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Stories

Showcasing people, places and ideas inspired by the collection and the library community.

Stories

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Aboriginal Australians Art and Design Behind the Scenes Biography  Exhibition Exploration History Literature Mapping Natural World Openbook Photography World War I

Latest stories

Coming out in the 70s

Gay and lesbian life went public in the 70s. Speaking up and standing out, gay men and women took to the streets proudly demanding to be seen, heard and accepted.  

These chapters draw from stories and records in the Library’s collection to explore how the gay and lesbian rights movement emerged in NSW in the 1970s.  

Gifts from the sea

The timeless appeal of shells has seen them preserved in many ways over the centuries.

Illustration from The Voyager’s Companion or Shell Collector’s Pilot, 1825, by J Mawe

Kathleen’s voyage: A love story

by Margot Riley

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

Following the river

by Marika Duczynski

Darug people share a deeper story of Dyarubbin, the Hawkesbury River.

Dyarubbin, the Hawkesbury River, from above Sackville Reach, photo by Joy Lai

Featured

Eight days in Kamay

On 29 April 1770, the Gweagal people of Kamay (Botany Bay) discovered James Cook and his crew as they sailed into the bay and came ashore. The eight days that followed changed the course of Australia’s history. 250 years later the events of those eight days and their continuing impact are still being debated, contested, felt.

The Diary Files 

by Richard Neville

The Library’s online diary preserves everyday experiences of Australians during the pandemic. 

The Diary Files

The Gatherings Order 

by Elise Edmonds

A behind the scenes look at the new podcast series exploring the last great influenza pandemic in 1919.

Mr Archimedes Moves In

by Sarah Morley

The Library is the new home of award-winning children’s author and illustrator Pamela Allen’s extensive archive.

A man is sitting in a bath with a wombat, goat and kangaroo and the water is overflowing onto the floor