Online Collection Spotlight: History of Disabilities: Disabilities in Society, Seventeenth to Twentieth Century

Online Collection Spotlight: History of Disabilities: Disabilities in Society, Seventeenth to Twentieth Century

August 8, 2025

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:

Through five collections, the ‘History of Disabilities’ database provides an insight into how society viewed disability and difference from the seventeenth century through to today. While some of the practices and terminology may no longer be acceptable, inclusion of challenging content is important to understand how the landscape has changed over time.

Finding Florrie

Finding Florrie

August 3, 2025

Ask a librarian, Family matters, Our stories, Victorian history:

When librarian Sarah Matthews stumbled across a female publican in her family tree, she couldn’t resist investigating. In this blog, Sarah explains how the library’s collection supported her research, and shares some fascinating findings from her own family’s archive.

A Library Week look at our favourite photographs

A Library Week look at our favourite photographs

August 3, 2025

Our stories, Victorian history:

It is Library week and some or our librarians have picked some favourite photographs from our collections. Our collection of images is varied, eclectic and endlessly fascinating and many have been digitised and are often available to download as high resolution TIFF files

‘Break up that cold!’ with historic Victorian winter tonics

‘Break up that cold!’ with historic Victorian winter tonics

July 29, 2025

Ask a librarian, Health, Such was life, Victorian history, Visual arts:

Let’s explore the advertising history of Victorian winter tonics that were promoted through captivating campaigns, featuring everything from racing cars to bombing planes and involving everyone from VFL footballers to Indian Maharajas!

‘By the time I found my voice to speak…’: Leslie Feinberg’s Stone butch blues

‘By the time I found my voice to speak…’: Leslie Feinberg’s Stone butch blues

July 25, 2025

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights, Our stories, Rare Books & Arts:

To celebrate Rare Book Week 2025, we turn our attention to one of the fascinating books in State Library Victoria’s Rare Books Collection: Leslie Feinberg’s ‘Stone butch blues.’  The book brings with it stories of struggle — both within and beyond it’s pages — along with questions about control, artistic ethics and the ways we find (and too often don’t find) the stories we seek: stories of people like us.

Wikimedians-in-residence

Wikimedians-in-residence

July 25, 2025

People & professions, Victorian history:

The Library has hosted two Wikimedians this year as they worked on improving the visibility of Australian feminist activists, organisations, and movements.

An historic Antarctic landing

An historic Antarctic landing

July 17, 2025

Our stories, Victorian history:

In the 1880s Melbourne’s men of science formed a committee to revive interest in Antarctic exploration. They canvassed the colonies and the world in attempts to raise an expedition. Ultimately unsuccessful, they did though inspire the first publicly recorded landing on the Antarctic continent by Henrik Bull and the crew of his whaling expedition.

David G (1966) Anti conscription demonstrations through Melbourne streets,

Online Collection Spotlight: Power to the People

July 11, 2025

Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:

Where can I find more information about the Australian labour movement? What was political ephemera like in the 1970s? Which former world leader excels at cleaning toilets…and what’s the best dish to make with flank of U.S. President? All these questions and much more are answered in this month’s Online Collection Spotlight on Gale’s Power to the People database!

‘Doing the Block’: promenade on Collins Street

‘Doing the Block’: promenade on Collins Street

June 27, 2025

Ask a librarian, Buildings & streets, Social life & customs, Victorian history:

‘The Block’ was a section of Collins street bounded by Elizabeth and Swanson streets. As early as the 1860s is was considered one of the primary places to see and be seen in the Melbourne CBD, but it reached its zenith during the economic boom years in the 1880s and 1890s. ‘Doing the Block’ was a common term to describe the endless promenading of Melbournians up and down Collins street, often dressed in their finest as they frequented the fashionable cafes, tea houses and shops

A short chronicle of the sorrows of George Edwards: poet, playwright, prisoner

A short chronicle of the sorrows of George Edwards: poet, playwright, prisoner

June 20, 2025

People & professions, Victorian history:

‘A short chronicle of the sorrows of George Edwards’ is a unique set of papers in our manuscripts collection that documents the prison life and creative output of George Edwards, a prisoner at Pentridge Prison in the 1870s. His secret papers were wrapped in strips of prison sheets and wedged within the walls of the prison to avoid detection. Find out how they made their way to the State Library collection.

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Such was life

‘Break up that cold!’ with historic Victorian winter tonics

‘Break up that cold!’ with historic Victorian winter tonics

July 29, 2025 — 0 comments

Let’s explore the advertising history of Victorian winter tonics that were promoted through captivating campaigns, featuring everything from racing cars to bombing planes and involving everyone from VFL footballers to Indian Maharajas!

Arts

‘Break up that cold!’ with historic Victorian winter tonics

‘Break up that cold!’ with historic Victorian winter tonics

July 29, 2025 — 0 comments

Let’s explore the advertising history of Victorian winter tonics that were promoted through captivating campaigns, featuring everything from racing cars to bombing planes and involving everyone from VFL footballers to Indian Maharajas!