grants are now open. ‘The Community Heritage Grants (CHG) program provides grants of up to $15,000 to community organisations such as libraries, archives,… Read More ›