See more

What’s got us talking

Library secures ‘holy grail’ of Australiana

A rare 17th century Spanish document – considered amongst the most valuable of all printed Australiana – has just been acquired by the Library and is now on display.

Pedro Fernandes de Queirós

Exploring Dyarubbin

A list of Aboriginal placenames was a trigger for seeking the ‘real secret river’.

A landscape photograph depicting a misty river as viewed through a break in tree cover.

Celebrating the Dictionary of Sydney’s 10-year anniversary

The Dictionary went live for the first time on 4 November 2009.

Hall of Service interactive

Thousands of World War I enlistees are honoured in the Hall of Service, a beautiful installation at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park, Sydney.

Hall of Service

Collection buzz

Hassall Family Papers made available for transcription

Using our online transcription tool, anyone can now contribute to transcribing the valuable Hassall Family Papers. 

Hassall Family Diaries 1859 1865

Recently acquired portrait of Nicolas Baudin

Nicolas Thomas Baudin (1754–1803) was a cartographic surveyor and naturalist who led a French expedition to the southern parts of the Eastern Hemisphere between 1800–04. 

The 1946 Bathurst Grand Prix

View amazing photos from the 100-mile motor race which attracted a crowd of around 30,000 people. 

Across the curator’s desk - Sedition: A political poster dilemma

A small selection of striking political posters from the 1960s, 70s and 80s from the Library's massive collection of 10,000+ Australian posters. 

Sedition posters

Across the curator’s desk: Bob Graham’s original artwork from ‘The Wild’ (1986)

Maria Savvidis, Curator in the Library’s Research and Discovery Team, shares an original illustration from a well-loved Australian children’s book.

 

Bob Graham’s original artwork from ‘The Wild’

Featured events

The B List with Bri Lee, Michelle Scott Tucker & Larissa Behrendt

Thursday
Thursday 21 November 2019 - 6pm to 8pm
Talk

Join us at the Library for The B List, an exciting, new style of book club hosted by the award-winning author and avid reader, Bri Lee. After the conversation we will retire to our historic Friends Room where you will be able to buy a drink and chat further with your new book club friends!

Author Talk: Pain and Prejudice

Author Talks
Saturday
Saturday 23 November 2019 - 2pm to 3pm
Talk

In 2015, The Guardian journalist Gabrielle Jackson told her editor she wanted to write about endometriosis. It turned into a world-wide investigation into the disease.

Talking Deadly: Living Language

Indigenous
Talking Deadly
Wednesday
Wednesday 27 November 2019 - 6pm to 7pm
Free
Talk

Join Melissa Jackson for the year’s final Talking Deadly. She will share her experiences working as a Curator on the Library’s seminal Living Language exhibition, a brilliant fusion of library collections and lived community experiences.

Tasman map

Author Talks
Wednesday
Wednesday 4 December 2019 - 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Talk

Ian Burnet brings together stories of the voyages which led to the Tasman map’s creation and discusses how the Mitchell Library managed to acquire this important piece.