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State Library of Queensland

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Enjoy images from State Library's collections, exhibitions and events.

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Did you know the Brisbane River was once GREEN?

For more than 70 years, a beautiful but troublesome weed regularly took over Brisbane’s waterways.

Water hyacinth, nicknamed the ‘Lilac Devil’ for its purple-blue flowers, could spread rapidly, forming thick floating mats that blocked boats and disrupted life along the river.

Swipe through to discover the story of the plant that turned the brown snake green. by @statelibraryqld

This 1790s beauty case belonged to a real Mary Bennett, just like the Pride and Prejudice character, and offers a glimpse into the beauty rituals of Austen’s world.

With period dramas having a moment (Wuthering Heights, we see you 👀), now’s the perfect time to dive into the real objects behind the fiction.

#PrideAndPrejudice #WutheringHeights #StateLibraryQLD by @statelibraryqld

Ever seen a book co-created by a grub? 🐛

A weevil carved its path through a tree, then artists turned those traces into a book. ‘The grub in the wood of time’ is a stunning collaboration across species and material. A poem you can feel as much as read.

Check it out this Poetry month online via our digital collection or in our artist book exhibition on Level 4.

#JoanOfArchives #PoetryMonth #ArtistBooks by @statelibraryqld

It's Ask a Conservator Day!

Take a look behind the scenes at the work our Preservation team are currently doing to conserve a collection of early 1900s Detective Weekly serials featuring Queensland author Coutts Brisbane.

These fragile crime stories offer a glimpse into the reading habits, popular attitudes and publishing culture of their time. Our team are carefully colour matching replacement materials, using wheat starch paste to repair damaged pages and even bringing out a tiny iron to help dry their delicate work.

Have books, photographs, letters or other treasures at home that you'd love to preserve? Visit our website to submit your conservation questions and discover resources to help care for your own collections.

#AskAConservatorDay by @statelibraryqld

An eclectic mix of treasures from State Library's collections, the Talbot Family Treasures Wall has been updated with new collection items.

Among the latest treasures on display are a 1911 rugby cap from the early days of the QLD vs. NSW rivalry, a 1930s tourism pitch for southerners seeking warmth, Sister Peggy Taylor's golden nurse's veil and Queensland's earliest known novel manuscript. Alongside them you'll also find artworks, portraits, rare photographs, manuscripts, clothing, collectibles and so much more.

Discover more in our Level 4 galleries or book a free curator’s tour to hear the stories behind the items on display from the link in bio.

Image attributions:
📷 1, Queensland rugby honour cap, State Library of Queensland. Record 99184906818102061.
📷 2. Off to the North for warmth, Percy Trompf, 1902-1964, State Library of Queensland. Record 9918207154702061.
📷 3. Queen of the Nurses Quest veil, Taylor Peggy, State Library of Queensland. Record 99184532095802061.
📷 4. Tom Hurstbourne or a Squatter's Life manuscript, 1865, State Library of Queensland. Record 99184924216902061. by @statelibraryqld

Give your favourite clothes another chapter. 🧵 Learn hand stitching, patching and darning at Visible Mending 101, turning everyday wear and tear into creative details. Bring a garment that needs some love and attention, or we can provide a sample to work on. All materials provided.

📍 State Library of Queensland
📅 Thursday 5 November, 5.30–7.30pm
🎟️ Purchase tickets through the What’s On link in bio by @statelibraryqld

🤡🎃 Send in the clowns...

Step into spooky season with a selection of vintage photographs and home movie snippets from our collections. Some are charming, some are curious, and some are just a little creepy.

Image credits:

Ruva Ashton and clown, date unknown. Photographer unknown. State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 191917

Clown posing at a circus, date unknown. OM75-102 Peggy Schluter Papers. State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 151294

Big Clown statue at Santaland, Gold Coast, ca.1980s. Cane Toad Times, contributor.. 31611, Damien Ledwich archive. State Library of Queensland. Image number: 31611-0022-0044

Clown with rolling pin at Popov's Restaurant, Indooroopilly, October 1976. Ian Poole, photographer. 31370, Ian Poole photographic archive. State Library of Queensland. Image number: 31370-2524-0026

Clown at Popov's Restaurant, Indooroopilly, October 1976. Ian Poole, photographer. 31370, Ian Poole photographic archive. State Library of Queensland. Image number: 31370-2524-0002

Warana parade, Fortitude Valley, 1976. Snippet from 27587, Donald Symss Super 8 films. State Library of Queensland.

Cast of an amateur dramatic society production of Beauty and the Beast at Marburg, ca. 1910. Photographer unknown. State Library of Queensland. Negative number: 173121

Ventriloquist and doll, ca.1960s. William Arthur Jones, photographer. 31557, W A Jones & Co photographs. State Library of Queensland. Image number: 31557-0001-0158

Gayndah Orange Festival parade, 1959. Snippets from 29226, Bill Rahmann Films, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

Illustrated front cover from The Queenslander, October 26, 1938. State Library of Queensland. Image number: 702692-19381026-s001

#JohnOxleyLibrary #Halloween #QueenslandHistory #VintageHalloween by @statelibraryqld

I want to help people love their clothes for longer. ♻️🫶🏼

That’s why I’m joining the @statelibraryqld to host two sewing workshops - Embroidery 101 and Visible Mending 101.✂️📍

If you’re looking to connect with creative people and learn a new skill, I would love to meet you at one of the workshops! 👋🏼

You can book your place via the State Library website or the link in my bio. I can’t wait to upcycle together! ♻️🧵

#slowfashion #sewing #sustainability #visiblemending #embroidery by @statelibraryqld

Join us on Thursday 12 November, 6:30 pm-8 pm, for a thoughtful conversation about where Australian multiculturalism has come from, where we are today and what our increasingly diverse future might look like.

Host: Kelly Higgins-Devine

Kelly is the award-winning Evenings Presenter on 612-ABC Brisbane. Kelly is a mad Lions fan, with a coffee and cat addiction and in this Explainer, she is most interested to ask the question: Australia has been multicultural since colonial settlement, why is this still a difficult concept for some?

Speakers: Mark Cully and Aleem Ali

Mark Cully was the inaugural chief economist for the immigration department and chaired the OECD’s working party on migration. He was born a dual national, but his heart beats for the third one he acquired, aged ten (Australia). For the Explainer event on multiculturalism, he is most interested in exploring what obligations we owe to one another to solidify the “most successful multicultural nation in the world.”

Aleem Ali is CEO of Welcoming Australia, leading the country's largest network advancing social cohesion, working with councils, universities, workplaces and sporting clubs to build communities where everyone belongs. His first and last names are Arabic, but his middle name is Shaun, Anglo-Celtic, like the sheep. At our upcoming Explainer Series event, he's most excited to explore the systems and stories that shape who we think we are as a nation and who gets to be part of that story.

Book now to secure your seat. Link to The Explainer Series in bio. by @statelibraryqld

Let's take a road trip to Caloundra, 1954 style, for World Day for Audiovisual Heritage; a day dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of preserving audiovisual materials such as old films and audio recordings.

Since 2018, State Library's Reel Rescue campaign has helped preserve and digitise fragile film, video and audio recordings from our collections. These edited snippets of home movie footage are from the Neil and Heideman family papers.

You can discover more amateur films and audio recordings through our One Search catalogue.

Reel Rescue is made possible through the generosity of donors to the Queensland Library Foundation.

#JohnOxleyLibrary #AudiovisualHeritage #WorldDayForAudiovisualHeritage #slqReelRescue #Caloundra by @statelibraryqld

Did you know: on this day in 1940, 2 years before the notorious 'Battle of Brisbane', Australian troops rioted for 4 straight nights in Brisbane city.

The reason? A clock ...

Click the link in our bio or search 'Closing Time: the first Battle of Brisbane' to learn more about this untold chapter of Queensland history. by @statelibraryqld

Well, well, well, an architecture tour of my favourite precinct in Australia? A free learning resource that teaches the public about art and architecture? Sign me up.

State Library of Queensland’s new audio tours will talk you through some of the biggest art commissions and architectural decisions that have brought our much-loved state library to life. They’re free, they’re on the website and they’re worth a listen.

To learn more, head to the link in the @statelibraryqld bio.
#paidpartnership by @statelibraryqld