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Wendy Sharpe's painting of the Mitchell Library

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Researching at home

Test out cookbooks from the Library's collection.

Fish pie

Discover the history behind the Olympic torch relay.

Collection buzz

Spine tingling

Looking closely at the spine could unlock the mystery of a rare book, or it could raise more questions.

Book spines

130 years of the Kelmscott Press

William Morris (1834–1896) — British artist, designer, craftsman, writer and socialist — established the Kelmscott Press at Hammersmith, London, in January 1891.

Kelmscott Press Printers device

War diaries of George Gittoes

A selection of visual diaries of Australian artist George Gittoes, covering the period between 2001 and 2014, have been recently digitised by the Library.

Detail from Image 8, Item 24: George Gittoes art diary, ca. April 2009-ca. December 2009

Kathleen’s voyage: A love story

These beautifully illustrated logbooks record a detailed account of the circumnavigation of the world by the deep-sea cruising yacht Kathleen Gillett.

Detail: [The Kathleen Gillet in full sail], oil on card, Kathleen's voyage number 2, Thursday Island to Christmas Island, July-August 1947

Sydney's Bungaree

Bungaree (c 1775–1830) is a remarkable and enigmatic figure in Sydney and Australia’s colonial history.

Featured events

The B List with Bri Lee & Amani Haydar

The B List bookclub
Thursday
Thursday 29 July 2021 - 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Series (do not use)
Free
Talk

Join Bri and Amani for an honest and intimate conversation on abuse, loss, identity and resilience. 

Bri Lee holding a copy of the book The Mother Wound
Online

Eve Langley and The Pea Pickers

Author Talks
Saturday
Saturday 31 July 2021 - 2pm to 3pm
Series (do not use)
Free
Talk

Eve Langley and The Pea Pickers offers a biography that unravels the life and the fiction, and the result is a fascinating and ultimately poignant tale.

Book cover Eve Langley and The Pea Pickers 
Online

History Skills: Evaluating Sources

Schools
Monday
Monday 2 August 2021 - 11:30am to 12:15pm
Series (do not use)
Free
Workshop

Learn how to think like a historian in this skills-focused virtual excursion. 

Paintings on blue wall
Learning (do not use)
Online

Scholar Talk: Lesbian Sydney in the 1990s

Scholar Talks
Tuesday
Tuesday 3 August 2021 - 11am to 12pm
Series (do not use)
Free
Talk

This talk will explore the important role of Wicked Women and LOTL magazines in connecting and building lesbian communities in Sydney during the 1990s. 

Lesbians on the Loose, January 1997 magazine cover
Online