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What’s got us talking

Behind the Story with Rozanna Lilley

Find out what surprised author Rozanna Lilley the most while writing her 2019 National Biography Award shortlisted book: Do Oysters Get Bored? A Curious Life

Rozanna Lilley author pic

The Burial Files

Listen to the latest podcast episode – The Moment of Death – now! 

Woman looking at the Burial Files podcast on her phone screen.

Critics’ Picks review

God Is Good For You / Greg Sheridan

Buddhist modernism

After a failed mountaineering expedition and a foot injury ended her outdoor adventures, Sydney lawyer Marie Byles embarked on a spiritual journey. Read the story to discover how she helped to shape Buddhism in Australia. 

A black and white photograph of an older woman standing next to a hut, resting her hand on the banister.

Collection buzz

Jazz Down Under

Scrapbooks compiled by the father of Australian jazz, Graeme Bell (1914 – 2012).

Graeme Bell's Jazz Scrapbook

Watercolour views of Sydney in the middle years of the 19th century

The Library has recently aquired a collection of six watercolours by Jacob Janssen (1779-1856).

A painting of a view of Government House, with emus in the garden in the foreground and a horseman on the garden track.

Across the curator’s desk: House construction notebook, 1913

Anna Corkhill, curator in the Library's Research and Discovery team, shares a house construction notebook from 1913.

Sketch for the design of a cottage

The Treaty of Waitangi 1840

On 6 February some 45 chiefs signed a ‘Treaty of Cession’, now known as the Treaty of Waitangi.

Elaborate running writing covers this aged document. Marks of broken dark red wax seals mark the bottom and left side edges of the document.

Across the curator's desk: Peter Hall's 1968 travel sketchbook

Anna Corkhill, curator in the Library's Research and Discovery team, shares a sketchbook from a crucial stage in the development of the Sydney Opera House. 

Sketchbook with pencil drawing of Sydney Opera House

Book of Hours

View our newly digitised Book of Hours, featuring 14 large miniatures, framed by pink marble columns or brown bands, and enter the world of an illuminated manuscript.

Places of Industry - works by Jeff Rigby

The Library has recently acquired a series of 25 works by Blue Mountains-based artist Jeff Rigby.

Delprats Mine

Sydney Female Refuge Society papers, 1863–1911

The Library has just completed digitising minute books of the Sydney Female Refuge Society which provide a remarkable insight into prostitution in nineteenth-century Sydney.

Covers of Sydney Female Refuge Annual Reports

Featured events

Author Talk: Peter Lewis

Author Talks
Thursday
Thursday 27 June 2019 - 2pm to 3pm
Talk

Join author Peter Lewis as he discusses his new book Webtopia, an exploration of the past 25 years of our interactions with the internet.

book cover for Webtopia

Pop culture of Sydney: The multilingual turn?

Saturday
Saturday 29 June 2019 - 11am to 1pm
Talk

With advances in technology, accessing one's favourite songs, TV shows, films, and food cultures from around the world is just a click of a button away. Is the pop culture of Sydney more multilingual than ever? This expert talk invites the audience to join in a discussion on Sydney's pop cultural scene and its multilingual turn.

image of a crowd from behind

Scholar Talk: Under the skin? The Bible in Australian culture

Scholar Talks
Tuesday
Tuesday 2 July 2019 - 11am to 12pm
Talk

From tattooed convicts to Aboriginal evangelists; unionists, artists, suffragists and wowsers, all kinds of Australians have had an opinion on the Bible. This talk will explore some of the surprising and dynamic consequences for culture and society.

head shot of Dr Meredith Lake

The B List with Bri Lee and Jamie Marina Lau

Thursday
Thursday 4 July 2019 - 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Join us at the Library for The B List, an exciting, new style of book club hosted Bri Lee. Each month Bri will be in conversation with an author previously shortlisted for one of the Library’s prestigious literary awards. 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!