State Library Victoria

💞 Have you wandered through Rebel Heart: Love letters and other declarations and spied this magnificent mourning brooch?

Sitting among stories of defiance and devotion, this small but powerful piece is made from the hair of Anne Drysdale and Caroline Newcomb – two pioneering women who shared a lifelong partnership near Geelong in the 19th century.

Mourning jewellery flourished in the Victorian era as a way to express grief and remembrance after the death of a loved one – the inclusion of hair allowed the wearer to keep a physical trace of them close to their body.

This deeply personal, extremely fragile brooch is a tender reminder of a relationship that defied convention.

👉 Learn more about the rebel hearts of Anne and Caroline and how our conservators have cared for this rare and delicate treasure: https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/our-stories/collection-care/a-rebel-heart-remembered-the-story-behind-a-remarkable-mourning-brooch/

💌 See it in Rebel Heart before it comes off display in mid-June to ensure its ongoing preservation.

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to consider how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

The National Reconciliation Week theme, All In makes clear that reconciliation is not a spectator sport and that all of us must step away from the sidelines and take action to make change.

This week in the Redmond Barry Reading Room find a curated collection of books by First Peoples authors, with stories that deepen understanding and help shape the path ahead.

Creative Acts reveals the extraordinary journeys behind artistic creation – where the process is as powerful as the outcome. The exhibition uncovers the connections, rituals and deeply personal quests that shape their work. 🎨

Dr Deanne Gilson is a proud Wadawurrung woman and artist living and working on her ancestral home of Ballarat. Her practice revolves around her spiritual connection to Country and her Creation story, drawing inspiration from generational storytelling traditions and strong family connections. She draws on this ancestral knowledge through her matriarchal line.

In her commission, Bundjil the Eaglehawk and Creator of Kulin Country depicts the Wadawurrung Creation story from spirit form to life and back again to stars in the night sky.

🌙 Hear from Dr Deanne Gilson tonight at Library up Late: https://bit.ly/4ulQppf
📆 Exhibition closes this Sunday, plan your visit: https://bit.ly/4d9fFYe

✨ Celebrating 170 years of curiosity, community and collections. ✨

On this day in 1859, the Queen’s Reading Room (now The Ian Potter Queens Hall) opened on Queen Victoria's birthday, once the south wing was completed.

Photographs taken on the opening day show the Chief Librarian, assistants and workmen posing as patrons to mark the moment.

The central part of the room had opened in 1856 as the Library's original building. The north wing followed in 1864, but only part of it was used for the Library; the rest housed pictures from the National Gallery collection.

In 1860, the hall was redesigned by Edward La Trobe Bateman, with a bold colour scheme inspired by Owen Jones’ The Grammar of Ornament – unlike anything seen in Melbourne at the time.

Look closely today and you can still see traces of Bateman’s design amid layers of history.

🔗 Learn more about Queen's Hall: https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/our-stories/queenshall/

Library Up Late is back next Friday for Rising opening weekend 🌙

Immerse yourself in a night of inspiration and imagination as State Library Victoria transforms into an after-dark playground of artistic expression.

🖼️ Explore Creative Acts and Rebel Heart with exclusive after-hours access to our exhibitions.
🎨 Join artists Dr Chandrabhanu, Dr Deanne Gilson, Barry William Hale and Bundit Puangthong in conversation as they share the stories behind their work.
💌 Let the collection move you and craft a poem or letter inspired by the rebels of romance from Rebel Heart.
✨ The dome becomes a mesmerising Sonic Temple with soundscapes from Cloudy Ku and Solar Cells & the New Vision System, alongside performances from MaggZ.
🎶 Live music continues with Monica Lim and Concordis Chamber Choir and sets from DJ JNETT and Elbain.


📆 Friday 29 May
🎟️ Book now: https://bit.ly/4ulQppf

🕵️‍♂️ Dust off your deerstalkers and polish your magnifying glasses – it's Sherlock Holmes Day, which marks the birthday of the super-sleuth’s creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

It's no mystery that Doyle was the mastermind behind Sherlock Holmes, but did you know he toured Australia in 1920 delivering lectures on spiritualism?

🔎 Discover the writer's adventures in Melbourne, his thoughts on the VFL and his war with The Argus newspaper.

Sherlock Holmes and spiritualism: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in Victoria Dust off your deerstalkers and polish your magnifying glasses!

Happy International Tea Day! 🍵

From quiet kitchen tables to historic tea rooms, garden parties and even fern forests, tea has been part of Victoria’s daily rhythm for generations.

Today we’re celebrating the rituals, communities, and moments of calm in our collection.

🔗 Learn more about Victoria's food and drink history in our online research guide: https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/food