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.
Inking up: the art of tattooing
The stories that make us.Delve into the intriguing world of tattooing, as we uncover the history, symbolism, and evolution of this timeless art form, showcased through items held within...
Cornucopia
The stories that make us.Step into a world of blooming beauty and historical wonder at Cornucopia: gardens and gardening in South Australia. Immerse yourself in South Australia's rich gardening...
Departed Spirits: Lost pubs of Adelaide
The stories that make us.Explore the history of Adelaide pubs that were once vibrant, bustling places but are now silent witnesses to the past. Known as the city of...
Open books, hidden lives
The stories that make us.How the Adelaide Circulation Library began The South Australian Mechanics Institute opened in 1839 and in 1844 the South Australian Subscription Library was formed and...
Young Rupert's Paper Trail: Succession, seditions, and power in 1950s Adelaide
The stories that make us.We invited journalist Walter Marsh to piece together the story of young Rupert Murdoch’s early battles against Adelaide’s conservative establishment. He explores how these formative...
The Cheer Ups and Mrs Seager
The stories that make us.Alexandra Seager ran a small but successful business in the city of Adelaide during World War I, providing household help and workers for homes and...
The 'Celestials' in South Australia
The stories that make us.South Australia and China have shared some fascinating history. In centuries past, the Emperor of China was known as the Son of Heaven and so...
An endurance of trees
The stories that make us.Trees have always provided humankind with food, shelter, timber, and respite from summer heat. Over millennia, they have also served as community meeting places and...
Kate Cocks: South Australia's first policewoman
The stories that make usKate Cocks was an amazing woman who devoted her life to helping women and children to escape violence and abuse. Read on to find out...
Elizabeth Woolcock – murderer or victim?
The stories that make us.In September 1873 in Moonta, Thomas Woolcock died slowly from mercury poisoning. His wife, Elizabeth Woolcock, was convicted of his murder and became the only...
Migrant family stories between the wars
The stories that make us.Hear stories of strength, resilience and longevity of a group of migrants from the Italian region of Veneto who settled in the western suburbs of...
Who killed Bertha Schippan?
The stories that make us.On New Year’s Night 1902, Bertha Schippan was brutally murdered on an isolated farm in the north-east of Adelaide. She was fourteen years old. Her...
From silk hats to white goods
The stories that make us.The locally made Simpson automatic washing machine eased the burden of weekly duties for South Australian housewives when it was first produced in the 1940’s...
In plain sight: Twentieth century LGBTIQA+ writers in our collections
The stories that make us.Learn what a recent unusual discovery, by one of our long-term volunteers, tells us about twentieth-century LGBTIQA+ writers in our collections. It was revealed that...
Lust for Lifestyle: Modern Adelaide Homes 1950–1965
The stories that make us.Lust for Lifestyle: Modern Adelaide Homes 1950–1965 offers insights into how a generation of post-Word War II homeowners embraced modern family homes, designed by architects...
Voices captured in wax: digitising wax cylinder recordings from 1901
The stories that make us.Wax cylinders were the earliest, commercially available, sound recording and sound playback format. They were invented by Thomas Edison in 1877 and later commercialised in...
THE SANFL clubs that have hung up the boots
In June 2022 the State Library held an exhibition in partnership with the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) History Centre. Our footy, our people...
Sowing, Mowing and Growing
The stories that make us.Take you for a stroll through South Australian gardens from colonisation to the 1930s. Early gardening emphasised subsistence but British landscaping styles were soon introduced...
Designing the Angove's 'handy gallon pack' wine cask
The stories that make us.Wytt Morrô was one of Australia's most important graphic designer of wine labels. His labels for Stonyfell Metala and Orlando Barossa Pearl in the 1950s...
Shame, Shock and Awful Strife in the Holy Village
The stories that make us.Hear how a lady writer and a fiery preacher raised a ruckus in the City of Churches. You'll discover tales of lavish lifestyles, a riot...