Travel through time with State Library Victoria as we dust off the archives and celebrate 170 years.
Our journey first begins in the 1850s: the era of the Library’s establishment, the introduction of trams and the first recorded game of Australian rules football. A decade of incredible change in Victoria’s social, political and economic fabric. Travelling all the way to the 2000s – an era of technological advancements –stopping along the way to revisit some milestone moments of each decade.
Hear Their Voices Again
Help us preserve 100 years of memories
Every life story is worth remembering. At the Library, we have a remarkable collection of more than 20,000 oral histories and recordings with Victorians talking about their lives. These precious voices reveal our past in a way that no other collection can – through the voices and words of the people who lived it.
Sadly, many of these recordings are held on fragile analogue cassettes and other tapes that urgently need to be preserved. Can you help save a voice for future generations by making a tax-deductible donation before 30 June?
Library Up Late returns for RISING
An unmissable lineup
Library Up Late returns for RISING with a night of dancing, art and creativity.
Begin in the Dome’s Sonic Temple to experience performances from Cloudy Ku and Solar Cells & the New Vision System before wandering to The Ian Potter Queen’s Hall to witness stunning musical artistry from Monica Lim and Concordis Chamber Choir. Join artists Barry William Hale, Bundit Puangthong, Dr Chandrabhanu and Dr Deanne Gilson for conversations exploring their creative processes, marking the end of Creative Acts. Then, hear directly from Library curators on an exclusive, after-hours guided tour through Rebel Heart.
Become a wordsmith in Cowen Gallery as you craft your own poem or letter. And don’t miss The Quad’s dancefloor as DJ JNETT kicks the night off with a synth-soaked Italo Disco set, before DJ Elbain takes over with dynamic electro and Y2K-inspired beats.
No two Library Up Late experiences are the same, but they’re always iconic.
Library Up Late x RISING
Fri 29 May 2026, 7.30–10.30pm
$27–$39
State Library Victoria
SLV LAB Experiments
Hacking the Library (in the best possible way)
At SLV LAB‘s latest Code Club, historian and hacker Tim Sherratt demonstrates how anyone can explore and reshape digital library systems using effective browser tools. His idea of hacking is about problem-solving and revealing how online collections work beneath the surface. Learn how to recode your relationship with the Library’s collection in the blog below.
What’s on
Coming soon at the Library
State Library Victoria Unlocked: A Guided Tour Before The Doors OpenFrom 1 May
Find a rare moment of quiet in the iconic Dome, soak in the architecture and even take a seat where the ‘Shusher’ once reigned on this early access tour of the Library.
My Love UmbrellaFrom 2 May
Create your own ‘Love Umbrella’ hanging mobile in this joyful, hands-on craft activity. No bookings are required, drop in anytime.
Studio 4 InductionFrom 6 May
Join us for a free, insightful group induction that will cover the essential housekeeping information.
The Library is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Visit our website for more information on how to make the most of your visit.
1. Swanston Street. Melbourne [i.e. Melbourne],[1858]. H84.167/13
2. Hear Their Voices Again, source State Library Victoria
3. Library Up Late, credit Matto Lucas. Concordis Chamber Choir, credit Matto Lucas. Cloudy Ku, credit Will Hamilton Coates. JNETT, image provided by the artist. Solar Cells & the New Vision System, credit Kristoffer Paulsen. Monica Lim, credit Keelan O’Hehir
4. Tim Sherratt, source State Library Victoria
5. State Library Victoria Unlocked: A Guided Tour Before The Doors Open, credit Eva Gorobets
6. My Love Umbrella, credit Allison Colpoys
7. Studio 4 Induction, credit Eugene Hyland
