Albert Purchas: architect, soldier, inventor
People & professions, Such was life:
A common question we get asked at the Library is where can I find information about a particular person?
People & professions
Augusta L Dargon and the Melbourne Irish
People & professions, Such was life:
In honour of St Patrick’s Day, Manuscripts Librarian Kevin Molloy examines a little known Irish-Australian treasure:
Cobb and Co
People & professions, Such was life:
On 30 January 1854, American businessman Freeman Cobb and three associates started a passenger coach service to Castlemaine and Bendigo.
Performance pay for teachers: an old and new debate
People & professions, Such was life:
Working conditions and rates of pay for Victorian teachers are often in the news, with a recent proposal to introduce performance based salaries being one of the most hotly debated… Read More ›
Fire fighting in Victoria
People & professions, Such was life:
The first fire in Melbourne, after European settlement, is believed to have occurred in Melbourne’s first gaol in 1838. The incident was later depicted in watercolour by WFE Liardet in 1875.
Australia’s first state funeral
People & professions, Such was life:
One hundred and fifty years ago Melbourne came to a standstill for the funeral procession of Robert O’Hara Burke (1821-1861) and William John Wills (1834-1861).
Ned Kelly at the cinema
People & professions, Such was life:
The world’s first feature film, The Story of the Kelly Gang, premiered at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre on 26 December 1906, twenty-six years after Ned was hanged.
18 years old and in charge of the ship
People & professions, Such was life:
The British barque Trafalgar docked at Williamstown on 16 December 1893 after a harrowing voyage. Several of the senior officers had died from fever on the journey, and the charge… Read More ›
Pioneer portraits
People & professions, Such was life:
Born in London, Thomas Chuck came to Melbourne in 1863 and opened a photography studio in Royal Arcade, Collins Street.
Even in 1888 you needed a security ID photo!
People & professions, Such was life:
When the idea of celebrating a century of European settlement in Australia was first raised in 1886, Victoria volunteered to host an international exhibition of arts and industries. The resulting… Read More ›
