Stories
Explore fascinating stories from the collections of the State Library of South Australia.
We also have extended stories from the collection for you to read and explore.
The beauty in suburban map designs
The stories that make us.Rummaging through the donation inventory one morning, we came across some beautiful suburban map plans, generously donated by a Pat, no surname provided. After we...
The Antiphonal: A Timeless Treasure
The stories that make us.Discover the Antiphonal, a 13th-century illuminated manuscript and one of the State Library of South Australia's most exquisite treasures. Captivating visitors with its extraordinary history...
Merry Xmas and a Bright New Year
In this latest story from the stacks we explore the history of Christmas cards and take a look at the State Library's delightful BJ Burton...
A literary gem: Emma. A novel. In three volumes
The stories that make us.Did you know that your State Library holds a first edition of ‘Emma’ by Jane Austen? Tucked away in the treasure-filled Rare Book Collection is...
In the heat of a colonial Christmas
The stories that make us.The Europeans who settled in South Australia in the nineteenth century, found themselves confronted with celebrating what was then the most important holiday on the...
Breaking boundaries: early women's cricket in South Australia
The stories that make us.The 'beg-innings' The first recorded women’s cricket match took place on 26 July 1745 at Gosden Common near Guildford in Surrey, England, but it wasn’t...
The sorry tale of a bottler
The stories that make us.Illegal SP (starting price) bookmaking was considered a scourge by many citizens. However it seems as though most pubs, in the days before the TAB...
In conversation with Pip Williams and Peter Zajicek
The stories that make us.Watch a conversation between Pip Williams, author of the internationally acclaimed novels The dictionary of lost words and The bookbinder of Jericho, and Peter Zajicek...
Precious blooms: in memory of the lost and fallen
On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month we pause to remember those who gave their lives for their country. In...
From analogue to digital: Preserving South Australia’s musical history
The stories that make us.Find out how we are saving music recorded on cassette tape in this behind the scenes story for UNESCO's World Day for Audiovisual Heritage...
Baby socks help to preserve our Audio-Visual heritage
The stories that make us.Discover the surprising role of baby socks in preserving our audiovisual heritage in this behind the scenes story for UNESCO's World Day for Audiovisual Heritage...
The people's park
The stories that make us.Belair National Park is a big, beautiful place filled with stories of tranquil walks, family picnics and joyful outings, all of them true. But this...
Rear Vision: The Holden Collection
The stories that make us.Get a sneak peek into the excitement of our upcoming exhibition with this short teaser of The Holden Collection . Opening in February 2025, to...
Serial Thrillers: Crime and thriller writers in the State Library's collection
The stories that make us.Crime pays. Or it did for Australian fiction writers when reading was a major form of entertainment. From the colonial era, local magazines and newspapers...
Union Movement in South Australia - a brief history
The stories that make us.Whilst the history of trade unions in South Australia is well documented, we invite you to take a look into its history through the archives...
The funeral business in early South Australia
The stories that make us.Did you know that Colonel William Light included a public cemetery in his original plan of the city of Adelaide? It was on West Terrace...
"Greetings from..." Letters and postcards in the State Library Collection
The stories that make us.Join us for a captivating talk where we delve into the timeless treasure trove of postcards and letters donated to the State Library. These seemingly...
The Pictures of Pastor William Brooker
The stories that make us.William Charles Brooker was born in the Adelaide suburb of Croydon in 1875. He completed four years of a medical degree but left before graduation...
The Art of Joseph Stanislaw Ostoja-Kotkowski
The stories that make us.Watch Maria Zagala, Curator of Prints, Drawings and Photographs at the Art Gallery of South Australia, as she delves into the artistic evolution of Joseph...
Shall I Pen You a Letter: Initials in Manuscript and Print
The stories that make us.People have enjoyed embellishing the written word with illustrations, doodles, and commentary for centuries. Examples have been found all over the world, showing up on...