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Chatting with Dr Gilchrist, one of the Library’s Highly Commended Fellows in 2018 (Keesing Fellowship Prize), about her new book, Murder, Misadventure and Miserable Ends: Tales from a Colonial Coroner’s Court (HarperCollins) and upcoming Scholar Talk at the Library.

NSW Premier's History Awards

The State Library of NSW has announced the opening of nominations for the NSW Premier’s History Awards 2019. A total of $75,000 in prize money will be presented to the winners at an awards ceremony on 30 August 2019. Entries open now!

Love in the Library

Some 200 greeting cards trace the love story between Sydney couple Dorothy and Frank Campbell, known to each other as ‘Princess Dorothy’ and ‘Snuggle Bunny’ Frank.

Bundles of cards, photographed with a red backdrop.

Dear Librarian... Which street is this?

Our Librarians love to research and solve interesting questions received from our Ask a Librarian service!

Collection buzz

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.

One hundred years of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie

It’s one hundred years since May Gibbs’ much loved gumnut brothers, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie found their way into the hearts and homes of Australians.

Cover for Snugglepot and Cuddlepie : their Adventures Wonderful

Rose de Freycinet poem

A recent addition to the collection, a poem dedicated to Rose de Freycinet, shows us how this remarkable woman was perceived by those she met on her voyage around the world.

Who was Kath?

The Library recently acquired an album of photographs, with no details of the owner or the subjects of the photographs – except for one named person. But who was Kath?

F. S. Burnell's album

Australian journalist and radio presenter, Frederick Spencer Burnell's (1880-1958) was as a special correspondent with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force during World War One. His recently digitised album contains 99 black & white photographs that documenting this experience.